Sarah McVean ’10, ’20

Students come to college determined to fulfill a lifelong dream, but life handed Sarah McVean a better one thanks to the confidence she gained from the classes she took at TWU. Her original plan was to take classes to operate her own photography company. While that dream was in development, she started working for a dealership taking photos of their inventory. McVean says, “I found myself starting to raise my hand and offering to help out in areas of marketing because of my confidence from all the business classes I had taken. This helped me carve a new career path for me in marketing, one which I had not planned on taking.” McVean received her bachelor’s degree in general studies focused on marketing and photography in 2010, and ten years later, recently finished her MBA in Management this year. She is the current Chief Marketing Officer for Freedom Powersports, LLC implementing aspects of marketing, advertising, branding and online development for the company.

Why did you come to TWU?  I came to TWU as a transfer student from Tarrant County College. I liked that the school accepted all of my credits and was very supportive of transfer and commuting students. I was also very interested in leadership and how that impacts our communities, and I felt it was empowering to go to a historically woman’s college. Plus, the campus was beautiful!

What is a professional highlight of your career, either where you currently work or in the past? When I was promoted from Marketing Director and name the Chief Marketing Officer of Freedom Powersports. I was on a vacation by myself in Scotland (doing a little soul searching) and got an email from my boss saying how much he appreciates me and all my hard work and he would be honored to have me on the leadership team. This email was in response to a performance review we had had a few weeks before where I told him that was one of my goals and I am ready to work harder than I ever had to achieve it.

What do you enjoy about your current position/profession? I love being in a leadership role and helping oversee the growth of the company and the individuals that work for Freedom Powersports. I have been with this company since its inception and have been able to create a plan for marketing and watch it develop and grow. I have a big passion about marketing, understanding customers and business development.

Did a TWU professor inspire you? Who was that and how was that person inspirational? Susan Grant, who taught all my photography classes. Before coming to TWU I was a photojournalism major and looked at photography as a tool to tell a story. Susan taught me a more artistic way to look at my photographs and consistently challenged me to do better. I also had a teacher who taught Promotional Strategies during Fall 2009, unfortunately I don’t remember his name, but that class really helped me get passionate about marketing and advertising.

What advice do you have for college students hoping to succeed professionally? A strong work ethic, a commitment to on-going education, a good attitude and hard work will get you far! Taking internships while in school is important, learn what you are passionate about now and remember to always leave people with a good impression (you never know when you will see them again).

What characteristics do you look for when hiring people into your workplace? The primary thing I look for is motivation and enthusiasm. I want someone to come into the interview and show me they really want the position. I also like people who worked or interned during college, it shows that they are really hard workers. Smiling is important, along with dress and how one carries themselves. Also, ALWAYS bring a nice printed copy of your resume (and references) to an interview.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? I just finished the MBA program with TWU, so have not had much free time lately. I also was supposed to get married on April 4, so I was planning that too (still got married but had to cancel the bachelorette, wedding and honeymoon (along with the graduation ceremony), crazy times we’re living in). A cleaner answer would be: I just finished the MBA program with TWU so all my spare time has been towards my education. When I do have true free time, I love to go hiking!

Page last updated 1:23 PM, July 26, 2022