In her 25th year at Baker University, Director of Health Services Ruth Sarna has announced that she will retire at the end of the fall semester. Ruth Sarna

Sarna has received many awards during her years at Baker, including the Ollie B. Moten Award, the Community Woman of the Year award, the Certificate of Fellowship from the American College Health Association, all of which she credits to the Baker community.

“I think (hard work) is something I see a lot around here at Baker,” Sarna said. “The leadership and the emphasis to use your talents, the gifts that God has given you. I’ve been really blessed to have that opportunity to do that.”

Before coming to Baker, Sarna never thought she would stay in one place for so long. But her interest in BU students has kept her around since 1989. She said she has been thrilled to be a part of students’ lives and that she will “miss them terribly.”

Her office is a testament to the influence she’s had on the Baker community. The room is filled with various decorations, including awards, notes from students and a ball signed by the university’s football team.

Senior Gloria Atanmo commented on the Baker University Facebook home page, lending her love and support.

“You are such a ball of joy and in my 5+ (maybe more) years of being at Baker, you were actively involved in every one of them … You always had such a genuine interest and passion for students,” Atanmo said, in her comment to Sarna. “… Baker will have a hard time replacing the ground of greatness you stood on.”

This interest and passion Atanmo refers to has been noticed by the many in the community. Sarna is a familiar face at Baker functions, from theater productions to sporting events. She said she doesn’t know what the referees will do without her. She has even given pep talks to the football team, with the motto, “It doesn’t matter if you lose, only if you get back up.”

“Nurse Ruth comes to almost all of our home games,” Baker women’s basketball player Taylor Chase said. “She is always yelling at the referees and cheering us on. You can tell she loves her job and really cares about all of us.”

One student referred to Sarna as “our most passionate cheerleader and most caring nurse.”

“There are some really big shoes to fill,” Sherri Pahcoddy, coordinator of student health and counseling, said. “It’s not just the medical side, it’s being active in the students’ activities. It’s everything that Nurse Ruth does. It’s more than just getting kids well again, it’s becoming a part of their lives, too.”

Sarna has touched the lives of more than 15,000 students in her time at Baker, with almost 66,000 student visits. While her retirement gives her a chance to focus on her ever-expanding family, which includes 14 grandchildren, Sarna knows that students won’t have much time to miss her before they see her again.

As she goes from 797 “grandchildren” to just 14, Sarna hopes to take what she has learned in her time at Baker with her on her next adventure.

“I’ve learned to always look at the whole person, not just what you’re dealing with, the whole body, mind and spirit,” Sarna said. “I always want to know what else is impacting these students’ lives as they walk through the door. And how much what is happening in their lives impacts what is happening in their bodies.”

Many students have commented on the coincidental timing of the retirements of Sarna, University Minister Ira DeSpain and University President Pat Long, but Sarna promises it wasn’t planned. Although, she did admit that Long told her “let’s go out in a blaze of glory.”

Students and faculty alike have expressed their disappointment in losing an important figurehead of the university, but Chase and many others wish Sarna love and luck in the rest of her time.

“Baker is losing someone that everyone loves and respects,” Chase said. “She is just really sweet and kind-hearted. It’s going to be hard, maybe even impossible, to replace her.”