As the Coordinator of Field Experience & Licensure in the Department of Education at St. Olaf, Sarah Rosenthal supports our students who are beginning their careers in education through teaching and field expereinces in classrooms around Northfield and the Twin Cities areas. Sarah is particularly interested in the intersection of culture, education, and community engagement, and in the critical role colleges, museums, libraries, and universities, have in encouraging curiosity, dialogue, and understanding across cultures. She brings to her work a unique perspective shaped by dynamic international experiences, a strong background in the humanities and information science, and a deeply-held values of creativity, collaboration, and lifelong learning.

Sarah graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2014 with dual summa cum laude degrees in Global Studies and Russian Area Studies. During her undergraduate experience, she was grateful to have had opportunities to live, study, and travel, throughout Russia, Ukraine, and Germany. While earning her her Master's Degree in Global, International, and Comparative History from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., Sarah worked with American Councils for International Education to support exchange programs with professionals from Eastern Europe. She also worked in archival translation at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and with LGBTQ+ asylum-seekers at the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center.

Her commitment to the values of global education, cultural exchange, and community advocacy, were exemplified by her Peace Corps service in Kherson, Ukraine (2019-2020). As a TEFL volunteer, Sarah worked with undergraduate and graduate students, developed multimedia educational materials focused on global history, linguistics, and world cultures, and helped invigorate adult education library programming in the local community. This amazing experience inspired her to pursue her MLIS degree from St. Catherine University in 2022 and motivated her to return to Ukraine in 2024 as an independent aid volunteer.

Sarah has enjoyed serving her hometown through her work as a librarian with Scott County public libraries, and has so been driven to integrate practices of digital literacy and arts advocacy into her professional role in academia. She is thrilled to be bringing all of her diverse skills and experiences to us on The Hill, and is comitted to strengthening the ways in which our students' build meaningful and sustainable connections between the classroom and local communities.

Sarah was born and raised in Credit River, Minnesota, and, despite her passion for travel, enjoys living in the Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve with her three beloved cats. As a life-long creative and practicing fiber artist, she has been able to share her love for Slavic culture and art through embroidery classes and exhibits around the Twin Cities. Stop by and say hello to her at the Riverfront Fine Arts Festival here in Northfield during Jesse James Days!