Lifelong Leader

Oakland University alumna Sarah Hasenmueller Weinberg is remembered for having a wicked sense of humor and a generous spirit by her fellow Golden Grizzlies.

“Sarah’s generosity was part of who she was as a person,” says her friend Katie Simons. “Helping others was automatic to her.” And through helping others, she naturally became a leader on campus from her involvement. 

She was instrumental in founding the OU student chapter of the Association of Nonprofit Professionals, now known as the Association for Fundraising Professionals. She served as a tour guide for the senior class gift Elliot Tower tours as a member of the student philanthropy committee. Sarah also fulfilled a very successful tenure in OU’s Development Office with a graduate assistantship.

After graduating from Oakland University’s MPA program in the spring of 2016, Sarah was tragically killed in a car accident just two days before Christmas, outside of Washington D.C. She was on her way home to visit with her family in Tennessee. 

“Those who knew her through the program were pretty devastated because she was very involved,” says Suzanne Rossi, the program coordinator of Oakland University’s Masters of Public Administration (MPA). "She was a student everybody knew. She was very involved.”

In honor of Sarah’s memory, her friends banded together to set up a scholarship in her name; the Sarah Hasenmueller Weinberg Scholarship. The scholarship will focus on students enrolled in Oakland University’s Masters of Public Administration who are experiencing a serious life transition or life-changing event. The fund has reached approximately $7,200 toward its goal of the $25,000 needed for endowment. Once the endowment is fully funded, scholarships will be awarded in Weinberg's name in perpetuity. 

“After learning of Sarah’s death, I felt called by her service to create a legacy to this generous and loving spirit who wanted to leave the world a better place,” says Sarah's friend Nancy Isken. “Her compassionate presence in my life helped me to be a better person.”

Now that same compassion will continue to carry students through their years at OU in Sarah's memory.

For more information about the Sarah Hasenmueller Weinberg Scholarship please contact the annual giving office at [email protected] or (248) 370-4504.