Sarah Simmons is Partnership Director for the College Advising Corps’ Innovation Team, HATCH, and leads project design, implementation, and training for the hybrid advising pilot program.  Her team of Austin-based advisers supports students in rural schools in the Coastal Bend region of Texas.  Sarah builds strong partnerships with internal and external stakeholders capturing learnings to implement and improve the hybrid model for future scale.

Prior to joining CAC, Sarah enjoyed nineteen years as a public education professional serving over 6,500 students.  Sarah developed a college-bound culture at a historically underserved high school in South Austin and has extensive experience serving marginalized populations.  She was awarded the Bank of America Local Hero Award in 2010 and was recognized three years in a row by the Austin Chamber of Commerce for submitting the largest number of FAFSAs in the Central Texas/Austin region among 6A high schools.

Sarah holds a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in Women’s Studies from Texas State University and an Ed. M. in Education Student Development and Leadership from Angelo State University.  She enjoys hiking, strong coffee, and dance parties with her family which often include their beloved pug, Molly.  Sarah is based out of Buda, Texas.