Dr. Sarah Huff is a 2005 Evergreen High School graduate. “I was involved in just about everything,” recalls Sarah when she thinks about her involvement in soccer, cross country, track, taekwondo, National Honor Society, and Key Club. In addition to those activities, Sarah served as the junior and senior class president! Sarah continued her education at Colorado College and was thrilled to receive a scholarship from Bootstraps to help her in her journey.

Overall, the transition from high school to the university setting was smooth. Colorado College was far enough away to be a change, but she could still go home and do laundry on the weekends. She lived in the dorms for three years and thrived, and she lived off-campus for one year. Her roommate from her freshman year became her best friend; they lived together for four years and were in each other’s weddings! Most of Sarah's college friends were from out of state, so she would often take them to her parents’ home in Evergreen for a home-cooked meal.

Evergreen High School prepared her for academic rigor, but in the beginning of her college experience, she found that writing and speaking up in class were challenging. According to Sarah, there were a lot of super-confident students in her classes. Once she realized she needed to build her confidence, Sarah quickly became a part of the fiber of Colorado College as a scholar who excelled in academics and connected well with her peers.

Sarah used her Kiwanis-sponsored scholarship for tuition, which was very helpful. She was able to focus on her studies and the work-study program without having to find another part-time job. Initially, Sarah thought about pursuing a career in physical therapy, but she loved psychology and she soon discovered that she was more interested in pursuing research, specifically research in the realm of cultural psychology. She completed her thesis in Guatemala where she studied cultural differences in self-perception.
While in college, Sarah hosted a “girls’ day in the lab” event where she taught middle schoolers about the brain. She must have loved the teaching aspect of her event because she spent two years teaching English in Japan and cultivating her passion for teaching. Sarah received her master’s degree from Brandeis in Boston, and she later received her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor; both higher degrees are in psychology.

Sarah successfully obtained her ideal job as a teaching assistant professor at The University of Denver (DU). Covid-19 affected the nature of education at DU, and Sarah is glad to be teaching back in person. She was teaching online classes in psychology at the beginning of Covid. The students were willing to adapt, but everyone really preferred to be in person. Now that the classes she teaches are back to in person, it is hard to keep students from talking in class because they are so excited to be together again.

Sarah finds it rewarding when students take several of her classes; she loves seeing the growth in her students. She cherishes her professional relationships with her students, especially when she witnesses the light bulb going on and their AH-HA moments. Sarah describes DU as having a nice student-teacher ratio where she can focus on teaching in addition to being a part of a vibrant research community.

Sarah is currently living in Denver with her husband, Steve Tompson, and their four-month-old baby girl, Eli. Eli is constantly learning new tricks and has recently discovered how much she enjoys getting razzberries.
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​The Bootstraps scholarship helped Sarah succeed in her higher education endeavors. She was personally honored to know that her community supported her academic pursuits, along with other mountain-area students. Sarah felt it was easier for her to pursue her academic and career goals with the support of her community and Bootstraps.