Amplifying voices and accelerating non-traditional pathways to success
New Leaders Council thrives on cross-functional leadership—bringing together people from government, education, medical, and private sectors to build stronger communities. As a 2021 fellow, I discovered a space where my curiosity about people's superpowers and my passion for equity-driven work could create real change. Over four years, I progressed from fellow to curriculum director to co-director, while designing and launching Forward Fast, a mentorship program that helps young women accelerate into careers through non-traditional pathways.
In the most expensive city in the US, I learned how to do more with less—running a 6-month leadership program for 15 people on a budget of under $3K. I learned policy advocacy, community organizing in San Jose, and how to find strength in hard times and places. Most importantly, I learned that everyone can demonstrate leadership skills when approached with curiosity about what makes them exceptional.
Young women, especially those without traditional four-year degrees, face systemic barriers to career advancement. They need more than information—they need advocates who understand how to navigate complex systems, access to alternative credentialing like Google Career Certificates, and mentors who can see potential where others see gaps. Meanwhile, NLC needed leadership that could bridge sectors, run high-impact programs on shoestring budgets, and create space for diverse voices to lead.
For my NLC capstone, I designed Forward Fast—a mentorship program specifically for young women pursuing non-traditional career paths. Instead of assuming a four-year college degree was the only route to success, I built a program around alternative credentials, system navigation, and advocacy.
I leveraged Google Career Certificates as a cornerstone, showing participants how to gain industry-recognized skills in tech, data analytics, project management, and UX design. But Forward Fast was more than skills training—it was about advocacy, helping young women understand and navigate systems that weren't built for them, and connecting them with mentors who could open doors.
Curiosity-Driven Leadership: I operate from a fundamental belief that everyone can demonstrate leadership skills. My role isn't to tell people what to do—it's to discover their superpowers through curious, genuine engagement. This approach transformed how I developed curriculum and supported fellows.
Systems Navigation as Advocacy: I became skilled at navigating complex systems—from policy to education to workforce development. In Forward Fast, I taught participants not just what opportunities exist, but how to advocate for themselves within systems that often feel impenetrable.
Resourcefulness at Scale: Running a 6-month program for 15 people on under $3K in San Jose required creative problem-solving. I leveraged free resources like Google Career Certificates, partnered with local organizations for space, and created volunteer mentor networks. Tight budgets breed innovation.
Cross-Sector Bridge Building: NLC's strength is its diversity—government officials learning alongside educators, medical professionals collaborating with tech entrepreneurs. As curriculum director and co-director, I designed experiences that honored different sectors while finding common ground in leadership principles.
"What makes Sarah exceptional is her ability to see leadership potential in everyone. She doesn't just mentor—she uncovers superpowers people didn't know they had."
Forward Fast participants gained not just skills, but confidence and navigation tools to pursue careers on their own terms. The program demonstrated that alternative pathways—when combined with advocacy and mentorship—can be as powerful as traditional four-year degrees. At NLC, my curriculum work shaped leadership development for dozens of cross-sector leaders, and my co-director role helped scale impact across San Jose's most pressing community challenges.
Leadership is about unlocking others' potential. The most powerful thing I can do is approach every person with genuine curiosity about what makes them exceptional. When people feel seen for their strengths, they step into leadership naturally.
Systems navigation is a learnable skill—and a form of equity work. Many barriers people face aren't about ability—they're about not knowing how to navigate complex systems. Teaching system navigation is teaching power.
Resourcefulness scales. The skills I learned running programs on tiny budgets—creative partnerships, volunteer networks, free resources—aren't just survival tactics. They're transferable approaches that work at any scale and make programs more sustainable and scrappy.