Playing with Passion

A lifelong sports fan who has always dreamed of working in women’s sports, Sara Lighthart ‘24 is putting her talents and interests together in her new role as a live production coordinator for North Carolina FC (NCFC). As a screenwriting major in LMU’s School of Film and Television, Sara spent four years exploring the many facets of the film and entertainment industry and found her talents and interests often collided on the operations side of each creative environment she stepped into.

In her new role for NCFC - a professional soccer club and the parent club to two professional soccer teams: men’s NCFC & women’s NC Courage - Sara writes scripts for interviews and podcasts, and helps produce pre-game entertainment, halftime shows, and more. “We’re like stage managers but for soccer,” Sara added. 

How did Sara get from her hometown of Omaha, Nebraska to a dream job in Raleigh, North Carolina? The path ran through Los Angeles, and specifically, across the bluff.  

Sara’s older brother attended LMU, and when she first came to visit him, she fell in love with the campus. "I knew I wanted real relationships with my professors, with my classmates,” she reflected. “I wanted to feel like I could listen and engage and feel a part of a classroom setting with my peers and my professors."  So when she learned about the small class sizes, tight-knit community, and ease of engaging with professors, she was sold.  "I felt like I was in the right place. I felt like I needed to be there."

In high school, her primary passion was writing, and she initially believed it would steer her toward pursuing an English major in college. "I didn't know anything about the entertainment industry," she confessed. "Omaha is a place of many opportunities, but film isn’t usually one that people think of." During an official campus tour, the tour guide happened to be a screenwriting major. "I bombarded her with questions about screenwriting for 20 minutes after the tour, and she simply said, 'Well, you can write movies!' That was the lightbulb moment."

Sara spent two summers at LMU’s pre-college summer programs, cultivating her interest in film and entertainment and ultimately solidifying her love of LMU. “I applied and got into the pre-college Beginning Screenwriting program.  I had an amazing experience that I went the next summer and did the Acting for the Camera program. I spent another two weeks living at LMU and loved it all the more." 

Notably, the program offered her a sense of belonging. “I was able to meet and live with people who had the same passions as I did and we pushed each other to do better,” she said. “We bounced ideas off of each other, corrected each other’s work, made memories, and formed bonds I will never forget. I still talk to most of them today.”

It also helped her confirm her interest in screenwriting as her future major. “When I took the Beginning Screenwriting course, I felt supported and motivated in the classroom like I had never before,” she reflected. “I was in an environment that challenged me to become a better, most enriched version of myself.”

“I had also taken Acting for the Camera,” she continued. “Which was an extremely fulfilling course. However, even during the course, I found myself wanting to be behind the camera, writing. Acting for the Camera allowed me to gain a new perspective on film and how to write in a way that translates to actors. The course solidified my need to write.”

After her second summer program, Sara applied for admission. "When I got in, it was a no-brainer. I had applied to 6-8 other schools, and I just knew that the other ones were backups." 

Once on campus as a full-time student, her activities varied widely. Academically she was committed to her goal of understanding all facets of the film and entertainment industry and she parlayed that interest into a work-study job producing videos with LMU’s Marketing and Communications team, including popular social campaigns such as the Lion on the Street series. Outside of the classroom, she found passion and purpose among peers in Sursum Corda, one of ten recruitment-based service organizations run out of LMU’s Pam Rector Center for Service and Action. Sursum Corda’s mission focuses on issues surrounding food justice, so Sara spent a lot of time thinking about food accessibility, working at a food pantry, and helping with meal deliveries to her unhoused and low-income neighbors in Los Angeles. “Sometimes people think that if you want to address issues you need to go way out into the world,” Sara said. “But there is always a need in your own backyard.”

Reflecting on her job search, she realized that although she hadn't intentionally pursued activities to enhance her resume, her diverse interests had significantly contributed to her success after graduation. When prompted to share more about herself during her NCFC job interview, she found herself with a wealth of intriguing experiences to discuss. LMU had provided her with numerous opportunities to nurture her creativity and cultivate her various interests. By the time she reached the interview, she could see how it all seamlessly intertwined. "My background in creativity directly influences my work today. We're delivering compelling messages."

Sara does have some advice for students curious about the pre-college experience:

“Take the leap,” she said. “LMU Pre-college has a range of programs that truly allow you to actualize a future version of yourself. So if you have even a slight interest in engineering or acting or sports management, sign up and take the course. Regardless of what program you choose, you will leave with a new perspective on what learning looks like. Taking a leap and trying out screenwriting, a field I had no knowledge of, was crucial in my journey toward who I have become today. LMU gave me the space to be myself and take leaps. I am grateful every time for taking a chance on LMU Summer Programs. It gave me more than I could have ever hoped for.”