When Sarah Lawrence, Latin’s newest Learning Resources specialist, isn’t working, there's a decent chance that she will have recently returned from a marathon run, a climbing session, or an adventurous outdoor weekend trip.

Ms. Lawrence grew up in Muskegon, Michigan, a working class city on the west side of the state. As a first-generation student, she credits her community with shaping her path into education. “I didn’t have a lot of people in my area that had gone to university or had [educational] jobs,” she said. “And so my teachers were the people that I really kind of saw [within education].”

Two of her neighbors worked in learning resources and special education, and they let her volunteer in their classrooms. “Those experiences kind of sparked my interest in pursuing this field,” she said.

After studying special education at Michigan State University and earning her master’s in leadership, Ms. Lawrence dove right into teaching. But the prior jobs she worked—whether serving, hostessing, and even working at a doll store—all shaped her ongoing diligence. “You learn how to kind of grind in those [service] jobs. You learn how to show up, and you learn how to be efficient,” she said. “And I do think that's something I bring into the role that I do.”

Ms. Lawrence’s career took an innovative turn early on. After two years of teaching in Phoenix, she journeyed abroad, first to China, then Qatar, Dubai, Kazakhstan, and Thailand. “Gosh, I have to count how many countries,” she said, listing each off.

For nearly 20 years, she took on a range of teaching roles: AP Research and AP English instructor, AP Capstone coordinator, head of Learning Resources, and head of a middle school in Chicago. “It was kind of full circle for me,” she said.

Working outside of the U.S. reshaped Ms. Lawrence’s approach to education. “Being an international educator has helped me to work with kids and families from all different socioeconomic backgrounds, and cultures,” she said,

Her interest in diversity—of minds and of cultures—drew her toward Latin. “One thing I really like about Latin is things like their Difficult Dialogues program, the focus and emphasis on DEI. Especially when many schools are starting to kind of back away from that, Latin seems to be digging in even a little bit more,” Ms. Lawrence said.

When she first started at Latin, the sense of community Ms. Lawrence found stood out to her. “Everyone seemed super nice, super interactive,” she said. “The conversations that I saw teachers having with students—I just felt like there was a mutual respect between them in many ways. And that was something I was looking for.”

Students are already taking notice of Ms. Lawrence’s impact at Latin. “I like her enthusiasm and willingness to work with me and other students,” junior Aryan Patel said. “Students should know that Ms. Lawrence is more than willing to help you out with anything school-related, and that she definitely loves her job. She has really made sure that we have good meetings and that they aren’t awkward.”

One of the most meaningful aspects of her career has been watching students she worked with find success years later. Many of her former AP Capstone students have emailed her as they finished graduate programs around the world. She told the story of one student, Rosa, who struggled in the program. “She tried to drop out, and I refused to let her,” Ms. Lawrence said. “She was pretty mad at me for a while.”

Ms. Lawrence's instincts proved correct. Rosa just finished a masters in criminal law in the U.K. and got a perfect score on her dissertation. “She sent me her dissertation and was like, ‘All those years ago when you forced me to do research and I was so mad at you. I am so thankful now,’” Ms. Lawrence said.

Full-circle moments like that fuel Ms. Lawrence’s passion for Learning Resources and teaching. “I think one thing in Learning Resources, especially, is learning how to build that muscle memory of resilience,” she said.

Many students enter the department already dealing with a hurdle, and she wants them to understand and embrace the way their brains work. “It’s okay if your brain doesn't work in a neurotypical way,” she said. “The non-traditional brain and what it can do is amazing.”

When she’s not guiding a student, Ms. Lawrence wants to be outside and active. “I run marathons, I climb, I hike, I scuba dive, I do yoga,” she said. She even twirled a baton as a kid and trained in the martial art Muay Thai while living in Thailand.

She dreams of bridging her loves for teaching and outdoor activities by someday leading educational outdoor trips. Her other aspirations include building on her work with organizations such as Chicago Scholars, a program she volunteers with to support first-generation college students like herself. “I’ve always daydreamed about work that combines learning, travel, and being outside … or eventually running a nonprofit that supports first-generation students,” she said. “It’s the kind of impact that really motivates me.”

More locally, Upper School Learning Specialist Elizabeth Underwood emphasized the effect Ms. Lawrence is already having at Latin. “Ms. Lawrence is student-centered. She loves working with students and helping them find the tools and strategies that support their learning,” she said.

But even as a teacher herself, Ms. Lawrence is always learning. The most recent piece of wisdom she received didn't come from a mentor or fellow teacher. Instead it came from her 6-year-old daughter. On a weekend trip, Ms. Lawrence took a wrong turn while driving and admitted she got lost. From the back seat, her daughter unexpectedly said something that defines Ms. Lawrence’s philosophy: "Sometimes you have to get a little lost to figure out where you’re going.”