DanceBlue is the largest student-run philanthropic organization at the University of Kentucky. As a result, it’s no surprise that the Overall Chair of such an organization would live a very busy life. Sally Martin is extremely hard-working and dedicated to her position. However, many do not know what she does on a daily basis. On Thursday, November 7, I followed Sally around to see a glimpse of what the daily life of the Overall Chair of DanceBlue looks like.
Sally’s day began at 8:30am, when she woke up, got ready, picked up Great Bagel, and drove to campus, where her first class was canceled. After that, this was her day:
10:00 am – Interviewed with me for this blog post
10:40 – Worked with Clark, the Corporate Relations Chair, to sort through the database of donations from last year to find amounts of specific Corporate donations to compare to this year
11:00 – Met with the DanceBlue Advisor, Ely Medina, to update her on upcoming Committee dates, get her advice on an e-mail, and chat
11:18 – Checked the to-do list for the day, which was a very long one
11:20 – Checked her email (6 already from last night) and answered the pressing ones
11:30 – Went to the Office of University Events (where she used to work) to give their staff some popcorn, and also talked to Drew Elisabeth Ard about the grad programs she is applying to
11:55 – Ran into some staff she works with from the Office of Philanthropy and the Alumni Association while they were in the Student Center taking headshots. They talked about upcoming DanceBlue dates and reminded her about a luncheon that she, Clark, Maxine, and Rebika are going to tomorrow with them downtown.
11:58 – Checked on her group’s online lab they are running for a class game in supply chain operations.
12:10 pm – Walked to class in Gatton, set stuff down in class, and talked about group projects
1:28 – Emailed Committee about meeting tonight after making a meme to include in the email
1:40 – Class ended and they walked as a group to their next class. All her classes today are for the Social Enterprise Honors Pathway so she’s been in class with these same students since freshman year.
2:38 – Verified the list of people going to Blue Tie Gala to the Ticket Office for our comp’d tickets
2:40 – Received a text about an exciting opportunity for DanceBlue with UK Athletics
2:45 – Left class and called Christina, the Marketing Chair, to talk about the big news and how it will play out on social media
2:55 – Arrived in the office, hung out with some Moralers, talked to me, wrote on the calendar, sent out Blue Tie Gala tickets, and wrote a thank-you note
3:50 – Made her slides for Committee meeting
4:30 – Ate Chick-Fil-A while watching New Girl and scrolling through Twitter
5:00 – Talked to Rebika, the Fundraising Chair, about the Office of Philanthropy
5:08 – Rebika talked to her and Allie, the Mini Marathons Chair, about the website where donations are tracked
5:15 – Talked with Allie about how they can be more involved with the encouragement of Minis
5:20 – Shared the DanceBlue date reveal post on FB, then drove with Audrey, the Technology Chair, to JSB for meeting
5:45 – Talked with the Blood Drive ladies about the plans for the upcoming weeks and what they will be talking about during meeting
6:00 – Committee Meeting!
6:40 – Vice talked about plans for Canning and their bonding night next week
6:50 – Drove Rebika and Katrina home, then went to Target just to have some time to herself
7:05 – Sent Committee meeting notes email
7:45 – Got home and watched Twilight with her roommates, while eating pie
8:30 – Wrote her speech for the Blue Tie Gala tomorrow while watching the movie
8:45 – Started to write a letter to a business about donating to DanceBlue so she could have a rough outline whenever she finishes it over the weekend
10:00 – Set out clothes for tomorrow (she has 3 different things to do, all with different outfits)
10:30 – Kat Speece called and needed a study break, so they went to McDonald’s for a cheap ice cream cone
11:00pm – Did her nails for the Blue Tie Gala
Needless to say, Sally lives a very busy life as the Overall Chair of DanceBlue, while simultaneously being an Honors student and making time for her friends. Although some days are easier than others, she consistently brings the same energy and positivity to each day. “Even though she has so much on her plate, she shows up to every meeting smiling and excited to be there,” said Programming Committee member Susanna Goggans.
Sally keeps this attitude by setting boundaries on when to work on DanceBlue tasks, taking Mario Kart breaks, and looking 
forward to fun events with friends and families. In addition, she also has an amazing team of Chairs, Coordinators, and Committee members behind her that help make her job easier. She said, “Yes, I do a lot in facilitating and assisting others in their roles, but it really is a team effort. Everyone else deserves complete praise for what they do for their own positions and everything else they contribute to the overall functioning of DanceBlue.”
Marketing Chair, Christina Stephens, expanded on the dynamics between Sally and the rest of the Chair team saying, “In the same way she is constantly supporting us, she is also constantly pushing us to be the best that we can be, because ultimately that is what DanceBlue and the kids deserve from us, our very best.” Furthermore, she also said that Sally doesn’t shy away from asking hard questions, keeping them on track with deadlines, and, most importantly, reminding them to keep the kids at the center of their minds in everything they do. “That’s why I think she is the perfect fit for Overall Chair. She never lets us forget the ‘why’ behind DanceBlue,” said Stephens.
