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CSC Women to Watch Feature Archive
This is part of our 2025-26 CSC Women to Watch series, a series which spotlights a variety of female members in our association. CSC Women is a College Sports Communicators (CSC) Member Resource Community, dedicated to serving the women in the athletics communications and creative field. CSC Women aims to encourage, empower and educate, while providing a positive and united presence for women in our field, both veterans and newcomers, and serving as their collective voice.
CSC Women to Watch
Sara Ropski
Stevenson Univeristy Director of Athletic Communications
by Colby Shannon, CSC Intern
2025’s CSC Women to Watch Series concludes with Stevenson University’s
Sara Ropski! Ropski is Stevenson’s Director of Athletic Communications and was named to
CSC’s 30 Under 30 Class of 2025 on December 8th!
A 2020 alum of Neumann University, Ropski gets the nod for December’s feature after obtaining a bachelor’s degree in communications and digital media. While at Neumann, Ropski played for the Women’s Lacrosse team and worked within the sports information department. During her undergraduate experience she received the East-COMM Bill Esposito Memorial Award and Neumann Athletics MVP.
Her previous employment before landing at Stevenson was at Lebanon Valley College as the Associate Director of Athletic Communications and an assistant Women's Lacrosse Coach. She also served on the Pennsylvania Army National Guard for two years and was the state’s Awards Noncommissioned Officer In-charge at the Pennsylvania Joint Force Headquarters. Ropski still serves as staff sergeant/E-6 and operated with drilling status in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. She is slotted as a Signal Operations Noncommissioned Officer with the 28th Infantry Division.
Currently with Stevenson University, Ropski oversees all
athletics social media channels and is a liaison for club sports communications initiatives. She created the
Mustang Monthly, a newsletter highlighting Stevenson athletics. In 2024, the
Inaugural NCAA Division III Emerging Elite class was released, which included Sara Ropski. She continues to lead athletics communications within her organization as an outstanding young female professional.
Women’s ice hockey media day with the student-athletes that work for Ropski in the Athletic Communications office.
What inspired you to enter the field of college athletics communications?
SR: My mentor, Jill Weigel, offered me a job as a student at Neumann University, and after working a semester for her, I fell in love with the field.
How does your military service impact your professional life with Stevenson??
SR: Balancing both the busy expectations of the Army and Stevenson is very challenging, but I am thankful to have such a supportive administration that allows me to work while finishing out my contract. Many things I have learned in the Army such as speedy trouble shooting, time management, leadership, and crisis management carry over to my career in Athletic Communications, which I am very thankful for the Army providing me with that knowledge.
Cheering on the Phillies during the post-season on deployment in Somalia with Sergeant Tim Pechart, Specialist John Stermel III, and Sergeant First Class Joe Tack.
Is there a female sports professional you admire, or who has inspired you? What do you admire most about them?
SR: Jill is probably the professional I admire most, as she never lets anything stop her no matter how hard they get. She is always there willing to lend a helping hand and to provide advice no matter when it is needed. She is one of the best in this profession, and I will always be thankful that she took the chance on me.
Being a member of the 30 Under 30 Class of 2025, why is it important for young professionals to have a presence in college athletics and what does the 30 Under 30 honor mean to you?
SR: Our profession is one that it is harder to pull young professionals into with the long hours and weekend work, but as many of the great seasoned professionals are gearing up to retire it is important to have the young professionals trained to fill their shoes one day. I think another big piece is that the demands of the job have changed drastically, even over the past five years, with those demands having a lot to do with the newer technology that these younger professionals are now being trained on earlier. The CSC 30 Under 30 honor is amazing, and I am very honored to be part of the class, as it is not just about what I have achieved, but it reflects of the mentorship Jill and James Wagner provided me during my time working for them.
Ropski adjusting white balance on a camera during a women’s beach volleyball tournament in spring of 2023.
What aspirations do you have for your future in sports communications?
SR: The biggest thing is that I want to keep pushing the envelope developing things to go into the future. Technology is continuing to grow, and I want to take advantage of that to keep building and developing the field.
When managing social media accounts, where do you find most of your creativity coming from? And how do you inspire your student-workers to be creative in their work??
SR: I enjoy giving my students free range to meet their goals and find their niche. All artists have their own brand and style, and I make a point to allow my students to do that while still producing work to fit our brand at Stevenson. They will soon be the next to enter the industry, so it is important we train them the best we can.
What has been the highlight of your professional career in athletics communications??
SR: I think my time here at Stevenson fits as the highlight. Everything from the coaches, student-athletes, administration, and success. There is never a dull day on campus, and I love it here. Stevenson took a chance on hiring me knowing after my first year I was going on a year-long tour with the Army, but they brought me in anyway and they are the reason I work so hard each day.
Ropski behind the glass of a Stevenson men's ice hockey game this past fall.
Quick Hitters with Sara:
Your dream job as a kid: Funny enough, I wanted to be an entertainment director on a cruise line.
If you could travel back in time and relive one moment from your life, what would it be and why? When I ran the Army Ten Miler in 2020, it was one of the hardest things I ever pushed myself to do following my back injury in 2018. It showed me that life throws many obstacles your way, but you can always bounce back and do the unthinkable.
Favorite family tradition: Making homemade pierogies from scratch during the holidays with my family.
Favorite professional sports team: Philadelphia Phillies
Go to late night snack: Peanut Butter and Fluff sandwich
What is a moment from your military career that resonates with you? Getting pinned a Staff Sergeant during my combat tour in Somalia, by one of my best friends, Sergeant First Class Joe Tack. I was able to be surrounded by some of the people I went through the toughest year with, and it is a moment I will be forever grateful for.
Favorite winter activity: The Philadelphia Mummers Parade on New Year’ Day. I play the tenor saxophone in the Greater Kensington String Band and from September to December we practice twice a week preparing our show for New Year’s Day. This year is special as it is the 125th parade anniversary!
Getting pinned Staff Sergeant by her friend, Sergeant First Class Joe Tack.