Young Professionals Month: Sarah Kazen Proves Volunteering is a Career Catalyst

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — For many young professionals, the pursuit of career advancement and the desire to give back can feel like competing priorities. However, Sarah Kazen, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee chair and USTA Texas Board of Directors member, sees them as perfectly complementary. By leveraging her professional background at Meals on Wheels San Antonio, a community-focused agency, Kazen has found that high-level volunteerism doesn't just benefit the organization—it serves as a powerful catalyst for her own leadership and professional development.

As part of Young Professionals Month, Kazen demonstrates how her tenure with USTA Texas serves as a bridge between her personal advocacy for inclusivity and her career trajectory in community-based agency work. By integrating her professional background in fundraising with her passion for expanding the sport’s reach, she has transformed her volunteer role into a strategic partnership that benefits both the Texas tennis community and her own professional evolution. For Kazen, the intersection of her professional life and her volunteer service is rooted in a shared commitment to people and community-first service.

“Working for a community-rooted agency with a national presence has given me experience that directly aligns with the USTA,” Kazen said. “Both prioritize people and are deeply committed to serving their communities.”

Kazen noted that her time with the organization has allowed her to sharpen specific professional skills, particularly in the realms of public speaking and project management. She credits these volunteer experiences with providing a platform to build high-stakes confidence that translates to her full-time job.

“These experiences have transferred directly into my professional life, where I’m more comfortable presenting ideas, guiding teams, and driving projects forward,” she added.

This leadership journey reached a milestone when Kazen interviewed for the USTA Texas Board of Directors. During the process, she utilized her professional expertise in fundraising to advocate for the growth of the sport at the local level. By connecting strategic investment to long-term community strength, she embodies how a professional skill set can create tangible change in a non-profit space.