Elizabel Sartin prepares a blueberry latte behind the counter at Barefoots Joe. “It’s like breakfast in a cup,” she said.
Sartin applied to be a barista after her first year as a student at Union.
“I had such a wonderful experience being in Barefoots and attributed a lot of that to the baristas and the atmosphere they create here,” she said. “I knew this was a team I wanted to be a part of, and it was a cool way to earn money…It was the most fun interview I’ve ever had.”
As a barista, Sartin has delighted in expanding her knowledge about coffee and cultivating new relationships.
“For me, it’s all about the people,” she said. “I really enjoy the people I work with, and it’s always more fun when we get to double up as a team.”
Sartin is happy to serve high-quality coffee at Barefoots. “So many students will drink any mug full of black sludge, but I’m glad we can provide premium, house-roasted coffee options.”
As a theater major and English minor, Sartin’s main passion is acting. “I’ve done theater and singing my whole life,” she said, “And I’ve always loved both.”
Originally a music major, Sartin transferred to Union as a sophomore. “It was the music program that brought me here, but the theater program that caused me to stay.”
Sartin has thrived while participating in Union’s theater productions and learning from Professor Burke.
“I loved being in Hamlet in the spring of 2014 when I played Ophelia,” she said. “Also, playing Catherine Donahue in These Shining Lives was incredible…Both roles challenged me creatively and impacted the way I view acting.”
Outside of classes, Sartin enjoys being a part of Union’s Improv group and currently serves as team leader. “It’s been a wonderfully intense experience,” she said.
In her free time, Sartin loves exploring the outdoors and traveling. She’s looking forward to getting married this June and has been busy planning her wedding.
After graduation, Sartin is excited to pursue a career as an actress and potentially move back to Connecticut, her home of twelve years and where she is from originally.
“Everything [in Connecticut] looks like a postcard,” she said. “I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t want to live there.”
From her experience as a Barista, Sartin has learned the importance of being open to talk to people she wouldn’t ordinarily interact with.
“I think it’s really easy when people say, ‘Oh, how are you doing?’ to just say, ‘Yeah, I’m good,’ and never really let them in more than skin deep,” she said. “That gets really old to me.”
Every day, Sartin hopes to love people intentionally. “If it could be said of me at the end of my time that I loved people well, then that’s something I would be really proud of,” she said.
“It’s been a blessing to be on the receiving end of this job,” she said. “I’ve realized that people are usually just as open with you right back if you initiate it with them, and they have really interesting stories to share that are just as valuable as my own.”
