Curriculum Vitae
Personal Profile
Currently an M.F.A. Candidate in Fiction at The Ohio State University, Sarah Parker graduated from the University of Mary Washington in May 2021 with a dual-major Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a focus in Creative Writing and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Her background in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and English provides a unique and passionate perspective to her projects.
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Her strong foundation in writing and communications blends uniquely with her extensive administrative, project management, and leadership experiences. Her most recent position as Production Services Manager at Virginia Tech has provided her with a comprehensive background in event planning, stage management, and the management of diverse staff and client bases, while working to expand her writing in the creative, analytical, and technical fields.
Education
2017 - 2021
University of Mary Washington
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The Ohio State University
Bachelor of Arts in: English: Creative Writing and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
GPA: 3.66/4.00 (Magna Cum Laude)
Departmental Honors in both majors
Graduate of the University of Mary Washington Honors College
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M.F.A. Candiate in Fiction
2025 - Present
2021
2021
Rappahannock Review​
Poetry Genre
Lead Poetry Editor
Served as team lead for the Poetry Genre.
Responsibilities included assessing Submittable reading results and creating editorial packets for meetings, serving as lead in editorial meetings, and approving finalists, and sending solicitation communication.
2019 - 2021
Univ. Mary Washington
Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program
Communications Manager
Nominated and selected for role by department faculty.
Responsibilities included conducting department-wide research, assisting in coordinating departmental events, managing the department's social media accounts and university website, presenting the department to classes across the university, promoting the department at Major & Minor fairs, and acting as assistant to the Program Chair.
2019 - 2021
Univ. Mary Washington
Dodd Auditorium
Student Staff Supervisor
Promoted from Production Technician in May 2019.
​Managed a staff of 12 - 16 student employees to successfully execute live events, trained incoming employees on equipment, venues, policies, and procedures. Assisted Director of Dodd Auditorium with scheduling, professional development, and venue updates.
2018 - 2019
Univ. Mary Washington
Dodd Auditorium
Production Technician
Acted as backstage support, lighting, audio, and video operator for over 50 live events and stage managed over 20 live events. Responsibilities included taking on the role of stage manager, backstage technician, lighting, audio, or video operator as assigned, and attending trainings to maintain knowledge and understanding of audio/visual equipment and practices.
Work History
2023 - 2025
Virginia Tech
Office of Production Services
Production Services Manager
Promoted from Production Services Specialist in July 2023.
Manages and trains a body of 60 student employees.
Responsbilities include assigning staff to all events, establishing quality personnel practices, and leading student technicians through events, training students on lighting, audio, and video systems.
2022 - 2023
Virginia Tech
Office of Production Services
Production Services Specialist
Responsibilities included ensuring the success of events by booking and implementing AV equipment, overseeing the development of services for all clients, and assuming management role over student staff onsite at events.
2022
Virginia Tech
Office of Donor Relations
Responsibilities included providing strategic stewardship with donors and deepening institutional relationships, tracking and maintaining information for recognition in giving societies, and writing correspondence from various levels of administration to individual donors.
2021 - 2022
Virginia Tech
School of Public & Int'l Affairs
Complete and file university forms, including student forms with the Graduate School, scheduling and organizing special events including orientation and faculty search events, coordinating timetable and room scheduling entries, processing admissions letters, updating student files, assisting admissions committee, processing I-9s, managing departmental social media, and providing basic administrative support.
Honors & Awards
2024
Virginia Tech
Office of Production Services
Excellence in Student Learning and Development Award
This award is given annually to the employee who demonstrates support of student learning and development within student employment and/or student organization involvement by serving as an effective supervisor, facilitating an environment that promotes personal and professional development, excels in communication related to accountability, recognition, and training, promotes opportunities for leadership, and advocates for the needs of students throughout the department.
2021
Univ. Mary Washington
Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Research Forum
Best Presentation Award
An annual prize awarded to a student through the University of Mary Washington Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department who achieves excellence in the presentation of their thesis work.
2020
Academy of American Poets
Academy of American Poets Prize
The Poetry Society of Virginia permanently endowed a Mary Washington Academy of American Poets Prize. The winner and runners-up are chosen by an outside judge.
Research Experience
2020
Univ. Mary Washington
English: Creative Writing
"Literary Analysis of Dystopian Fiction: The Romanticization of Feminine Oppression"
Advised by Dr. Kate Haffey
Wrote a thesis analyzing the romanticization of feminine oppression in dystopian fiction. Through this thesis, I developed an understanding of dystopian literary theory in the practice of literary analysis, practiced feminist and queer theory in the analysis of romanticized oppression in literature, developed an understanding of how literary language perpetuates feminine oppression, and explored dystopian fiction to analyze its romanticization of feminine oppression.
2021
Univ. Mary Washington
Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
"Novelization of Literary Analysis: Realistic Construction of Femininity through the Framework of Dystopian Fiction"
Advised by Dr. Ray Levy
Wrote the first half of a dystopian novel that works against romanticized feminine oppression. Through this thesis, I displayed an understanding of intersectionality, inequality, and oppression in the construction of dystopian narratives, further developed a creative voice under the mentorship of Dr. Levy, and reflected upon existing understanding of gender as one of the many factors of identity,
power, and oppression through the creative medium of dystopian fiction.
2019
Univ. Mary Washington
Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program
Conducted department-wide research of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies programs across the United States as the University of Mary Washington Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program underwent a comprehensive review.
Editorial Experience
2021
Rappahannock Review
Lead Poetry Editor
Managed the editorial team for the Poetry genre for the Rappahannock Review, compiled editorial packets, and moderated editorial meetings for the poetry genre.
Mentorship Experience
2022 - 2025
Virginia Tech
Production Services Manager
Promoted from Production Services Specialist position in July 2023.
Manages and trains a body of ±50 student employees. Responsibilities include assigning student staff to all events, establishing quality personnel practices, leading student technicians through the implementation of A/V equipment for successful live events across the Virginia Tech campus, and training student staff on audio, lighting, and video systems.
2022 - 2023
Virginia Tech
Production Services Specialist
Responsibilities included managing student staff onsite, ensuring the success of events by booking and implementing AV equipment, and overseeing the development of services for all clients.
2021
Rappahannock Review
Lead Poetry Editor
Served as team leader for the Poetry Genre. Orchestrated and solicited communication to and from contributors. Led and moderated editorial meetings. Collaborated directly with the Editor-in-Chief. Responsibilities included assessing Submittable reading results, creating editorial packets for genre team meetings based on team feedback, and maintaining responsibility for approving and sending solicitation emails to published contributors in the Poetry Genre.
2019 - 2021
Dodd Auditorium
Student Staff Supervisor
Promoted from Production Technician in May 2019. Managed a staff of 12-16 student employees, stage managed over 20 events, supervised the production of over 50 events.​
Responsibilities included managing a staff of 12-16 student employees, training new employees on appropriate use and operation of installed venue and A/V equipment, and ensuring that all staff members were safety certified according to federal, state, and facility requirements, regularly scheduling student staff for all events on a monthly basis.