Sarah Fielding

Sarah Fielding was honored in January 2015 as YVC’s transforming Lives Award nominee. The award is given by the Trustee’s Association of the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges. Her unique story represents how community college, specifically the opportunities at YVC, have impacted her life and her education.

Sarah was born in Sunnyside, Washington, and was home-schooled beginning in third grade. By 17, she had a full-time job. The following year she married and moved to Yakima with her
husband. “I worked 12 hour days of grueling labor with limited options or opportunities for growth. When we decided to start a family, I realized I wanted something more for all of us,” stated
Fielding.

At 22, Fielding enrolled at YVC. “I walked onto campus that winter without knowing a soul, without knowing what the word “syllabus” meant, no GED or high-school diploma, and pregnant with my first child,” she continued. She quickly learned how to navigate campus and was successful in her coursework. She was invited to join YVC’s Phi Theta Kappa and graduated with an associate in science degree.

She then transferred to Washington State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing. “I now work full-time as a registered nurse at a local hospital in the emergency room,” she continued. “Overcoming all those barriers allowed me to join the workforce as a well-educated professional with the preparation and ability to change the world around me in a positive
and meaningful way,” she concluded. Interested in continuing her education, Fielding has re-enrolled at YVC and is taking the prerequisite courses she needs to apply to medical school.