Today, Brenda Sauer ’86 brings the same passion for engagement with UVM that she did forty years ago as a College of Nursing and Health Sciences (CNHS) student. After decades of giving to the university’s general fund, Sauer recently refocused her philanthropy on her college, where her recurring gift will bring unrestricted resources to high-need initiatives identified by the new dean. To broaden her support of CNHS and Dean Dain LaRoche—who stepped into the role in February 2026—Sauer has joined the college’s impressive Advisory Board. While a widespread nursing workforce shortage hampers the nation, CNHS enrollment steadily increases, making this a time of great opportunity and responsibility for CNHS leaders and advisors. Sauer’s life experience, training and vision will surely complement this talented cohort.
Sauer’s path to medicine began on her family’s farm in Bennington, Vermont. “My paternal grandparents bought the property in the 1940's after moving from Long Island, NY. The year before I was born, a second house was added to the property and that’s where I lived with my parents and five brothers and sisters. Growing up on the farm, we were taught early on about hard work and responsibility. I obtained a strong work ethic and a sense of practicality. There were always animals to care for and gardens to tend but I have to say, we also had a lot of fun.”
Not surprisingly, young Sauer aspired to become a veterinarian. A high school summer as a candy striper at her local hospital, followed by a part-time position as a nurse’s aide during the school year shook up that plan. “Once I began working as a nurse’s aide, I knew nursing was the career for me,” says Sauer. As an in-state student, the economic advantages to studying at UVM factored in Sauer’s decision but didn’t determine it. “The nurses who I worked with highly recommended UVM’s program.”
At CNHS, Sauer hit her stride. “Developing strong clinical and communication skills set me up to be confident and successful,” she says. “Working with my advisor and professors on my strengths and weaknesses allowed me to put the extra work in to succeed. I look back at the advice they gave me, and I continue to use it to this day.”
The program’s experiential learning opportunities outside the classroom delivered Sauer one of several high points in her nursing education. “For a class in my final semester senior year, I chose to work in an adult day care center that provided respite care for families whose loved ones had Alzheimer’s Disease. The job required creativity, patience, and communication. For my final class paper, I wrote about the unique challenges of working with Alzheimer’s patients and the need for services not only for the patients but for the caregivers. The center’s director was so impressed with my paper that she included it in her request for funding from the state of Vermont. The funding was approved. It was one of my proudest moments at UVM.”
Sauer’s education provided the foundation for a robust and rewarding career at New York-Presbyterian, an integrated academic health care system serving the Greater New York area with 10 campuses, 450 primary and specialty care clinics, and telehealth services. She practiced clinical nursing for the first twenty years after graduation, followed by two decades in leadership roles in Patient Access across three New York-Presbyterian hospitals. “Being a health care professional is a privilege. People are inviting you into their lives at their most vulnerable.”
From the front line, Sauer has watched nursing evolve and her message to the next generation of nursing aspirants reflects that wisdom and lived experience. “It’s an exciting time to be going into health care as there are so many opportunities to learn and grow. Be open to opportunities as they come along, don’t be afraid to ask questions and always remember the individual you are caring for, not just the disease or injury.”
To explore how your gift can shape the future of nursing, contact Marina Fleitas, Marina.Fleitas@med.uvm.edu, 802-656-2193.