SAN DIEGO - Sarah McGrath, whose parents reside in Covington, Kentucky, serves the U.S. Navy as a civilian assigned to Naval Base San Diego.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Joey Sitter, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West |
McGrath graduated from Wolfe County High School in 1995. Additionally, McGrath earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Transylvania University in 1999 and a master’s in social work from Columbia University in 2004.
The skills and values needed to succeed while working with the Navy are similar to those found in Covington.
“I feel like in my small town, I learned a lot about the importance of hard work and community,” McGrath said. “In small towns, there’s a sense of community, helping each other out, helping others and working hard with a strong work ethic. We have so many young sailors who are being relocated, leaving everything behind and coming to a new place, or families coming here with children. We understand how important the sense of community is and help them identify support within the Navy and the community so they can build their own support system. I like being able to help people identify and build support systems while they’re away from home.”
McGrath started a career with the Navy nearly 10 years ago. Today, McGrath serves as a clinical supervisor at the Fleet and Family Support Center.
“I’ve always done trauma work, and so I came here after seeing the opportunity to be able to serve those who serve our country and their families,” McGrath said. “Helping others is something I’m passionate about, and I saw the opportunity here. I had family members, uncles and cousins who served.”
Naval Base San Diego is the U.S. Navy’s largest base on the West Coast and is homeport to the Pacific Fleet Surface Navy with 56 U.S. Navy ships and two auxiliary vessels including USNS Mercy. The base is also home to more than 200 tenant commands, each having specific and specialized fleet support purposes.
The U.S. Navy is celebrating its 250th birthday this year.
According to Navy officials, “America is a maritime nation and for 250 years, America’s Warfighting Navy has sailed the globe in defense of freedom.”
With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.
McGrath has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments as a government employee.
“I’ve been very fortunate to be able to organize and participate in numerous suicide prevention activities,” McGrath said. “The prevention campaigns I’ve been involved in – we chalked the walk around the base with inspiring messages, I’ve been a case manager for sailors with suicidal ideations – it’s very rewarding because while it sounds depressing, you can see the change and hope and forward-thinking in people after supporting them for a while. It’s about planting lots of seeds of hope and giving information along the way. The aim is to get people connected to support.”
McGrath serves alongside a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“I feel very honored that I get the opportunity to provide a space for sailors and their families to share what their life is about and share what hardships are,” McGrath said. “It’s an honor to have that opportunity and that people trust me with that.”
McGrath is grateful to others for helping make a career as a government employee possible.
“I want to give a shout out to my parents, Charlene and Michael McGrath,” McGrath added. “My parents were in the Peace Corps, and I think they ingrained in my sister and I the idea of service. I also want to thank my husband, Andrew Bushing, who has always supported my job and profession.”