Residence Life Coordinator (RLC) Sarah Herring is moving on to the next chapter in her life after four and a half years here at ABAC. Before becoming an RLC, Herring worked as a community assistant (CA) for three years at two different colleges. After she was hired at ABAC, she worked with the housing department and advised the Residence Housing Association (RHA).
Her main focus was implementing a leadership development program for ABAC’s CAs. It focused on professional development and the skills needed to be a good leader. Skills such as team building, health and wellness, diversity, inclusion, communication, and mental health. There were around 10 sessions for the CAs on those topics every semester. It also covered topics related to applying for grad school, preparing a resume, and how to ace an interview.
When not mentoring the CAs, Herring worked to improve all students’ lives. In 2019, Herring tried her hand at grant writing and was awarded funds from Embark Georgia, a “statewide leadership initiative increasing college access for young people who have experienced foster care or homelessness.”
She used the funds to create three new on-campus resources open to all students: the food pantry, the clothes closet, and the community garden. The president of the RHA, Maria Lupita Bruno (mbruno@stallions.abac.edu) is the new point of contact for these resources; Herring said Bruno has spent just as much time cultivating the pantry as she has.
Overall, she said the thing she will miss the most is the people. Herring said seeing students that she helped make resumes get jobs was really special, and she remembers fondly seeing students she mentored graduate.
“Sarah has had a large impact on ABAC, specifically ABAC housing and the RHA that she has ran, and just about everything she’s touched, really.” Cory Lovell, her fellow RLC, said. “Personally, she has helped me with many things through my endeavors, from being a CA all the way up until today. Throughout working with her, she helped me craft resumes before I graduated, and she’s helped me get a job after I graduated, to become her co-worker. So, as far as an impact on my personal life, Sarah’s played a really big role in advocating for me and really just allowing me to pursue career choices that I would like to make me who I am today.”
“When I first came to ABAC, I realized immediately I really wanted to become a CA and then the more I got to know the staff including Sarah, and I was like ‘these are the people you get to work with’ I went for it, I got it, and I started working with Sarah…she’s really inspired me to try and reach out and build a better community here on campus,” CA Kaylee Myers said.
Herring said although she will miss all students, mentoring the CAs has been really rewarding for her.
Herring has accepted a job at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in the human resources department as a “talent acquisition partner.” She will work with nurse managers to fill empty positions in different departments.
“I’m excited to help people get a new job. Whether it’s their first job ever, or they’re moving into the area, I’m excited about that. I’ve kind of been on the other end of that, like helping students get prepared to where they can work in the work field,” Herring said. She looks forward to the remote capabilities of her job, advancing in her career, and staying near her business: Tifton Yoga Center.
While it’s been lovely having her as an RLC for the past four years, everyone here at the Stallion wishes Sarah Herring good luck in her future endeavors.
