Sarah is the director of the Ascent Transition & Professional Development Program within an AFSOC-GSU unit at Pope Army Airfield. Her background is within the sport and performance psychology and clinical counseling fields, and she has experience in those roles working for the Army and within collegiate and youth sports. She has her doctoral degree in sport psychology and master’s degree in clinical counseling, and is a Certified Mental Performance Coach through the Association of Applied Sport Psychology. Her most important role and achievements are that she is a mother to four children (Olivia- 8, Connor-7, Henry-5 & Brooks-2) and a military spouse to a US Army Solider, Charlie, in his 22nd year of service. 

Sarah was raised in a ‘dugout’ and classroom in Mobile AL, daughter to a collegiate baseball coach and elementary school teacher. She is the second of four children, and still very close (and competitive) with her siblings. Her journey working with the military began in 2013 in Fort Jackson, SC doing performance psychology training with Basic Combat Training trainees. Throughout multiple PCS’s and family-life changes, her passion to work for the military and provide meaningful skills-training or professional development to this population has never wavered. In 2022 Sarah was assessed and selected to work for an elite Air Force Special Operations unit to run their new Transition and Professional Development program: Ascent. 

Ascent assists its unit members and others within the SOF community to navigate their unique transition out of the military and into civilian life. Through personal one-on-one meetings, transition workshops, and networking events Ascent has provided personalized assistance to many SOF members as they begin their next meaningful journey. Sarah enjoys not only the work with the service members, but also the transition assistance community at large that she gets to interact and work with on a regular basis (Donovan & Bank, THF, Commit, Hiring our Heroes, SOTF, Veterans Bridge Home, and so many more). In the last two years, Ascent has assisted over 200 special mission unit operators and support members as they transition into civilian life. Ascent also plays a role in developing and implementing the personal and professional development courses for the AFSOC unit it falls under. From developing courses for future Troop Chiefs and Team Leaders, to implementing soft stills development workshops, the Ascent program prepares its unit members to be the best while in uniform and when they take it off for the final time.