2020 40 Under 40: Sarah Walters, 34

Sarah Walters has helped put Evangel University on the map for prospective students. By age 28, Walters created the university’s first health care program for athletic training. The Evangel assistant professor says the program gained its accreditation, though the odds were against her.

“As a young professional, there comes a point where you have to be willing to take the risks and walk the road no one is willing to consider to make a difference,” she says.

Walters also expanded the reach of the school’s master’s of organizational leadership program into an online offering for students in the United States and abroad.

In her free time, Walters is involved in Ozarks Teen Challenge and Convoy of Hope.

What was your first job? A plant nursery starting at age 12.

What is your best productivity hack? Do not check your email until you’ve been at work at least two hours or completed five things on your to-do list, whichever comes first.

What did you learn the hard way? That hard work pays off, but you have to be balanced.

Have you ever met a celebrity? My side profile was in an episode of “Monk” in 2004, so I met Tony Shalhoub. It was a total coincidence that I happened to be eating in the same restaurant they were filming in. I had to sign a release for them to use the left side of my body.