Feb. 11, 2008
Sarah Bizer is a Mason student-athlete who knows the meaning of hard work. As a native of Annandale, Virginia, and a senior communication major, Sarah has earned her scholarship from the time she gained a spot on the Mason women's swim team as a walk-on her freshman year. Once a fierce soccer player, Sarah tore her ACL in her final year of high school to end her competitive soccer career. With a strong desire to compete on a team and with some swim experience, she met with Mason's head swim coach Peter Ward to discuss her options as a freshman. Because of the guidance Coach Ward was able to give her and the connection she felt after meeting the team, Sarah decided that Mason was a perfect fit.
In the pool, Sarah has developed into one of the top sprinters in George Mason swimming's history. Holding the school records in the 50 and 100-yard freestyle events with times of 23.43 and 51.19 seconds, respectively, Sarah's name has continually been found among the top of meet results throughout her four years. Now in her final season, she has competed in the U.S. Short Course National Championships in Atlanta, swimming career-best times of 51.19 in the 100-yard freestyle and 56.72 in the 100-yard butterfly. Additionally, Sarah has bested her previous career mark in three events already this season.
Outside of school, Sarah serves on the Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) as the representative for the women's swim team and has taken the lead this year to organize her team in a community service effort called Letters for Kids. Letters for Kids is a pen-pal program where Mason student-athletes build relationships with children to encourage them to focus on positive efforts and activities such as community service, involvement in athletics and the importance of a sound education. Furthermore, as a college student, she has spent her summers as a nanny and a private swim lesson instructor.
The opportunity to earn a scholarship allows Sarah to financially help her family with one of her sisters also in college. Since freshman year, she has worked hard to increase her annual scholarship each year. Sarah will graduate in the spring with a bachelor's degree in communication with the intention of pursuing a master's degree in education. She would ultimately like to teach elementary school and continue to coach swimming.
