Dr. Sarah Pitkin
Born in New York and raised in Virginia, Dr. Sarah Pitkin has been in the Prince William County community for much of her life. After attending Parkside Elementary and Middle School, she went as part of the inaugural class to the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology Governor’s School in Alexandria, VA. She participated in the marching band, band, and orchestra. Dr. Pitkin attended the College of William & Mary, earning a BA in History and teaching credentials. She then attended Vanderbilt University, earning an M.Ed. in Comprehensive Special Education. Sarah spent two years teaching in the Special Education FLEX program in Fairfax County Schools before going back to school at Kent State University to earn a Ph.D. in Speech and Language Pathology. Sarah practiced as a Speech Language Pathologist for over ten years, focusing much of her work with children and young adults with Autism in Ohio.
Sarah returned to Virginia to join her sister in running the family business: hardware stores. She and her sister, Amy, eventually purchased the stores and have grown the business from two to four locations: 3 in Northern Virginia (2 in Prince William County and 1 in Manassas City), 1 in Orange County, VA. Sarah and Amy have used their backgrounds in education to promote the inclusion of individuals with disabilities into their workforce through transition programing and work with DARS and related organizations.
In her free time, when Sarah is not spending time with her children and husband, she volunteers with on the Boards of the Arc of Greater Prince William, the Potomac Health Foundation, Didlake Inc., and for the Dale City 4th of July Parade Committee, and the Prince William County Disabilities Council. Prince William Living named Sarah as an Influential Women in 2019.
Dr. Pitkin’s experience with NOVA, includes taking her Red Cross Babysitting class at the Manassas campus in the 1980s. She currently is happy to have several employees that take Dual Enrollment classes and a few who are in the Two-year transfer/Guaranteed Admission program.