Sarah Wilkinson: Hearing Yes
UW Tacoma alumna Sarah Wilkinson wouldn't let her past determine her future.
June 2022 update since this story was originally published:
Sarah Sutton (Wilkinson), '20, starts work on her Ph.D. in psychology at Northwest University this fall. First, Sutton, along with her husband Josh and niece Talilia Gadbaw will walk across the Commencement stage.
Sutton completed a Master of Social Work at UW Tacoma in the spring of 2020. Her husband earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from UW Tacoma in 2021. “Neither of us got to walk,” said Sarah Sutton. “He [Josh] didn’t get to walk for his associate’s degree either. So, we thought participating in this year’s ceremonies would be a neat way to reconnect with people we met during our educational journeys – plus our niece is graduating so it’s kind of a family affair.
Sutton currently works at the Public Defender Association in Seattle as a case manager for the organization’s Co-LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion) program. “I work with the unhoused or housing insecure population in Seattle and try to get them permanent housing,” she said.