My Autobiography

My name is Sara Finestein. I was born and raised in New Jersey. I lived with my parents, younger brother, younger sister, and two dogs in a small suburban town outside of New York City. As a child, I became very active in sports, often playing on more than one team each season. I also loved reading, going out with my friends, and most outdoor activities. I continue to have many of the same interests. I have been playing on a co-ed indoor soccer team in Northern Virginia, and left the team when I returned to Charlottesville after winning our division championship. I also love to travel, see new places, and meet new people. I have been very involved in community service projects for years. I began with many different projects in middle school and high school through a local Junior Optimist Club. I volunteered throughout college at the local Boys' and Girls' Club, and began volunteering at a shelter for victims of domestic violence in Washington, DC when I moved to the area.

I graduated high school in 2000 and decided to come to the University of Virginia for my undergraduate studies. I majored in Spanish, which has been a favorite subject and passion since I started learning the language in middle school. I had a fabulous experience at UVA and made amazing friends.

Upon graduating, I took a job in Vienna, VA working as an account representative for an international insurance company. A large part of my job was to educate our clients and to teach the administrators of the plan how to run the plan. I was able to use my Spanish skills to communicate with many of our clients, teaching in both English and Spanish. I also worked as a liason between our clients and our home offices around the country to troubleshoot problems. I worked there for slightly longer than two years, and learned a lot.

My favorite part of my job was educating others. Through this job and reflecting on my volunteer activities and interest in children over the years, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to teach. Once I decided that teaching was my passion, I applied to school and decided to return to the University of Virginia. I am currently a PGMT student in the elementary education program, and am excited to be back at school.