Why I Went to College in Greater Daytona, and Stayed

Nathan Lambrecht

Sarah Hancock grew up in Orlando, expecting to attend Rollins College in Winter Park with her high school friends, but her plans changed as graduation came closer, and she turned her sights to her father’s alma mater, Stetson University in DeLand, FL. 

“I remember visiting Stetson when I was younger, going to the festivals and other events in town,” she says. “We did a tour, and I really loved it.” 

Hancock graduated with a degree in family enterprise and finance. After college, she worked in the corporate sector as an accountant but realized the 9-to-5 life wasn’t for her. The Blind Pig, a longstanding DeLand restaurant, was looking for a new owner, and Hancock decided to take the leap, purchasing the historic building and business. 

Even though she didn’t have restaurant experience, The Blind Pig was an already-established local staple, so Hancock was able to take the reins. Since then, its success has only grown. Hancock, who is recently engaged, is putting down permanent roots in the area. In 2023, she was the Volusia-Flagler Private-Sector Young Professional of the Year at a 40 Under 40 awards gala. She details why Volusia County is the ideal place to call home. 

What was it like going from the corporate world to opening a restaurant and bar in DeLand? 
I met my fiancé at Stetson, and I stayed the summer after graduation and got my first job, where I worked for a couple of years in accounting and internal auditing, which I loved because I was using my degree. Eventually, I realized the corporate lifestyle wasn’t really for me, and my fiancé graduated the year after me, so almost two years to the day that I started my first job, we bought the bar. I put all my effort in there doing all of the accounting, social media, booking, hiring, scheduling and bartending. I went full-fledged into the deep end of the business. 

What are some of the ways that the university prepares students for life after college? 
Stetson’s career center was great. It offers a lot of things like resume prepping and mock interviews, which feel silly when you’re doing it, but then when you’re putting it into practice, you’re able to draw on the knowledge you’ve built. 

When I started my job, there were a lot of alumni who worked there, and there were people who were a part of my business fraternity, including my bosses. We ended up knowing a lot of the same people, so I found that helped with my transition from college to the career world. They kind of trusted me, knowing that I went to the same school they did and had the same quality of education. 

How did you start making connections in the community? 
At our fifth anniversary of owning The Blind Pig, I decided to join the chamber, get more involved and start attending events. Over the past few years, I’ve been involved with the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce and the DeLand Area Chamber of Commerce, and being a part of them really opened my eyes. 

The DeLand Area Chamber has a leadership program, where I met a lot of local leaders, and I found it really intriguing. From there, I joined a Rotary Club that helped me level up. We are a Rotary that people usually identify with college clubs; we’re a group of young professionals who volunteer in the area, and we network with about six Rotary clubs. We’re very involved in the community, and that has been life changing. We have about 30 members now and have been a part of each other’s weddings. That has been meaningful in making personal relationships in the community. 

I’m on the board of the Childhood Cancer Foundation, and starting this year, I’m on the board for the DeLand’s Fall Festival of the Arts in November, so it’s been exciting to continue to meet new people. 

Volusia Young Professionals is amazing, too. I’ve made lifelong friends that I’ve done business with and have been able to form mutually beneficial relationships with.