UMO Graduate to Coach SWHS Saints
UMO Graduate to Coach SWHS Saints
MOUNT OLIVE- Scotland native Sarah Robertson recently landed a teaching and head coaching position with the Southern Wayne High School (SWHS) Saints. Robertson graduated from the University of Mount Olive in May with a degree in health and physical education licensure and she is looking forward to continuing her American dream at SWHS.
Robertson initially heard about UMO when she was approaching high school graduation. She desired to stray from the norm and seek a college opportunity that would meet her love for travel and volleyball.
“I was coming to the end of high school and volleyball in Scotland and I really wanted to make my family proud,” recalled Robertson. “For the majority of people who go to a university in Scotland, athletics fall by the wayside. I didn’t want that. The opportunity arose to come to the USA and play college volleyball. I had many options, but UMO just felt like the best choice for me. I loved the small campus and the ‘everyone knows everyone’ atmosphere.”
Robertson made the move across the Atlantic and began her educational journey at the UMO in the fall of 2011 with the help and support of her number one fan: her mother Elizabeth Robertson.
“My journey to earn my degree would not have been possible if it wasn’t for the support of my mother, who is my best friend. She has always told me to follow my dreams and ‘dance’ through all the opportunities life gives me.”
It didn’t take long for Robertson to feel right at home at UMO. She participated on the Trojan women’s volleyball team, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), and worked as a supplemental instructor in the Academic Resource Center at UMO. She also persevered in the classroom and was awarded with numerous academic honor rolls, Conference Carolina’s all academic team selections, and the Recreation/Leisure Student of the Year this past spring.
After completing her student teaching at SWHS, Robertson graduated from UMO on May 2. Robertson then heard from the principal at SWHS and was intrigued by the open volleyball coaching position. The opportunity is a dream come true for Robertson, as she has always wanted to coach and influence the next generation of volleyball players.
“I completed my student teaching at SWHS, so I had already built a strong connection with the school. The possibility of a job was in the works, but it was still very uncertain due to funding and staffing budgets. I was very close to accepting a position elsewhere, but SWHS is where I feel comfortable and where I can make the biggest impact. Receiving the head coach position was the cherry on top of a very big cake for me,” smiled Robertson as she gears up to teach health and physical education classes and coach volleyball at SWHS.
In the future Robertson hopes to continue her education at the graduate level and eventually become a college professor. In the meantime, she wants to enjoy her American lifestyle and continue to travel the country and spread her love for athletics.
The University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values. The University, sponsored by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists, has locations in Mount Olive, New Bern, Wilmington, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Research Triangle Park, Washington, Jacksonville, and in Smithfield at Johnston Community College. For more information, visit old.umo.edu.
