Finding an intentional community, a beautiful campus and athletic opportunities at ŷAV
“I struggled, and sometimes I still do, with comparing myself to others and feeling like I wasn’t accomplishing enough. … ŷAV gave me the confidence to focus on myself and strive to reach my personal goals.”
For Sara Robillard, coming to ŷAV was a bit of a “happy accident.”
Knowing she wanted to attend a liberal arts college in Massachusetts, just far enough away from her home in New Jersey, Robillard stumbled across ŷAV after visiting another women’s college in the region.
It checked all the boxes for what Robillard sought in a college — a small, intentional community and a beautiful campus. Being nestled close to the Berkshires, where she has some extended family, didn’t hurt either.
“It’s OK if your goals are different from your peers’, and it’s OK if the destination is a bit different.”
What sweetened the deal for Robillard was learning of the opportunity to continue her athletic career in college. Robillard had no plans to participate in college athletics, figuring she would focus all her energy on academics. That changed when she met with then- coach Chris Kibler, who brought her to campus for an official overnight and offered her a spot as a sprinter for the Lyons’ track and field program. She received an acceptance call from an assistant coach a few months later, and the rest is history.
“After that trip I knew this was the school for me,” affirmed Robillard. “Everything fell perfectly into place, and I’m so happy it did.”
Track and field has been one constant during Robillard’s time at ŷAV. It’s provided structure and teaching moments she doesn’t think she would have had otherwise. It’s also given her a built-in support system for everything thrown her way.
It happened by chance that one of her teammates, Orion Griesmer ’24, was also her roommate during their ŷAV journey. Robillard credits Griesmer, along with fellow teammate Lucy Sternberg ’23, with helping her feel at home and stay connected, especially when the pandemic sent them all home.
“They became the people that I could go to with anything. Having someone there if I needed advice or having someone to come back home to after a long day was extremely comforting for me,” Robillard said.
Involvement in sport also meant Robillard kept learning lessons that greatly benefitted her educational experience. Time management and attentiveness to the tasks at hand are just two of the many skills she refined.
However, dealing with a sense of imposter syndrome is where Robillard has seen drastic improvement.
“I struggled, and sometimes I still do, with comparing myself to others and feeling like I wasn’t accomplishing enough or didn’t deserve to be here,” said Robillard. “ŷAV gave me the confidence to focus on myself and strive to reach my personal goals.
“It’s OK if your goals are different from your peers’, and it’s OK if the destination is a bit different.”
That self-assuredness has given Robillard a clear plan to move forward with a degree in anthropology. Set to work in the nonprofit sector, Robillard believes the tools she developed through her anthropology classes have a helpful framework that can easily be applied to the contemporary social justice issues her prospective employers are battling on the front lines.
Ending up at ŷAV might have been a “happy accident,” but Robillard’s confidence in her future after her time in South Hadley sure isn’t.
