Sarah Engeler-Young ’91, assistant director of the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation, will retire in August after 20 years of service to Hendrix College.
Engeler-Young became assistant director of the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation Programs in Literature and Language in 2018 after serving as the Foundation’s first Office and Building Manager for 13 years.
“When we received the news Sarah had been hired by Hendrix-Murphy, I knew all the initiatives at Murphy would benefit from her highly capable abilities,” said Emeritus Professor of Theatre Arts and Dance Danny Grace ’77.
In pioneering the assistant director role at the Foundation, Engeler-Young has mentored the development of student cocurricular projects, coordinated the Murphy Scholars Program in Literature and Language, facilitated and guided student study-travel, publicized the availability and scope of Hendrix-Murphy funding to faculty and students, and assisted with project tracking and assessment.
“I can’t imagine running the Murphy Scholars Program without Sarah,” said Hendrix-Murphy Foundation Director Hope Coulter.
Murphy Scholars both past and present spoke of Engeler-Young's influence in her role as assistant director.
“There’s a reason we called her ‘The Oracle,’” said Trevion Williams ’24, a Murphy Scholar alum. “Sarah’s guidance shaped not only my time in the Murphy Program but also the way I approach life—with curiosity, compassion, and confidence. Without Sarah, I wouldn’t be the same person I am today.”
“Sarah has loved and nurtured us so well in her time at Hendrix,” said current Murphy scholar Georgia Liu ’27, a biochemistry-molecular biology major from Little Rock.
"She always makes us feel safe and heard and is so helpful, whether that be through advice or helping with the logistics of our Murphy Scholar projects.”
Coulter added, “She tracks the Scholars and their activities with such meticulous care and attention. She’s a font of resources for them, from locating language programs all over the world, to common-sense advice on how to manage their travels and their campus obligations. It’s no wonder students call her ‘The Oracle’!”
Engeler-Young coordinates with the Odyssey Program, Hendrix’s signature engaged learning program, to ensure students are able to utilize the benefits of both Odyssey and Hendrix-Murphy resources.
“Collaboration between Odyssey and Hendrix-Murphy is robust thanks in large part to Sarah’s thoughtfulness and diligence,” said Assistant Director of Odyssey Program Sarah Donaghy. “Her organizational and communication skills have ensured a smooth path for students pursuing Odyssey credits through the Murphy Scholars Program and Hendrix-Murphy-funded projects. Working with Sarah has always been such a pleasure.”
Born and raised in Arkansas’s capital city, Engeler-Young graduated from Hendrix College in 1991 with a B.A. in sociology and theatre arts. She holds an M.A. in drama from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“Most people don’t know this, but my involvement with the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation began in 1986 when I was a senior at Hall High School in Little Rock,” recalled Engeler-Young. “I told my mother I was going to study at IHOP and instead hopped in my car and drove to Conway to hear beat poet Allen Ginsberg, who was the Murphy Visiting Poet. I sat in the fourth row, and it was incredible. I was entranced the whole time.”
In a 2012 interview with "Hendrix Magazine,” Engeler-Young noted that since her time as a Hendrix student she has appreciated Hendrix-Murphy's commitment to giving students opportunities to interact with visiting writers in classes and at Murphy-hosted luncheons.
"Lots of colleges bring people in to speak," Engeler-Young said. "But the student interaction portion of it, that's missing in a lot of places."
Engeler-Young taught theatre history and dramatic literature in the Hendrix Department of Theatre Arts and Dance. She is also the 1993 winner of the Hendrix-Murphy Alumni Playwriting Contest (now the Werner Trieschmann Playwriting Contest).
“When Sarah taught in the Theatre Department, I remember worrying because the class was at 8:15 a.m. and students are not awake at that hour,” said Professor of Theatre Arts and Dance Ann Muse ’83.
“I needn’t have worried, because the students were engaged with Sarah in her theatre classes as they are today in the Murphy Scholars program.”
Engeler-Young and her husband, Bob Engeler-Young ’93, Hendrix director of user services, live in Conway and met in a tale as old as time at Hendrix as students. Their daughter, Zelda Mars Engeler-Young ’21, a Murphy Scholar alum, works at Apptegy in Little Rock.
Upon retirement from the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation, Engeler-Young plans to pursue an M.S. in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Central Arkansas.
Coulter says she has greatly valued having the opportunity to work with Engeler-Young. “Sarah has been an indispensable part of what we do here at Murphy, and I wish her all the best in her new chapter. She will be missed.”
About the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation
The Hendrix-Murphy Foundation Programs in Literature and Language were founded in 1978 by a gift from Charles H. Murphy, Jr., former CEO of Murphy Oil Corporation, in memory of his mother Bertie Wilson Murphy. Their mission is to enhance and enrich the study of literature and language at Hendrix College. For more information, visit hendrixmurphy.org.
About Hendrix College
Founded in 1876, Hendrix College is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges and celebrated among the country’s leading liberal arts colleges for academic quality, engaged learning opportunities and career preparation, vibrant campus life, and value. The Hendrix College Warriors compete in 21 NCAA Division III sports. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. Learn more at hendrix.edu.