Finance & Management
- Hometown: Austin, Texas
Biography
Hi, my name is Sara Pacheco, and I am honored to be a member of the 2026 Heath Integrated Business and Engineering Program (Heath IBEP) Cohort, studying Management. I was born and raised in Austin, Texas, and if you ever catch me out and about, I could talk to you about it for hours. I grew up enjoying the Texas sun, live music, the lake, and Austin's diverse culture and eclectic style.
As much as I loved my hometown, I always knew I wanted to explore more of what the world has to offer. I found myself in Knoxville and attending the University of Tennessee seemingly out of the blue. I had applied on a whim and quickly realized that it had everything I was looking for.
My most important guiding value in life is growth. I am constantly seeking ways to improve myself in the pursuit of becoming the best version of myself I can be. I am always looking to enhance my knowledge, my health, my perspectives, and my social relationships. Learning from others is a crucial part of my growth journey. I enjoy collaboration and communication with others so I can learn from their experiences, perspectives, values, and ways of thinking. I genuinely value diversity and believe it is a beautiful thing. I'm always curious to understand how others think. This was also a significant factor in my decision to attend a large out-of-state school.
I chose to pursue the Heath IBEP program for a couple of reasons. As a curious and active child, my parents enrolled me in almost every Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) program, summer camp, and class they could find. Through these opportunities, I delved into hands-on learning and honed my problem-solving skills. I contemplated a career in STEM because of how much I enjoyed these experiences. However, I always felt that my natural talents lay in communication, organization, and project development. Throughout high school, I held various leadership roles and participated in numerous projects, all of which I enjoyed. This is what led me to decide on a major in Management. It felt like the path that would allow me to further strengthen my natural skills and learn how to use them in a more practical and applicable way.
Nonetheless, I never lost my interest in STEM-focused problem-solving and topics. Heath IBEP allows me to bring together my many interests and skills and explore further possibilities in my life.
The second reason I found Heath IBEP so exciting is because my ultimate career goal is to help start a company that benefits society or the environment. I genuinely want to do something that will bring goodness to the world, whether that be in the medical industry or by introducing a more sustainable approach to manufacturing. It all centers on the same desire to make a positive impact. I am aware, however, that this is a substantial goal that will require a lot of knowledge and assistance to achieve.
I believe that understanding the technical aspects of products and the company will help me be an effective and empathetic leader. I aspire to be a manager or leader who values and can communicate with all parts of an organization. This program offers the opportunity to learn alongside the forefront of innovation – our engineers. On the journey toward this ambitious goal, I also want to gain experience in building and leading teams to success. I believe that healthy communication and collaboration are the most important factors in a team's success. I can't wait to grow in these areas throughout the coming years in the program.
