Sarah Crossen: Finding Her Path and Making an Impact

by Sarah Holland

Sarah Crossen: Finding Her Path and Making an Impact

Sarah Crossen
BA in Integrative Studies with a Concentration in Women and Gender Studies
Minor in LGBTQ Studies

It was a women and gender studies class during her first semester of college that convinced Sarah Crossen to change her engineering major to integrative studies with a concentration in women and gender studies.

“I found a place that not only accepted my identities, but valued them and my contributions to the space. I fell in love with the atmosphere, the community, the perspective, and of course the content.”

Sarah took this dramatic change in trajectory in stride. That introductory class led to a job in the Women and Gender Studies Center, where she contributed to the creation of the new LGBTQ minor and the Gender and Social Justice LLC (Living Learning Community). She was a peer advisor, contributed to Dr. Angela Hattery’s and Dr. Earl Smith’s 2017 book, Policing Black Bodies as Dr. Hattery’s research assistant, worked with the LGBTQ+ Resources Center to develop new curriculums for the LGBTQ LLC, and conducted a restroom survey with the resources center and ODIME (Mason’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education) in order to create a proposal for the implementation of single-use and gender-neutral restrooms across campus.

“I participated in so many different activities with the intent of impacting Mason as much as I could. And in all of this I learned what makes work meaningful and the type of work I want to pursue beyond my time at Mason. Most of all, I learned to love Mason in more intimate and personal ways.”

Sarah hopes to continue enacting change on a national level. She will attend law school in the fall with a full-tuition scholarship, where she will focus on public interest work to become a stronger advocate for those who are marginalized within the criminal justice system.

“I have learned to love learning, as cheesy as that sounds. I am a better me with a clearer path towards an even better future.”