Sarah Hauser ’97

I was born and raised in North Platte, Nebraska. My mother was in training to be a secretary when she got pregnant with my sister and quit school. My father worked on the Union Pacific Railroad and is now retired after working for them his entire life. My parents divorced when I was 4 years old. Throughout her life, my mother has held various jobs such as selling Avon, waiting tables, working at hotel reception desks or in the laundry, and most recently as a stock person for a merchandising company.

I received my bachelor of special studies from Cornell with a triple major in secondary education, women’s studies, and art. I taught high school art for five years, then returned to Texas Woman’s University where I received a master of arts in graphic design with minors in art education and photography in 2005. I worked for the State of Texas House of Representatives for four years, then became a stay-at-home mom. I most recently went back to TWU to take classes to add special education to my teaching certification. I hope to return to teaching once my girls are in school.

Being at Cornell helped me be more open to new ideas and ways of thinking. I learned so much about myself and had great experiences living in Chicago during my student teaching, doing various work-study jobs on campus (particularly in the career office and the residence life office), and leading/organizing and participating in various clubs and organizations on campus. I have held many different jobs since graduating, especially while I was in grad school, and I have always been able to be flexible and successful wherever I was working or whatever situation I was put in. Cornell pushes you to be the best you can be. There is not much room for procrastination or indecision, so you create habits that stay with you throughout your life.