The Franciscan School has long been identified as a community school- one that facilitates trust, healthy relationships, growth, and lifelong friends. Alumna Sarah Watson ‘12, having attended TFS, Cardinal Gibbons High School, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, shares that “by far the school that’s made the most impact on my life is TFS. Attending a smaller community school like TFS allowed me to feel comfortable in my own skin and foster my interests and passions from a very young age in a safe and supportive environment.”

Watson spent all of her elementary and middle school years at TFS, years that were filled with a plethora of positive experiences. “Here I built a community of lifelong friends, and I’m so blessed that my TFS community will be with me for the rest of my life,” says Watson. Some of her favorite memories were field trips like the one to Blue Jay Point, playing on the soccer team, and any activities that involved her friends. 

While she was growing up, Watson loved reading, writing, and performing. These interests have led her to a career in marketing and advertising. Watson began her career as an associate account manager at VMLY&R, a global brand and customer experience agency. After two and a half years, she moved to New York City where she’s been working at McCann New York, one of the world's largest advertising agency networks with operations in over 120 countries. Her main client is Verizon, which she has helped lead their sponsorship creative initiatives across the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS/NWSL, MLB, and live entertainment events. In this role, she’s also served as a mentor for junior account team members, regularly providing feedback, identifying opportunities for growth across projects, and helping guide career progress based on individual goals. During her time in advertising at both companies, Watson also had the pleasure of working with FedEx, the YMCA, and Bridgestone. 

Watson shares, “Advertising and marketing is identifying a consumer or business problem, and communicating how the brand you’re working on can solve that problem in a unique, creative way. It combines all my interests growing up, as well as business strategy and communication. I love the advertising industry because you’re surrounded by creative, passionate people wherever you go.” Watson continues to see herself in this sector for the next several years, working for brands she’s passionate about. 

While at TFS, Watson admits that many of the faculty and staff had an impact on her, including Mrs. Wacenske, Ms. Bradshaw, Ms. Kowite, and of course her dad, Mike Watson (former 6th science grade teacher, Assistant Principal, and then Principal for six years). Though she was not at the school during her dad’s time as Principal, she enjoyed being at the same school with him during her middle school years.

Watson thinks a lot about what wisdom she can share with current students. “First, spend your time with people who make you the best version of yourself. Second, always be a little bit naive. It’s so easy to feel intimidated by your dreams or interests, but being naive and telling yourself, ‘you’ve got this’ allows you to feel confident in some of the most high-pressure situations. Lastly, think about what you enjoy and do in your free time for fun and see if there’s a career out there that’s similar. For example, if you love drawing for fun, think about a career in graphic design.”

We love seeing the amazing work that our alumni are accomplishing in the world. And now we can look at the Verizon advertisements during sports games and events and think about one of our very own, Sarah Watson.