About me
Sara brings over two decades of dedicated experience in public education and well-being advocacy – a passion rooted in her personal experience overcoming adversity. This personal connection has guided her career and fueled her commitment to fostering individual well-being and supportive, resilient school communities. Sara is a licensed School Psychologist through the Ohio Department of Education and holds a license for independent practice through the Ohio Board of Psychology. Prior to her roles in education, she directed two family resource centers and supported clients in a community mental health center.
Having served as both an Executive Director of Student Services and Well-Being and Executive Director of Pupil Services, Sara orchestrated comprehensive mental health support systems, including suicide prevention programming, threat assessment frameworks and crisis preparedness strategies. During her tenure, she expanded essential programs in social work, school counseling, and health services to foster student well-being. Engaging community partners, Sara developed innovative programs to improve attendance, spearheaded alternative discipline programming that reduced suspension rates, secured grants to address food and health insecurities, and created inclusive programming for students with diverse learning needs. She has also served as a State Support Team Consultant and Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning.
Sara currently leads the Well-Being Labs at Battelle for Kids, where she specializes in curating research and developing content on critical topics such as hope, resilience, well-being, and trauma-responsive practices in education. In her role, she facilitates interactive Well-Being Lab sessions and delivers keynotes across the country, helping schools foster environments where students and staff alike not only survive, but thrive. Additionally, she supported a statewide school improvement network focused on enhancing deeper learning and improved academic, behavioral, and well-being outcomes across diverse school communities.