UA Alumna’s Gift to Establish UA Away Global Leadership Endowment

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Sara Finley, a 1982 University of Alabama graduate, has made a $250,000 gift to UA to establish the Sara J. Finley UA Away Global Leadership Endowment.

Finley, who retired from CVS Health as senior vice president for legal affairs earlier this year, said she was inspired by her longtime love of travel and her appreciation for UA’s Division of Student Affairs.

The UA Away scholarship initiative is intended for students who want to work, serve or study away from the Capstone at some point during their college careers.

UA Away allows students to build relationships, explore career options and become global citizens.

The Sara J. Finley UA Away Global Leadership Endowment will fund scholarship awards to students who are participating in study abroad programs through UA Away within the Division of Student Affairs.

The scholarship is intended for those whose international study experiences have an emphasis on promoting scholarship, ethical leadership and global citizenship; who have demonstrated academic achievement at The University of Alabama; and who have shown ethical leadership through campus involvement.

Additional priority will be given to students who demonstrate need, although not necessarily need as defined by federal guidelines. The first awards could be distributed as early as spring 2016.

Finley said she hopes her gift will make a difference in the lives of students for years to come.

“At the time I went to Alabama, the student body consisted largely of in-state students,” she said. “My parents were both from small rural counties in east Alabama, and I realized that many people from these areas never ventured far beyond their county or home state.

“I know a lot of people who have stayed close to home and not traveled. I believe the best way to succeed and to grow as a person is to meet new people, experience different cultures and learn new perspectives.  When I learned about UA Away, it was a natural fit.”

Finley’s parents, Dr. Wayne H. Finley and the late Dr. Sara C. Finley, were longtime members of the medical faculty at UAB’s School of Medicine in Birmingham. When Finley was young, her parents were given the opportunity to study the emerging field of genetics. Sweden offered the most advanced training at the time, so the Finley family packed up and moved across the world.

“It was life changing for my parents and transformational for their careers as well,” Finley said. “I grew up understanding that expanding your horizons could make a huge difference in your career and in your personal development.”

After graduating from UA with her bachelor’s degree, Finley earned her law degree from Vanderbilt University. She has made it a priority to continue her travels as much as possible, even while juggling the demands of her legal work.

Her travels have taken her across the globe, from Australia to Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro.

“I have a great appreciation for the positive impact traveling can have on all of us,” she said. “As I’ve gotten older, the world has gotten a lot smaller. It’s just so important for students to explore new opportunities and new places, and I am so pleased to be supporting UA Away. ”

For more information on UA Away, go to sa.ua.edu and click on the “Giving” tab.