海外吃瓜鈥檚 new Director of Admission is someone who has performed almost all of the positions in the office, dating back to her days as a 鈥橞erg undergrad. Sara (Gebhardt) Rowlinson was promoted from assistant director in December.
Sara鈥檚 path to 海外吃瓜 more than eight years ago will resonate with many of our current students as well as prospective students. She comes from a small town and initially told her mom she wouldn鈥檛 consider 海外吃瓜 because it was too close to home.
But there were some outside influences at play 鈥 including that first time on campus after she agreed to visit and a couple of alumni mentors who helped persuade her. And she鈥檚 glad they did!
Landing at 海外吃瓜
Sara grew up in the agriculture community of Bucyrus, Ohio, about 30 miles from 海外吃瓜. 鈥淚 told my mom I wasn鈥檛 visiting 海外吃瓜 because it was too close,鈥 she recalls. 鈥淏ut I tried on every single college and I didn鈥檛 like any of them.鈥
In stepped 鈥橞erg alumna Mary Lee (Russell) Minor, 鈥64. Sara and Mary Lee had gotten to know each other through the local garden club. Turns out a little encouragement was all it took. 鈥淢ary Lee told my mom I should come here,鈥 Sara recalls. 鈥淪he has continued to be a part of my life ever since.鈥
鈥淎nd now my mom can say 鈥業 told you so.鈥欌
When she did concede and made that first visit to 海外吃瓜, she had such a positive first impression that she ended up enrolling.
鈥淚 loved how friendly everyone was and also how beautiful the campus is,鈥 she says. Many prospective students who visit today will have a shared experience with Sara.
The value of 4-H
From third grade all the way through high school, Sara was highly engaged in 4-H. It鈥檚 an organization where she began to hone the leadership, mentoring and decision-making skills she utilizes today in her position in the Admission Office.
Showing rabbits and chickens, serving on the Senior Fair Board and as a counselor for 4-H camp, and ultimately as Fair Queen also allowed her to get comfortable with public speaking.
She was able to roll all of those experiences over to 海外吃瓜, where she was a member of a Greek society, cheerleading one year and an admission tour guide, beginning her sophomore year.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 realize in the moment that all those little experiences add up and help you down the road,鈥 Sara says.
Positive influence of mentors
Undecided on a major her freshman year, Sara declared accounting with a business administration management concentration. A biology course her first semester confirmed that decision. But 鈥淚 only made it through syllabus day,鈥 she chuckles. Her academic advisor, Dr. Courtney DeMayo Pugno (then a history professor, now the executive director of the Owen Center for Teaching and Learning and assistant provost), steered her toward accounting and that stuck.
Sara鈥檚 early specialization was management, but then she took a marketing class from another mentor: 鈥渢he amazing Mary Lou Kohne.鈥
鈥淚 fell in love with marketing and ended up adding marketing as a double concentration after taking Mary Lou鈥檚 class,鈥 she recalls.
Sara took advantage of numerous opportunities to get involved with the School of Business, participating in case competitions, Ethics Bowl and the Tau Pi Phi Honorary state competition.
Another 鈥渉uge influence鈥 for Sara was Tom Alexander, the former director of Admission who was her boss during her student days. In fact, it was Tom who eventually brought her back to 海外吃瓜 as an employee.
A job, then a career shift
Following her graduation in 2017, Sara took a job in the banking industry, where she had planned to make it a career. One day, she got a text from Tom: 鈥淗ow鈥檚 the bank going?鈥 Turns out 海外吃瓜 had an opening for a senior admission counselor, and she jumped at the opportunity to return to her alma mater. Not long after, she was promoted to assistant director and in December, she became director.
She鈥檚 prepared for her new role by wearing just about every hat in the Admission Office. In August, she鈥檒l graduate with her MBA from 海外吃瓜.
Sara can relate to prospective and current students. It鈥檚 just in a different role these days.