{"id":1738,"date":"2026-04-27T14:42:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T14:42:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/?p=1738"},"modified":"2026-04-27T14:42:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T14:42:12","slug":"creating-impact-on-her-terms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/2026\/04\/27\/creating-impact-on-her-terms\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating Impact on Her Own Terms"},"content":{"rendered":"
For Sarah Talkington, a junior studying psychology with minors in English and Women & Gender Studies, making a difference hasn\u2019t followed a traditional path, and that\u2019s exactly what makes her story powerful.<\/p>\n

While many students are encouraged to get involved in specific ways, Sarah\u2019s journey into service and connection looked different. It wasn\u2019t about fitting into a mold, it was about finding meaningful ways to give back that felt authentic to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember the countless times I was told to \u2018get involved\u2019 without truly finding a place where I felt I could,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\n\tYou don\u2019t always have to follow the beaten path to success.<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t- Sarah Talkington<\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n\n

Like many students, Sarah faced fears of rejection and uncertainty about where she belonged. But instead of forcing herself into spaces that didn\u2019t feel right, she chose a different approach, one rooted in self-awareness and purpose.<\/p>\n

\u201cI realized that I control my life story,\u201d she said. That realization changed everything.<\/p>\n

Sarah began seeking out opportunities to serve her community in ways that aligned with who she was on her own terms. Through those efforts, she not only found confidence but also made a meaningful impact, ultimately earning the President\u2019s Volunteer Service Award.<\/p>\n

Her journey is a reminder that service doesn\u2019t have to look one specific way to matter. \u201cYou don\u2019t always have to follow the beaten path to success,\u201d she said. \u201cI am proof of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even within the classroom, Sarah\u2019s growth has been shaped by connection and encouragement. Faculty members across her academic journey have helped her discover strengths she didn\u2019t know she had, pushing her to expand beyond her comfort zone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve learned that I like \u2014 and can excel in \u2014 subjects I previously thought I hated,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

One of the most surprising transformations came in English. \u201cI despised English,\u201d she admitted. \u201cNow, I\u2019m an English minor.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Sarah, that shift reflects something deeper: the impact of people who believe in you and invest in your potential.<\/p>\n

\n\tTurns out, all I needed were people who believed in and supported my education.<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t- Sarah Talkington<\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n\n

\u201cTurns out, all I needed were people who believed in and supported my education.\u201d<\/p>\n

That same sense of connection extends beyond academics.<\/p>\n

One of Sarah\u2019s most memorable moments at Marshall came during a simple evening lecture, an experience that reinforced the value of shared passion and community.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt felt like a moment where we all got to nerd out together over something we all enjoyed,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t a large-scale event or a defining milestone, but it captured something essential: the feeling of belonging.<\/p>\n

Now, as she looks toward graduation, Sarah finds herself navigating the uncertainties of what comes next. Questions about career paths and future goals bring moments of doubt, but they also bring clarity about what she\u2019s learned along the way.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a period where resilience is necessary,\u201d she said. \u201cI am capable.\u201d<\/p>\n

That confidence is grounded not only in her academic success, but in the impact she\u2019s made through service, the relationships she\u2019s built, and the understanding that growth doesn\u2019t have to follow a straight line.<\/p>\n

As someone who has carved her own path, Sarah hopes to encourage other students to do the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best advice I can give is to not be afraid of change or mistakes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

For her, success isn\u2019t about checking every box, it\u2019s about staying true to yourself and finding ways to make a difference that feel meaningful.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to do and be everything,\u201d she said. \u201cBe the authentic you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because when you lead with authenticity and purpose, the right opportunities and the right people tend to follow.<\/p>\n

Sarah\u2019s story is a reminder that community impact doesn\u2019t come from doing what\u2019s expected, it comes from doing what\u2019s meaningful.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For Sarah Talkington, a junior studying psychology with minors in English and Women & Gender Studies, making a difference hasn\u2019t followed a traditional path, and that\u2019s exactly what makes her story powerful. While many students are encouraged to get involved in specific ways, Sarah\u2019s journey into service and connection looked different. It wasn\u2019t about fitting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":198,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-moments"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1738","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/198"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1738"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1738\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1778,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1738\/revisions\/1778"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}