You could say Sarah Lieberman has found her flame — literally.
The Delaware County Community College (DCCC) communication major is a firefighter with Swarthmore Fire and Protective Association (SFPA), where she’s also on the board of directors. After Covid derailed her first year at Bryn Mawr College, she trained to become an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).
“I wanted to make a difference during the pandemic,” Sarah said. Seeing her potential, SFPA paid for her to attend fire school, which she calls “the hardest work I’ve ever done.”
Deciding she didn’t want to go into serious debt for a college degree, she enrolled at DCCC — where she’s clearly made her mark. Sarah is co-executive producer of the New Media Lab, a member of Phi Theta Kappa, and is pursuing a certificate in Trauma Studies.
After graduating in December 2026, she plans to earn a bachelor’s degree and eventually become a communications director for first responders.
“I’ve learned so much through doing public outreach and social media for the fire company, through my work with the New Media Lab, from my classes here, and from professors who have advised me,” she says. “I know what I want to do and who I want to be.”