When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Sara found herself starting fresh after working for over a decade in restaurants and retail. This fresh start meant returning to school at Western Connecticut State University (WCSU), where she spent five years pursuing an undergraduate degree in Public Health and Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in Holistic & Integrative Health, Sustainability, and Theoretical & Applied Ethics. She quickly found passion through her coursework and purpose through her extracurricular involvement and student employment on campus. Most of this work was heavily focused on preserving autonomy and justice for historically underserved individuals and addressing the negative impacts of food and nutrition insecurity through community health approaches.

During this time, Sara worked as a mentor, tutor, and advocate before taking on arguably her greatest accomplishment: serving as pantry coordinator of Wally's Cupboard, a peer-to-peer food pantry that supports all currently enrolled WCSU students experiencing food insecurity. As she entered this role, Sara was given the opportunity to expand the pantry, its offerings, and its reach exponentially while working to address not only immediate need but other disparities as well. Through providing volunteer opportunities to students looking to expand their resumes and nutrition education to her patrons at the pantry, Sara turned the space into a fun and vibrant service on campus, earning her several awards and recognition within her community.

As Sara concludes her undergraduate journey and begins pursuing a master’s degree in Creative & Professional Writing at WCSU, she also joins The Pantry’s team as Volunteer Manager. In this role, she hopes to grow alongside our dedicated volunteers while contributing to The Pantry’s mission. Drawing on her background in pantry management, community health, volunteer relations, and customer service, Sara is committed to creating an environment where both volunteers and guests can thrive.