Sara Austin Welch is a McCarley native who has been making big waves in her time at the University of Mississippi in Oxford. Welch is a former Winona Christian School student who graduated from Carroll Academy in 2020 before going on to seek a higher education at UM. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy Leadership while minoring in Intelligence and Security Studies and Higher Education, expecting to graduate in May of 2024. She is also a recipient of the Luckyday scholarship awarded by Ole Miss and has gone on to serve her campus community well as a scholar and the Associated Student Body President.
Welch stated in an interview for Senior Spotlight at UM that the Luckyday scholarship “empowered me to grow in servant leadership, fostering confidence that I never knew I had.” In addition, she said, “Luckyday filled my heart with happiness and lifeted me up, reminding me that small gestures can lead to significant impacts.”
In her role as President, she serves on a multitude of committees including but not limited to the University Committee of Academic Grade Appeal Board, Intercollegiate Athletics, Strategic Planning Council, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Advisory Council, 175th Anniversary Planning, and Sensitivity and Respect, the Student Body Presidents’ Council and the Accessibility Task Force.
In addition to these committees, Welch has also been greatly invested in student involvement events, having been the official Ole Miss Ambassador, Orientation Leader, Luckyday Ambassador, on the Student Activities Association event planning committee, RebelTHON morale captain, Access for All Tresurer, Type One to None member (an organization advocating for students with Type 1 diabetes), and college political organization secretary. Welch is highly involved in the Luckyday and Frank Day scholarship programs, having had her hand in leading long standing volunteer projects within the programs. She has worked with Children Are Readers in with the Lafayette County School District, Oxford Lafayette Fuller Center for Housing Home Construction, and has worked as an Alzheimer’s Association Ambassador by lobbying through correspondence with legislators and attending and working events that the association uses to fundraise.
Welch has advised and managed many student campaigns throughout her time in leadership at UM and is a member of the Mississippi Beta Chapter of the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity that fundraises and donates to causes aligned with child literacy. Despite all these deeds, she expresses her proudest accomplishment has been co-founding a student organization that focuses on enhancing campus safety, accessibility and living for physically handicapped students to optimize their campus experiences. For her work with advocating for accessibility for handicapped students on campus, she was chosen as a Top 5 finalist for the College of Liberal Arts James Meredith Change Maker Award.
Sara Austin Welch stated in an interview for Senior Spotlight at UM that she will be pursuing a degree in Higher Education at UM after her anticipated graduation.
In an interview with a fellow UM student, Bella Duncan, Welch was quoted as saying, “I try to make everybody feel like somebody. You’re never going to satisfy everyone, but helping even one person makes me feel like I’ve done my job.”
Sara Austin Welch is the daughter of Wayne and Jessica McCrary and Kelly and Melanie Welch, all McCarley residents.
Her mother, Jessica McCrary expressed great pride in her daughter, stating, “She has made her smalltown family and friends proud of her work done while at the University of Mississippi.”
