Liz, an Ellis lifer who played field hockey and lacrosse, and Sara, who joined Ellis in fifth grade and played field hockey, have dedicated much of their time and efforts to using sports to connect with and inspire younger generations.

Liz credits Ellis with instilling lessons of hard work and resilience that served her well throughout her time at the school and long afterward. After Ellis, Liz attended Miami University of Ohio where she played four years of club lacrosse and served as president of the club for two years. She earned a master’s degree in Education, and began coaching softball shortly after at Canfield High School. She later taught English and coached field hockey and lacrosse at Hudson High School. One of her proudest moments was assisting the varsity field hockey team to the state championships in 1998, where they came in second place.

After her time at Hudson High, Liz worked for an organization called Facing History and

Ourselves, a human rights organization for educators. She later joined John Carroll University’s Center for Service and Social Action, where she ran educational programs called We the People and Carroll Reads, a program that connected college tutors with students in high poverty neighborhoods to work on reading or civics. She continued coaching a youth lacrosse program, bringing together kids from many different schools, races, and religions.

Her career also included a stint in publishing; in 2017, her husband published former NFL quarterback Bernie Kosar’s memoir Learning to Scramble and she handled Bernie’s public appearances and book signings around the Cleveland area. The following year, she took on the role of Executive Director of Advantage Cleveland Tennis and Education, providing opportunities for kids to learn the sport of tennis while being supported academically. She currently lives in University Heights, Ohio with her husband Greg and their children Kate (25), Sydney (23), and Sam (18).

“I loved my time playing under Coach K, and she taught me one of the most important life lessons about resilience that I have carried through my life and my work with kids in our organization,” said Liz, who sees a full circle moment in her current work. “I started a tennis clinic for kids in my neighborhood for my Ellis senior project, [and I’m now] running a tennis organization in Cleveland’s underserved neighborhood. It’s funny that even though I never made it big in a sport, I have lived my life caring deeply about what sports teach us about life.”

Like Liz, Sara feels like her life and her connection to Ellis have come full circle. Sara played field hockey throughout Middle and Upper School, and said it was her time playing at Ellis that made her fall in love with the sport. She helped lead the Ellis team to win the WPIAL Championship twice. She was recruited to play field hockey at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, where she was a four-year starter and won their conference twice during her tenure. After college, Sara completed her master’s degree in Accountancy at Rhodes College and worked as an accountant in Tennessee and Washington, D.C.

Sara said playing field hockey at Ellis provided her with invaluable lessons that have benefited her throughout her life. The emphasis on teamwork, and the value of collaborating with people of various personalities and skill sets, is something she carried with her from high school into her college years and beyond.

“The support of the Ellis community for its athletes, despite the school’s small size, taught me the importance of being an engaged and supportive community member,” she said. “The rigorous academics at Ellis helped me develop multitasking and prioritization skills, which have been crucial in balancing sports and academics, and has carried on to my responsibilities as an adult and mother.”

Sara moved back to Pittsburgh with her husband, Kelvin, and daughters Millie (5) and Elizabeth (2) in 2022. She currently has her own accounting practice and coaches middle school field hockey at Ellis. Her daughter Millie is an Ellis Lower School student.

“Receiving this award means the world to me,” she said. “I am deeply grateful for all that Ellis has given me over the years. Being part of the Ellis community has been a tremendous privilege, and having my daughter Millie attend the school makes it all even more special. This recognition is a meaningful reflection of the impact Ellis has had on my life, and I am truly honored and appreciative.”