Sara grew up in southern West Virginia, the daughter of a coal miner and a social worker. In search of a school with a good fit for her academically and personally, she headed out of state to Harrisonburg, VA. After college, Sara worked as the Assistant Director of Residence Life at James Madison, supporting student programming and running a First Year Involvement and Writing Tutoring center. While pursuing her graduate degree, Sara interned in both Admissions and Student Involvement offices at James Madison University.
In 2012, during a family camping trip to Maine, Sara spent some time talking with a high school senior who was struggling with her college applications. Tapping her educational background, her experience in college admissions and as a college writing tutor, Sara provided some guidance. That conversation led to referrals, and for several years, Sara supported these seniors through the college essay writing process. Because the work was so rewarding, Sara joined Creative College Connections in 2016 and completed her UCLA college counseling program in 2022.
Sara is a passionate educational advocate and a founding member of a local non-profit dedicated to providing the best educational opportunities for all children in central Loudoun County, VA. In Fall of 2017, she was nominated and selected as one of the Loudoun 100 - an event recognizing Loudoun County neighbors that are not normally in the spotlight who are doing good deeds and creating hope. Sara is a twelve-year resident of Leesburg, along with her husband and two daughters. She is a voracious reader.
Sara’s Words of Advice: Writing college essays may seem like hoops to jump through, but there are opportunities built-in to the application process to show who you truly are and what makes you shine. If anyone else could have written your essay, you haven’t dug deep enough into your story. Even if your experiences are common, the way you think, feel, and react to them is what makes you different from anyone else. Use this valuable space to demonstrate why the colleges you are applying to need your voice and involvement on their campuses!
