Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Hershberger.
Hi Sarah , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Since I was a little girl, I have loved three things. Movies, comedy, and writing. It was my dream to become a comedy writer, and release all the stories I crafted in my head for people to hopefully enjoy. With a passion for education and being a lifelong learner, I followed a more sensible path and attained a fulfilling career in Higher Education, but my dream kept singing in my head. As I got older, time did what it reputably does and continued to pass, and the only attention my dream received was a brief mentions in conversation. It became stagnant because I didn’t have answers to all the “how” questions it would ask me like “How do we actually do this?” or “How do we get started?” .
Then one day, I watched a TED Talk given by Mel Robbins called “How to Stop Screwing Yourself Over” on YouTube. As cliché as it may sound, it changed my life. In her talk, she encouraged people to stop settling for being fine and to pursue your biggest goals. The excuse of not knowing “how” was obsolete because we have the fortune of living in a time where we have constant access to information. Immediately, I read Based on a True Story by my favorite comedian Norm MacDonald and Bossy Pants by the iconic Tina Fey. From there, I signed up for every class that I thought would breathe life into my dream. I took multiple screenwriting workshops and improv classes as well as participated in the 24 Hour Play Project. One of my longest and closest friends Matthew Martinez Hannon had always encouraged me to try stand up comedy; however, I didn’t think there would be a class for that. I was wrong. The Comedy Palace, which is now Mic Drop Comedy, offered a stand up comedy class taught by Zach Miller. I signed up. What I expected to be a 6 week course, turned into a new career in Stand Up. Now, 7 years later, I am doing what I love and once dreamed about. Writing and performing comedy and having earned precious milestones such as being passed the La Jolla Comedy Store and Mic Drop Comedy and performing regularly for Don’t Tell Comedy.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Stand up is not only an art it is a sport. To be good or great, a lot of time and devotion needs to go into practicing and perfecting your act via open mics and shows. It has been challenging to balance my career in education with my career as a comedian. I feel like I am on a pendulum of wanting to be taken seriously by day when I am on campus then not taken seriously at night when I am on stage. It is also hard to not be able to commit to late nights on weekdays to going to open mics as often as I would like. Opens mics are important and MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Those that can and do attend as many mics as possible hold my respect and admiration. I count myself very lucky to now have a home club with the La Jolla Comedy Store to consistently practice this craft. Also, life continues to be life and can hand you obstacles. When my mother was ill, it was hard to feel that I had anything to share that was funny. Luckily, I had friends in the community that gave me stage time or encouragement to keep investing what I was capable of in comedy during that time. In the past 7 years, I have also experienced tremendous growing pains. Stand up requires a lot of vulnerability and durability, which didn’t come easy for a friendly introvert like myself. It has been a constant learning experience. It is hard work, but undeniably worth it. I often feel like Harry Potter in awe of this magical world that I didn’t know existed up until I started, and feel so lucky to be part of it.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have two careers. For fifteen years, I have worked in higher education. During that time, I earned a Masters Degree. Starting in 2022, I became an academic advisor for the College of Engineering at SDSU. It has been a very rewarding profession. I love working with and helping students. My other career is in stand up comedy,, which started with a six week class in 2018. During that time, I have performed in and produced multiple shows. My proudest moment was getting passed at the La Jolla Comedy Store in January of this year. I am not sure what sets me apart from others. I know I am a weirdo. That’s a perk of comedy. It is great place for oddballs like me. A friend recently told me that I was different because of my kindness and compassion. My favorite compliment as of late came from my best friend Nick BK. He told me that I was a good egg, one with a double yolk because I’m unique.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I tend to keep my involvement in comedy private at work. If you are one of my students, I imagine your jaw would drop a little if you learned that I am a comedian as well. I am the academic advisor for Aerospace Engineering at SDSU. One of my students found my Instagram and casually called me out. I told him that stand up is my attempt at becoming an astronaut.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Making_Hershstory
- Facebook: Sarah Hershberger
