one. Academia
Spelman College // Atlanta, Ga (1998 – 2002) – Bachelor’s Degree (English)
Nanzan University // Nagoya, Japan (2001 – 2002) – Study Abroad (Japanese)
Bronx H.S. of Science // Bronx, NY (1994 – 1998) – High School Diploma
A Bronx native, Saafir was the first of nine siblings to earn a diploma from a specialized high school. Her advisor firmly stated she was committing “academic suicide” when she applied to just one college; she delivered her acceptance letter in person. Flippantly social her freshman year (she was crowned Ms.Tri-State for homecoming), she hunkered down as a sophomore and spent her junior year abroad studying Japanese syntax while serving as captain of Nanzan’s dance squad. Saafir chose English as a major–aware that communicating effectively was the foundation for any successful career. She minored in Japanese, set on a path to international business. A post-grad course in Strategic Communications at Columbia University–during her role as event planner for the Ivy league’s president–changed her mind. She instead leaned into her love for publications.