Being a student-athlete at Columbia was not in the cards for Sara Yee—at least, not initially.
The School of Engineering and Applied Science sophomore point guard for the women’s basketball team grew up in Walnut, Calif. When she was looking at colleges, she focused on schools in her home state. Not only was Columbia off her radar, but Yee was also thinking more about academics than basketball when undergoing her college search.
California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo had an engineering program that suited her interests, but Yee was also receiving letters from Pepperdine University, California State University, Fullerton, and other California colleges that wanted her on their basketball teams. However, many of the schools recruiting her lost interest, filling their rosters and only giving Yee the opportunity to try to make it on their teams as a walk-on.
“The summer before my senior year, a lot of doors had started closing for me in terms of basketball,” she said.
In a twist of fate, Yee was spotted by a Columbia assistant coach in her last tournament that summer. After a visit to Morningside Heights, Yee landed at Columbia, where she is now pursuing her passions both in the classroom and on the court.
“I think everything happens for a reason,” she said. “Everything just fell into place.”
A self-described “math/science person,” Yee is majoring in civil engineering. While this field has appealed to her for many years, it became even more meaningful to her after a mission trip to New Orleans. While helping with the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, Yee realized how engineering makes a difference in real-world situations.
“I’d be able to put it to use,” she said.
Of course, Yee has more than classes and labs on her mind. After overcoming a bone bruise that limited her playing time as a freshman, she has started 21 of the Lions’ 22 games her sophomore year.
In a sport that values height, Yee is an unusual sight at 5 feet 1 inch tall. But whatever she lacks in inches, Yee more than makes up for with tenacity. Head Coach Paul Nixon cited her attitude on defense as a key to his team’s success.
“She really does a great job of harassing the other team’s point guard,” he said. “She really sets the tone for the team defensively.”
Yee has also made her mark on Columbia basketball in an unexpected way: on the boards. Against Dartmouth, she pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds, an amazing feat for the shortest player on the court. But for Yee, accomplishments like this occur naturally.
“You don’t have to be six feet tall,” she said. “It’s all about heart and desire.”
Nixon echoed her sentiments.
“She never backs down to anyone,” Nixon said. “So for her to get in there and do things like that doesn’t surprise me or her teammates at all.”
Yee acknowledged the humorous nature of the statistic, but also realized the impact that her performance can have on others. After the Dartmouth game, a friend of similar height made a comment that has stuck in her head.
“She said that it was one small step for women’s basketball and one great leap for five-footers everywhere,” Yee said.
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