Sara Zayed DRC’16 Turns Her Passion for Health and Wellness into a Popular Online Blog
As the founder of Posifitivy (poz-i-FIT-i-vee), a health and lifestyle blog, Sara Zayed DRC’16 is carving out a career path that complements her strengths and passions.
Although Zayed has always been interested in nutrition and physical fitness, she majored in computer science and mathematics. After college, her personal passion for health and wellness developed into a more formal professional journey. While working full-time as an engineer, Zayed chose to continue her education, earning a Plant-Based Nutrition certificate from Cornell University and becoming an ACSM (The American College of Sports Medicine) certified personal trainer. In addition to pursuing these certifications, Zayed continued to run Posifitivy, a blog she began as a Douglass student.
With over 12,000 followers on Instagram, Posifitivy has become a tool that reaches a wide audience. For Zayed, it functions as a platform to advocate for issues she cares about. On the blog, Zayed writes stories on topics that range from everyday healthy eating to the intersection of veganism and Islam. Her mission is to advance personal health as a manageable and realistic practice for the average person.
“My goal is to teach people how accessible lifestyle changes can be, and to reverse the trajectory of chronic disease in America through lifestyle measures,” said Zayed. “Posifitivy has evolved into a space where I can educate about whole-food plant-based nutrition, exercise, mindfulness, sleep, and social support.”
Zayed credits Douglass as a critical part of her journey. Particularly, she cites the Douglass Course as a formative experience.
“My experiences at Douglass were the first to open my eyes and broaden my worldview,” said Zayed. “Taking Knowledge and Power, in particular, was a truly rousing experience, as I interacted closely with other Douglass women, explored feminist theory, and interviewed one of my role models.”
When reflecting on her time at Douglass, Zayed also remembers her graduation fondly.
“My absolute favorite Douglass memory is the close and intimate commencement! Being surrounded by so many other successful, educated women was so incredibly inspiring.”
Currently, Zayed works at Ethos Health—a farm-based medical practice—as a medical scribe. She is also in the process of applying to medical school.
In addition to managing Posifitivy, working at Ethos Health, and assembling medical school applications, Zayed still makes time to contribute to the Douglass community. Last March at Douglass’s celebration of International Women’s Day, Zayed delivered a talk titled, “Pursuit of Purpose,” in which she encouraged Douglass women to follow their dreams. Zayed advises Douglass students eager to create—be it a blog, small business, or other venture—to follow three rules:
- “Educate yourself, so that you're providing accurate information to your audience.”
- “Be authentic! Share what you believe in, and hold yourself to high standards.”
- “Be flexible. You may have to change course, but allow your mission and values to evolve as you do.”
By following the examples set by Zayed and other alumnae, Douglass students can learn to take control of their futures through pursuing their passions.
