Sarah Ansell (Committee Member)

Sarah Ansell - CEO Charles Sturt Foundation / Director of Advancement at Charles Sturt University

1.What is your work/passion/ side-hustle?

I’m the CEO of the Charles Sturt University Foundation Trust. After three plus decades in the marketing / communications industry I have found my home in the philanthropic space. I work on a variety of global projects and get to meet and work with incredible, selfless people day in day out. Ultimately it just feels worthwhile. I hold a number of board roles and have a passion for social enterprise, social justice and the equity and diversity required to mould our society.

My portfolio is broad which suits my need for variety. My passion and side hussle is definitely travel! Karmically I’m told I’m on a path of discovery and that suits me just fine!

2. Beyond the 9 to 5 – what do you live for?

My family first and foremost - Hubby, children and animals. I have three incredible, independent adult children (2 boys and a girl) and a grand daughter, who live in different cities. Fortunately we’re all very close and still manage to spend plenty of time together. My husband and I spent their childhood driving round the country watching their sport and we’re still doing it. (Very happily).

Outside of that, it’s definitely travel. It has always been a constant in my life and I’m now watching my children forge a similar path. It’s the best education available.

3. How did you land in Wagga - Are you Wagga born and bred, grew up here moved away and returned, moved here later in life and stayed because you love it, or something else that landed you here?

Love! I think that a fairly common Wagga story! I grew up in England and while travelling around the world I met my husband-to-be in Sydney. He had grown up in Wagga. While my journey continued for a while I returned to Australia to a job in Sydney and the rest as they say is history. We left Sydney not long after we were married as we wanted to raise a family in the country and haven’t looked back. It has been a wonderful place with so much opportunity and great friends and support.

4. Woman (famous or not) you are most inspired by and why?

Women that do! Women who put themselves out there, push boundaries, break down barriers and know when it’s time to say no! Women who make things happen on all scales. They don’t have to be world changing, just life changing for them or those around them.

So of course women like Civil Rights activist Rosa Parkes but also young women like my daughter Amelia – who are making things happen daily! At 7, Amelia challenged local norms becoming the first girl to play Rugby League in Wagga, going on to play State level. Wagga Touch Association also changed their rules to allow her to play with her team in the boys comp team rather than a mixed team. While working for the NRL she introduced a disability team at Melbourne Storm and at 25 she launched her own social enterprise ‘Sidekick’ a community network linking people with a disability to a sport orientated support worker. She is currently a new mum and developing her own App on the side. A local level hero who reminds me how incredible young women today are – our future is definitely safe in their hands.