Sarah Henderson (she/her)

Every other kid in the class would groan when the teacher would announce an indoor recess. I’d do a little happy dance; indoor recess meant I got to go to the library. I loved the library. The school library, yes, but any library, really. I’d bring home stacks of books so tall I’d have to ask Mom for help. In the days that would follow, Mom would read to my brother and I, or I to my brother. 

After grade school, I went to university and faced some shocking real-world realities. The world was filled with pain and wonder, and I wanted to know more. So I travelled, joined protests, purposefully lived among the homeless, and stretched myself in ways I could never have previously imagined. I saw some of the most beautiful landscapes on earth, met incredible people, and also witnessed great suffering. I was no longer the bookish kid, safe behind her books. I became driven to understand what “the good life” was, how to live well. I landed in a small-town university with students and profs who seemed to share my interest in learning what it meant to live well. I studied philosophy and ended up with more questions than answers.

I’m settled now, no longer living so adventurously as I once did, but I still have those same questions about a life well lived. Along the way, I decided to merge my quest for understanding with my skills and interest in language by studying to become an editor. As an editor, I’ve seen that I can give back by supporting those who are on the ground, living well, doing good work that improves others’ lives. 

In my years as an editor, I’ve been fortunate to work on documents that promote biodiversity, encourage diversity and inclusion, promote employability in economically depressed regions, announce advances in health care, celebrate LGBTQ+ love, empower small-business owners, and much more. I say this seriously—it is such a gift to have a job where I can support organizations doing such important work. 

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