Student Affairs Officer
School of Education
September 1, 2013
“I love my new position as the Administrative Assistant for the School of Education.”
My mom loves to tell the story of my first day of Pre-School, where I, three years old and sitting in my car-seat in the back of our blue Mazda minivan, asked her where college was, and if she would drive me there, too, when I went?
Though attending a university was my goal from the time I was small, I lived a rather nomadic life on my way there. My dad worked for the federal government for most of my life, and his job took us around the world and back. Though I was born here in California, I spent my early childhood in Indiana, until my dad had the opportunity to take a job overseas and we moved to Italy. The four years I spent there changed my experience of the world, giving me a taste for travel and adventure, and making every pizza I’ve eaten since then fail entirely to live up to expectation. From Italy, we moved to Hawaii, and it was there that my love of living in places with a vibrant variety of cultures was completely cemented. I may have also picked up a penchant for taro-flavored mochi, and anything made with red bean. When we finally came back to the mainland, I was glad to make California my home once again, and finished out my high school career in Temecula.
After being inspired by a wonderful AP English teacher, I knew when I enrolled at UC Irvine that I was going to be an English Major, and could not wait to dive into the fountain of knowledge and experience I had always dreamed of. And, well, it was great! I took courses on Russian Post-Modernism, Science-Fiction Literature, Linguistics, and even a course on Romantic Poetry. I learned to think critically and analytically, and to communicate my thoughts clearly and with purpose. When people ask me where I went to school, I could not be prouder to say that I spent my time studying in Langson Library, running to classes through Aldrich Park, and loving my time at UCI.
Like many of my peers, after changing my mind again and again about my path forward after graduation, I came face-to-face with the realities of living in Orange County—I needed a job. I had been waiting tables at Red Robin during school, but it was time to find something that provided me with opportunities to grow, and I was lucky enough to stumble into a position as an Human Resource Assistant at a small mortgage company. My time there truly helped me to develop as a professional, but after almost three years, I felt it was time to move on from the financial services sector, and into something more meaningful.
So, after a relatively brief job search, here I am at a university once more—only this time, I am getting paid to be here! I love my new position as the Administrative Assistant for the School of Education, and I am pleased as punch to be working with people who are constantly striving to better the education process for children all around the world.
Outside of work, I like to play video games with my boyfriend and our global cohort of gaming buddies. I also enjoy reading, as one might expect from someone who studied literature in school, and abusing my Netflix account by binging on all the TV series I have missed out on over the years. When I am not doing any of those things, I am usually snuggling with my adorable cat, Remy, or hanging out with my friends—going to concerts, watching movies, eating good food, and going to Ducks games.
Thank you to Sarah for crafting the School of Education display for the 2013 UC Irvine Staff Appreciation Picnic.
In keeping with the 2013 theme of “California Gold,” Sarah’s creation featured California’s geographic destinations and our world-famous vineyards/wine.