Sara Kaner remembers lying in her bed last November. It was the first of the month, and an unread email lit up in her inbox.
The sender? Teach for America. The subject line? “Congratulations!”
“That’s really all I had to read,” she said.
Later this year, 21-year-old Kaner will start her career in the 2013 Teach for America corps teaching special education in San Antonio, Texas.
Currently, Kaner works as an intern and recruiter for Teach for America at UF, but her knowledge of the program didn’t guarantee her acceptance.
When that email confirmed her as a member of the corps, she was overwhelmed.
“The first person I called was my mom because she’s my rock, my role model, my best friend,” Kaner said. “As soon as she answered the phone, all I could say was ‘I got in!’ before I started bawling.”
Though Teach for America will take her on a journey for the next two years, Kaner said she got her start at the University of Florida.
“My time at UF has made me the person I am today,” she said.
Aside from her internship, Kaner was a 2010 Preview Staffer and a 2011 Preview Coordinator. She’s taught three sections of First-Year Florida and is a member of Campus Diplomats, the official ambassadors to the Dean of Students Office.
Kaner is also a member of Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed service fraternity and has served on the executive board for Project Makeover for two years.
“I wouldn’t be the person that I am today had I not gotten involved on campus,” she said. “I wouldn’t have met any of my friends, experienced all of my amazing experiences and grown into the woman that I am today.”
As graduation approaches, Kaner said her time at UF has shaped and molded her career goals. Though the public relations senior previously planned on working in sports marketing or at a non-profit, she’s decided to pursue a PhD in higher education.
She loves working with students and one day hopes to serve as a Dean of Students at a large public university.
In the meantime, she offered advice for young women starting out on campus this summer.
“Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to fail, and most importantly, don’t ever second-guess yourself.”