Sara is a seasoned educator with over twenty years of experience teaching sensitive topics to vastly different groups of people. This journey began at Genesee Valley Outdoor Learning Center (a ropes course 30 minutes north of Baltimore) where she was tasked with fostering environmental appreciation and teambuilding skills to school and corporate groups, as well as students considered "at-risk". She then became a successful high school theatre arts teacher and director at Westlake High School (located in the suburbs of Washington D.C.) where she directed over 25 productions, crafted culturally relevant performances, and created a social issues theatre troupe.
After relocating to WNY, Sara began working with people with disabilities in human service agencies, as well as becoming an adjunct instructor at Niagara County Community College where she taught in the Health Studies and Human Services Departments. During this time she also started a nutrition coaching business and was a keynote speaker for a variety of community groups including NYS Corrections and Youth Services, Orleans Community Health, and Livingston County Community Health. She next added Genesee Community College (GCC) and "First Year Experience" (FYE) to her roster where she prepared new students for the joys and challenges of college. Loving a challenge herself and embracing the potential impact she could have, Sara extended her classroom to a maximum-security correctional facility where she began teaching FYE, health, and human relations courses, remaining committed to this inspirational work, to this day.
In addition to her work as an adjunct instructor, Sara was the first full-time person at Genesee Community College to work on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Hired under a SUNY grant, she drew upon her education and directorial skills to create or coordinate professional development and special projects in diversity and cultural competency. In one project she created a "Dragnet" inspired training video warning of the dangers of implicit bias that is now seen by all who serve on a hiring committee. She also established and coordinated the Open Door Internship Program for prospective employees from historically underrepresented backgrounds to receive a paid opportunity to explore careers and receive mentorships in higher education. And perhaps her greatest joy while at GCC, Sara created and co-advised the student club WOKE, which celebrated and advocated for underrepresented groups, providing consistent and relevant student-centered diversity events and cultural competency building opportunities for the college and community.
Sara currently works as a consultant for community organizations and businesses working to improve their cultural competency skills and to foster greater inclusion. She earned a certification in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University, as well as an M.S. in Nutrition from New York Chiropractic College, and a B.S. in Theatre Arts from Towson University. Want to know more? View her resume to your right!
