Sarah urbanski
Sarah Urbanski, Engagement, Leadership & Service
Sarah Urbanski
Assistant Director of Student Engagement
Here is what Sarah’s co-worker had to say about her:
“Sarah has been a part of the ELS team since 2020, but I did not have the privilege to work closely with her until I joined ELS in 2022. I learned very quickly how dedicated she is to her work and to her students. In Sarah’s role she and her team manage registration for over 800 registered organizations which can be a very daunting task. After being in her role for only a few months, she identified inefficiencies within the org re-registration process and implemented numerous changes to streamline the process at the benefit of the students and the ELS staff. Sarah fields a multitude of questions from different student organizations on what seems like a daily basis and while she may be asked the same question by dozens of students, she approaches each student with kindness and empathy. Sarah is constantly searching for ways to better support student organizations and is truly an advocate for student success. Sarah is a huge asset to the Engagement, Leadership, and Service team and I am so grateful to call her a co-worker and a friend!”
Let's learn a little more about Sarah...
How long have you worked at UGA?
- I came to UGA in 2020 as a graduate student, and I just celebrated my 1-year anniversary as a professional staff member at UGA!
What’s your favorite UGA tradition?
- Ringing the chapel bell! It’s my favorite way to celebrate a major accomplishment.
What does a “day in the life” look like for you at work?
- Every single day is different! Because I work with so many different student organizations, my day is oftentimes shaped by the unique questions and needs of our students at any given time. I will say that every week involves time managing events and organizations on the Involvement Network, collaborating with the many campus partners that support our student organizations, and working with our ELS Peer Leaders.
What are three things you love most about your job?
- I love getting to connect with students over their interests and their passions. While students often come meet with our team for support in managing their organizations, I ultimately end up learn a lot about their missions and the things that they are interested in.
- Engagement Fairs are definitely one of my favorite parts of my jobs. They’re an event that our organizations really look forward to, and each of them puts in so much effort to showcase their mission and goals in incredibly creative ways. The events are also really impactful for students who are looking to get involved, and many students will find organizations that become their community at UGA during the Engagement Fair.
- I get to work with our ELS Peer Leaders, which is a team of students who are involved at UGA and are passionate about supporting other students in navigating involvement. The students serving as ELS Peer Leaders represent such a wide range of engagement experiences, and it’s wonderful to hear about their interests and involvement journeys and see how that drives them to mentor and support their peers.
What are your hobbies or favorite things to do for fun?
- My hobby attention span is so short, I pick up new hobbies and drop old ones constantly. Right now, my hobbies include hiking, baking, crocheting, and travel.
What might be some ways that staff could collaborate or partner with you?
- We are in the midst of developing some new resources for our student organizations that will give them the tools they need to effectively manage their day to day operations. We are excited to work with partners across campus to develop new content and resources. If you have an idea of a resource student organizations need, or if you want to help create a resource, we would love to work with you!
What advice would you have for new staff joining UGA Student Affairs?
- Get to know your colleagues and start building relationships! There is absolutely no way I could do the work I do without collaboration with colleagues across the division, so building relationships has been so important to my work. Those relationships are also a big part of why I love working at UGA.
Do you have a favorite quote? What is it?
- It’s an excerpt from a poem “The Dash” by Linda Ellis, so you really have to read the whole thing to get the full impact, but the quote is “What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash.”
What is your favorite spot on campus or in Athens?
- The Botanical Gardens!
Thank you to Sarah for allowing us to do a Staff Spotlight on her!
Nominate someone to be recognized for their hard work!
Staff Spotlights: Sharing the stories of staff in UGA Student Affairs
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Missy Jackson
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Al Jeffers
Liana Natochy
Ben Cecil
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Lisa Williamson
Nicole McConnell
Michael Wharton
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