About Sara
Hometown: Wheaton, Illinois
Education: BA, Political Science, DePaul University
Hobbies: I love to read–any and all kinds of books but especially historical novels and mysteries. Bedtime reading with my kids is one of my favorite parts of the day.
I also love to travel. Some of my favorite trips so far have been to Argentina, Chile, Croatia, England, France and Ireland and Spain.
Who are you?
I am the Vice President of External Affairs for HSC. I have kind of a unique position and get to do many different things. I manage relationships with corporate sponsors and other external partners. I oversee the Cooking up Change program, serve on the management team, lead the IT team and support the Healthy Green Schools & Colleges program. I am also responsible for a large portion of HSC’s fundraising efforts.
What makes your job great?
More than anything, I love working and traveling with the awesome high school students for Cooking up Change. Everything they do, I do. I get to tour New York City with them, and I’ve been on three private White House tours. For many of these students, it’s their first time on an airplane, their first trip to D.C. It’s nice to watch them experience that. I remember walking around DuPont Circle at night with one group, drinking coffee on the patio, visiting all the shops and restaurants. It was a beautiful night. On the way home, they all said that was their favorite part of the trip.
Keep in mind, they had met the White House chef, seen the White House garden, met Bo the first family’s dog, served their food in the congressional cafeteria—but that was their favorite part. Many of them had never done that before because their own neighborhoods are not safe enough to walk around at night.
When did you come to HSC?
I joined the HSC team in June of 2008, right after graduating from DePaul University with a degree in political science.
Why did you join HSC?
I was looking for a way to use my event planning, food service and management expertise in a nonprofit setting. My personal values align closely with HSC’s mission and vision for healthy schools for all children. I joined HSC to have the opportunity to be part of an organization doing really important work and successfully making an impact.
Where does your motivation come from?
I have three young children and of course, only want the best for them. I work hard to make sure they eat healthy food and are active every day. My oldest goes to a public school I want to make sure that he and every other child has access to the same safe and healthy school environment.
