Merced Sun-Star 2018 20 under 40: Sara Cribari Hill

Age: 29

Occupation: I’m in a strategic Human Resources role at Old Navy by day and I run The Greatest Valley by night!

Favorite quote or saying, why?

I love the book “Growth Mindset” by Carol Dweck. It really stood out to me as an adult learner and has become a pillar of how I tackle life.

“Why waste time proving over and over how great you are, when you could be getting better? Why hide deficiencies instead of overcoming them? Why look for friends or partners who will just shore up your self-esteem instead of ones who will also challenge you to grow? And why seek out the tried and true, instead of experiences that will stretch you? The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even (or especially) when it’s not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset. This is the mindset that allows people to thrive during some of the most challenging times in their lives.” – Carol Dweck

Community or professional highlights:

My work in our community has given me immense joy. I started The Greatest Valley to create a more positive image about the Central Valley to Valley residents and the rest of California. The brand creates Central Valley product so that proud Central Valley residents can sport their pride for this area of California. Positive story-telling is also a pillar of the brand and my stories are published locally. Through this work I have had the honor of becoming involved in veterans affairs to support WWII, Vietnam, and Korea veterans. I had the privilege of attending the Central Valley Honor Flight to capture remarkable stories and share with the public the importance of the flight.

I was a Senior Fellow in Leadership Merced’s Class 33 and am honored to be leading the 34th cohort as a facilitator. I serve as a board member for both the Community Foundation of Merced County and the Merced County Arts Council.

Your life changed when?

Moving to Merced was life changing for me. The pivotal moments in my life that led up to my move to Merced were ones that prepared me for a life here in this town. Marrying my best friend, Aaron, was not only impactful for my life all around, but he’s the reason that I’m here in Merced. Studying at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising was not only the reason that I was able to get a job at Old Navy in 2009, but working at Old Navy has equipped me with the skills needed to organize and lead community efforts. My life leading up to this also made me appreciate what Merced has to offer.

What do you want people to know most about you?

My life is even busier now and more full of activities than when I lived in San Francisco, but in the best way possible. I often say that our social calendar is way more full here than when we lived in the city. People say that culture is hard to get here in the valley, but I like to think that it’s far more approachable. In San Francisco, I could only attend the symphony if I bought rush tickets at $20 twenty minutes before the show started; now I can buy symphony tickets at $25 and be in the front row! Better yet, I’m able to know the key decision makers in town. They are in arm’s reach here where they aren’t in major metropolitan areas.

I believe that you can live anywhere and be happy, but I hope that the youth in our community know that you don’t have to leave this area to find purpose and happiness.

What do you like most about living here?

One can have the life that they want in Merced. It’s up to you to create what you want, how you want to be involved in the community, who you want to be connected to, and how you want to work. We all have different backgrounds and upbringings, but I have found that putting yourself out there into the Merced community will reap many rewards alone.

Why is community involvement important?

Being involved in the community makes you an educated citizen. Before I was involved in the community, I made assumptions about how things were done based on opinions of friends or snippets of what I read. Now I know that there’s so much more to what goes into making a community and appreciate the work done to move our community forward. Being involved allows you to see what’s being done well and what needs improvement. And maybe you are the person that can help support the already great processes or improve the processes that need support.

This story was originally published October 4, 2018 at 4:00 AM.