Sarah (Neuman) Brewer
December 18, 2018
Sarah Brewer (2018)
Sarah (Neuman) Brewer is a talent development consultant at UMB Financial Corporation where she has worked in Human Resources for over six years. In addition to her Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Truman State University, Sarah holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. A proud native of St. Louis, she now resides in Lenexa, KS with her husband, new baby, and dog. When not cuddling her cute baby or pup, Sarah enjoys visiting new wineries, traveling, and cheering on the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs.
What year did you graduate and what was your concentration?
I graduated in 2011 with a concentration in Public Communication and a minor in Sociology.
What extra-/co-curricular activities did you do?
I was in the Alpha Sigma Gamma service sorority, served as the communications manager for Detours my senior year, and was a member of Lambda Pi Eta. I also studied abroad my junior year which I highly recommend!
Sarah visiting the Colosseum during her study abroad trip (2009).
Did you go to grad school? If so, where? Was it immediately after you left Truman or did you wait? Why?
I received my MBA with an emphasis in Leading and Managing People from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2016. I waited a few years after graduating from Truman because I wanted to figure out my career first and then decide what, if any, program made sense. I’m so glad I waited to attend grad school until I could identify where my gaps were. Also, many companies (mine included!) help pay for grad school so that was a nice bonus.
What was your first job after graduation?
I was a technical recruiter for a staffing firm. I had moved back to St. Louis after graduation not sure what my next steps would be. I was given an opportunity to move to Kansas City for the role and jumped at the chance to discover what the other side of the state had to offer.
What work do you do/What are you doing now?
I now work for UMB Financial Corporation in the Human Resources division. I’ve been with the company for over 6 years and have had the opportunity to hold several roles within HR including recruiter, associate relations partner, and I just recently started a new role as a talent development consultant. In this role I act as an internal consultant helping drive business results through optimizing our biggest asset: our associates. I have a variety of responsibilities including facilitating training, executing corporate-wide learning and development initiatives, and providing leadership development.
How has your Liberal Arts/COMM education helped you?
The liberal arts curriculum teaches you how to learn and helps you develop your critical thinking and problem-solving skills which are so crucial in the workplace. My communication degree comes in handy every day. Being an effective communicator is key to being successful in my role.
Which class did you dislike at the time you took it, but now you’re grateful you took it?
Public Speaking. I am naturally a pretty introverted person and I took the class my very first semester, so I was nervous to get up and speak in front of people I didn’t know. I’ve come to realize you will encounter many situations where you are uncomfortable or that you feel unprepared for, so it’s great to be able to practice how to deal with that. It also made me a more confident public speaker which has served me well over the years.
What was your greatest accomplishment at Truman?
Sarah with her husband Todd and daughter Olivia (2018).
I am so grateful for my time at Truman. I met some of my very best friends there, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone many times, and I learned a lot about myself. Honestly, I am most proud that I was able to balance school and fun as well as I did. I now work for a company that values work/life balance, so I am glad I learned the importance of this balance early in life.
Why is Truman a good place for a student to study?
My friends and I always joke that we loved Truman because you can be your authentic, nerdy self there but still fit in. And it’s true! (Editor’s note – We are the nerd school) Everyone at Truman cares about learning and doing a good job. I also loved the small class size at Truman and how you can build relationships with your professors. Many of my professors took a genuine interest in me and wanted to help me be successful. You just don’t find that kind of commitment at a larger university.
What would you say a COMM student should absolutely do while at Truman?
Get an internship! Even if it’s unpaid, it will be so worth it. I had a completely different career path in mind while at Truman but after doing an internship during Christmas break of my senior year I realized that field was not for me. I am thankful for that experience now even though at the time I felt panicked because I was about to graduate and felt like I was starting over. This wrong turn helped me fall into a career I love that I had never even thought of as an option.
What advice would you give someone who wants to go into the same line of work as you?
Again- get an internship! Make sure this field (or any field) is really for you. Do as much research as you can and start to build a network.
What do you miss most about campus/Kirksville?
Everything! My biggest regret is graduating in four years- looking back I really should have dragged it on longer 😊
Sarah (left) and MBA classmates in Seoul, South Korea for their capstone course (2016).
What tag line would you create for the COMM department at Truman?
“Communication: It’s what’s for dinner.”
Not very original, and you might run into some trademark issues. (Editor’s note – Are you trying to get us sued?)
If you could come back to Truman and teach a class for a semester, what would be its title and what would it be about?
Communicating in the Workplace: How to Give and Receive Feedback.
A lot of what I do in HR involves working with associates and leaders on improving how they communicate, especially when it comes to feedback. Receiving good feedback is how we improve but it is scary and difficult to give so oftentimes we avoid giving it altogether, or we give it in a way that isn’t productive or effective. If we know how to give and receive feedback better, we all can be more successful.
What did we not ask that you think is important for people to know?
Be open to your career path not going exactly as you intended. You will be better off if you have to take some unexpected turns along the way.
Sarah (back middle with sunglasses) with friends at graduation (2011).
If you would like to learn more of Sarah’s story, you can follow her on LinkedIn.