Alum of the Month

Sarah Wambe

Sarah Wambe

May 2017

London Program

March 2005 Intake


What and where did you study before your Mountbatten internship?
In December 2004 I graduated from California State University, Long Beach with my B.A. in Speech Communications and a minor in Music.

What made you apply for the Mountbatten programme?
Love. I was a new graduate with no solid job prospects in the US, and was involved in a long term relationship with someone who lived in Belgium. The Programme gave me the professional experience I needed to jump start my career, and it allowed me to frequently travel to Brussels.

Describe your placement.
F. W. Stephens Accounting Firm. Originally I was brought in to implement a software program, but ended up holding the position of IT support for the 100+ person firm. My job was very flexible and laid back compared to other interns who were working in the bank industry.

What was the highlight/most memorable moment of your working experience during this year?
Over the year I learned more about software and networking than I ever imagined. The job gave me the confidence to know that I could go into any job and be successful regardless of the task at hand.

What was the social highlight/most memorable moment during this year?
I was lucky enough to participate in the Programme with my best friend from high school. During the year we travelled to many different countries, exploring the world on a Mountbatten budget. My favourite trip was to Ireland where we stayed at a very questionable hostel, but had the chance to go on a musical bar crawl and walk the entire city of Dublin in two days. It was an adventure I will never forget.

Please share a little wisdom/philosophy that you acquired during your internship.
My internship forced me to be flexible - jobs are never the same in reality as they are described on paper. Every experience was that it is what you make of it, and I was determined to make my time in London fabulous!

If you could change anything about your internship, what would it be?
Nothing. My internship was everything that I needed it to be. I learned a lot about technology and myself. While it may not have been the typical internship, it was everything that I needed it to be. Well…on second thought I would have liked if I could have had my own desk. Sharing with your boss for twelve months is rough!

What happened after completing the year - what did you do next?
After returning home I worked for the K-12 tutoring branch of Kaplan. This job really exercised my new found flexibility I had gained in London.

Where are you now in your working life and what do you do?
Currently I am the Director of Admissions for Concord University, a small, public university in southern West Virginia. In this role I oversee all undergraduate admissions, marketing, social media, CRM implantation, as well as do international student recruitment and new student immigration. I also have privilege of holding leadership positions in two different professional organizations.

Do you have any future plans that you would like to realise & what are they (career & social)?
In May 2017 I graduated with my Masters of Arts in Higher Education Administration, and hope to one day return to school to complete either my E.D.D. or Ph. D. Professionally I hope to continue to develop my management skills and eventually hold a Vice President of Enrollment Management position at college/university.

What three words would you use to describe yourself?
Determined. Global. Passionate.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?
Most people are surprised that after living in San Francisco, Los Angles and London that I love my home in the mountains of West Virginia.

Is there any other information that you would like to be included?
Growing up I never had a clear idea of what I wanted to do with my life, and yet every experience I have had since graduation has prepared me for the role I hold today. Mountbatten gave me an experience that helped form me into the person I am today.