Triplet grads: Saba siblings embark on new beginnings

Each graduating this May with three majors, one minor and zero student debt, the Saba triplets are unstoppable. Kathryn, Kristen and Michael Saba are dedicated WSU Vancouver students, all graduating with a triple degree in finance, management and entrepreneurship, with a minor in communication. While the triplets have been in every class together since elementary school (with the exception of fourth grade), they reflected on family history and their accomplishments within higher education. 

“We are pretty close. We follow each other around, normally people see us kind of as a unit, but we are just so used to it. I forget we are triplets sometimes. We all kind of take our roles, it is so interesting,” Kathryn Saba said. 

Being the oldest of the group, Kathryn Saba was followed by Kristen Saba and Michael Saba, who were born at the exact same minute. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Saba triplets are unable to celebrate their graduation with family members living in their hometown of Montreal, Canada. Nevertheless, this year they are still looking forward to graduating from WSU Vancouver together. 

“Our family from Montreal was going to come to our graduation, so it is obviously sad to not have family and friends experience you graduating. It is a big thing, you know? I think there is something about having people and family around that makes it more exciting than just grabbing your diploma from a car. It is the people that make it special,” Kathryn Saba said. 

Though their academic journey is one for the books, their drive to do well in school is just a small aspect of their exciting lives. Drawing inspiration from their family achievements, the Sabas were encouraged to make the most of their time spent at WSU Vancouver. 

“Our family is very entrepreneurial. All of our aunts, great grandparents who came from Lebanon, are very entrepreneurial, so it’s kind of in our blood. Our great grandparents did not know English at all and they didn’t have money, but they started a business and they provided for their family. And our grandpa started a shop in Montreal called Le Petit Château and it was a clothing store,” Kristen Saba said. 

The Sabas’s great grandfather ventured to Portland from Lebanon after he was denied passage to New York on the Titanic back in 1912. Fortunately, luck was on his side, and after arriving in the U.S. on a different ship, he started a house-building business and established his family roots.

“He raised five kids and they worked hard. … They were overcomers and no matter the situation they were just going to work hard and make it happen,” Kristen Saba said. 

That hard work has carried over through generations in the Saba family, whether it be focusing on their education, or actively maintaining “Saba Productions”, a production company Kristen Saba developed with the help of her siblings. 

“I am a videographer, and we do videos for businesses and corporations and stuff like that,” Kristen Saba said. “Being able to tell people’s stories is what I love doing most. With music and visuals, you can make people cry and you can make people laugh, and that is what I enjoy doing.” 

While the triplets usually work together as a team, they also have their own passions. Michael Saba explains he is more interested in finance, while Kristen Saba is interested in marketing and digital media and Kathryn Saba enjoys planning and research. Though Saba Productions is their current project, it will not be their last, as Kathryn Saba highlights they are always looking for new opportunities. 

“I think we are open to other ideas too. We are not only about video and photography, even though that is one aspect. We see ourselves doing other things as well, starting other businesses, whatever that may be. We are still trying to figure it out,” Kathryn Saba said. 

The Sabas are excited to rejoice and reflect on their achievements together. Being living proof of how hard work pays off, the siblings showcase how beneficial it can be to have help and let family lift you higher.

“I think the quote that stands out to us the most is, “If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go further, go together,” Kristen Saba said.