Sarah Ralston: Leading and Serving for Christ Amidst Change and Loss
Sarah Ralston grew up in the Wesleyan Church. Having always known about Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU), it was a relatively easy choice to begin her undergraduate studies there. After completing her freshman year, she decided to transfer to Ohio University, where she earned a degree in political science and government.
Though she wanted to pursue a master’s degree, she was unable to at the time. Not wanting her to give up on her dream, Ralston’s father made her promise to eventually return to school and complete it.
Finding Her Path at IWU
When Ralston began searching for a job, she left her résumé with IWU. Although she had no expectations that a position would open up, she found the idea of working at the university where she had once studied appealing.
Several months later, she was surprised to receive a call asking if she might be interested in applying for a position that had become available. She soon scheduled a phone interview, and her journey continued from there.
“It was just totally a God thing,” Ralston said. “It’s great being able to help the enrollment counselors by coaching and developing them to reach their goals—not just in work but in life. I’m able to have both a professional and personal relationship with them and see them grow.”
Ralston has been an employee at IWU for 17 years, during which she’s been promoted twice from her original role as an admissions representative to her current position as director of enrollment for IWU’s online courses. While this growth has been rewarding, it has also come with challenges, including working under three different university presidents, navigating the ever-changing landscape of online learning, and adjusting to the transitions that come with each promotion.
“You kind of have to go back through that adjustment period,” Ralston said.
Overcoming Life’s Challenges
A few years later, Ralston experienced a devastating fire, but once again the IWU community stepped in to help.
“Someone took up a collection on campus for me, people delivered meals—God continually shows up for me throughout my journey.”
While she lost many things in the fire, the generosity of her colleagues helped ease the burden of rebuilding.
Building Community at IWU
Ralston has always been passionate about bringing people together for meaningful discussions. She previously hosted events called “So You Want to Talk About…” where a different topic was chosen each month, facilitating conversations over the lunch hour.
“It was really neat because people had so much knowledge in different areas and brought unique perspectives.”
Now, she participates in the Multicultural Learning and Engagement (MLE) Champions meetings, which occur monthly and focus on cultivating community through presentations on a wide variety of topics.
Fulfilling a Promise
After years of balancing work, parenthood, and life’s many challenges, Ralston was finally ready to pursue the master’s degree she had always longed for, thanks to help from IWU. Though intimidated by the thought of returning to school after 20 years, she pressed forward.
During her master’s program, she faced major surgery, the complications of COVID-19, and the loss of her father. Despite these hardships, she remained committed, determined to fulfill both her personal goal and the promise she had made to her father. When she finally completed her degree, the sense of accomplishment was profound.
“It really just speaks volumes to the testimony of IWU as a company and how valued I feel. They took a chance on someone without much experience and hired me and then helped me grow and develop and experience so much. I attained my master’s degree while here and they gave me the time and space to do that.”
For Ralston, the support of her family and the IWU community has meant everything. Despite facing challenges of all sizes, she has thrived in her role, continuing to grow as a leader while giving back to the university that has been such an important part of her life for the past 17 years.
