Sarah Elizabeth Garza-Levitt
Associate Director, Basic Needs Collective
Heartfelt thanks. It is a tremendous honor to be recognized as a recipient of a 2023 Professional Development Award through the Staff Council. This important funding supports my pursuit of a Ph.D. in Social Work at the University of Utah. My lived experience as a single working parent who took 23 years to earn my first college degree informs a profound belief that basic needs are crucial to college student success. As a U of U student and staff member, in 2019, I helped co-found The Basic Needs Collective. Our group recognizes that a student’s capacity to meet their basic needs directly impacts their health, safety, and success. This funding award will aid my professional development in my staff role in The Basic Needs Collective and continued work on basic needs for our campus community.