Sarah Wolek

Maryland Delegate District 16

My Why

With experience, I have come to believe that our world changes for the better by moving two main levers.

The first lever we can move is the kind of person we choose to become. That means living lives that are authentic to us, where we show up with kindness and integrity, seek out and live our purpose, cultivate meaningful relationships and belonging, contribute and connect to our community, and honor our planet. We often overlook this, but our individual mindset, character, and actions are the fundamental unit of change.

The other way change happens of course, is by shaping systems and institutions that govern our lives so that each one of us can reach our potential. This to me means building an education experience that develops our humanity and our intellect and economic system that creates opportunities for meaningful work and liveable wages. As a member of the both Education and Economic Development (EED) subcommittee and the Oversight Committee on Pensions within the Appropriations Committee, I work to build both on behalf of residents of District 16 and the state of Maryland.

My Education & Experience

I graduated from Wootton High School in Montgomery County Maryland and then earned a BS in Decision Information Sciences and a BA in Economics both from the University of Maryland. I pursued graduate education at Columbia University, where I earned an MBA, and the University of Chicago, where I earned an MA in public policy.

Driven by a desire to make a positive impact in the world, I joined the federal government and had the opportunity to work at the White House Office of Management and Budget, the United States Mission to the United Nations, the US Department of Treasury, the US Department of Commerce, and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. In doing so, I developed expertise in budget, management, and policy development and implementation. This experience has proved to be invaluable now that I serve as State Delegate.

I ultimately left the federal government because I wanted to see firsthand the impact of my work. Thus began my teaching career at the University of Maryland where for the past six years I have been developing and teaching courses on self-leadership, flourishing, and wellbeing.

Now I continue teaching at University of Maryland as well as serve in the General Assembly.