Amazing Alumni: Sadie Lackey

For Sadie Lackey, graduating college during a global pandemic was never part of the plan. Nor was being diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma nearly three years later at age 25.

Lackey’s cancer diagnosis meant shifting her goals into strategic career decisions based on her health — all while maintaining her passion for agricultural policy.

“I really love ag policy, and I love that I’m surrounded by it and get to nerd out and learn every day, but it’s also important to look at your career holistically,” Lackey said. “It’s important to look at what matters to you and realize that success and happiness can’t just come from one source. Yes, I want to work in ag policy, but I also want to consider the other goals in my life and all the other callings while also my managing health and wellness.”

“I really love ag policy, and I love that I’m surrounded by it and get to nerd out and learn every day, but it’s also important to look at your career holistically,” said Lackey. “It’s important to look at what matters to you and realize that success and happiness can’t just come from one source.”

From Capitol Hill to cancer advocacy

This holistic approach led to Lackey’s proudest accomplishment: launching the 118 Foundation, a nonprofit committed to helping young people, ages 18 to 39, make their comeback from cancer by providing financial assistance and support.

“Launching a nonprofit is such a labor of love; I feel like I’m a pseudo lawyer, accountant, communications manager, CEO and spokesperson all wrapped up in one sometimes — and then I also have a day job.”

That day job took Lackey from Athens, Georgia, to the heart of Washington D.C. After roles with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, she landed a role with the National Corn Growers Association.

“I enjoyed my time on Capitol Hill, but when I was diagnosed, I had to evaluate what I really wanted out of my career because it took up so much of my time and energy,” Lackey said. “In my role with the National Corn Growers Association, I get to work for farmers, which is the best part of my job. I primarily focus on our political and grassroots advocacy strategy, which requires me to have my hands in a few different pots — so it is a lot of fun.”

A man in a suit and a woman in a black-and-white dress stand on the steps of a government building, with the U.S. Capitol in the background.

Lackey on Capitol Hill with U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl.

A smiling man in a red jacket and a smiling woman in a light sweater and headscarf stand together outside.

Lackey with her husband, Brandon, who was her caretaker during cancer treatment.

A person in a sparkly dress speaks into a microphone, holding a paper while pointing, with a tote bag on their other arm.

Lackey addresses her plans for the 118 Foundation during the organization's launch party on Jan. 18 of this year.

Embracing the history, pride and reputation of CAES

Many of the lessons Lackey leans on daily for her role with the National Corn Growers Association — and her foundation — were learned in classrooms within the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication (ALEC) at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES).

Inspired by ALEC graduates who had become teachers, lawyers and policy makers, Lackey took full advantage of the flexibility of the program.

“The opportunity in CAES to mold the ALEC program to best fit my needs was appealing. It’s such a flexible program and it’s really one where you can adapt it to what you’re interested in,” said Lackey, who earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communication. “There are so many things you can do with this degree; I used it to really focus on ag policy and politics.”

Outside the classroom, Lackey dove into as many CAES extracurriculars as she could pack into her schedule. She helped with Block and Bridle, an animal science club promoting a higher scholastic standard and more complete understanding of animal science among its student members. Serving as an officer for Agriculture Communicators of Tomorrow fit her focus well, but Lackey also expanded beyond communications by participating on the Livestock Judging Team and taking animal science classes.

“I stretched out to make sure I could take in as much of the really cool research and development that was going on even outside of my department — I absorbed as much as I could from CAES,” Lackey said. “I knew that I would only be there for a few years, and I knew I wanted to soak in as much of the history, pride, reputation and alumni connections as I could.”

While Lackey urges CAES students to soak in as much as they can from their experiences, she has a slightly different message for recent graduates: slow down.

Leading up to her 2020 graduation, Lackey spent countless hours on her laptop, applying for dozens of jobs. She eventually did secure a role in Washington D.C., but then realized that she was something of an anomaly — many graduates don’t have a job for six or seven months after walking across the stage.

“I would probably go back and tell myself to relax a bit more and be where my feet are,” she said. “You don’t have to be a 40-year-old chief of staff to a congressman yet; you can just be a 22-year-old trying to figure it out.”

Supporting farmers and cancer survivors

By all accounts, Lackey has figured it out. Her motto, whether in her work at the National Corn Growers Association or the 118 Foundation, boils down to two words: confidence and community.

She thrives on helping farmers feel confident in being leaders and advocates for their industry just as much as she’s passionate about helping young people feel confident that they can take their cancer treatment head on, no matter their prognosis.

Often, that confidence building is paired with community building, from leadership academies for producers to a launch party for her foundation. Before that event early in 2024, she had to beg the venue to increase capacity because more than 100 donors, volunteers and supporters wanted to attend.

“I’ve never seen her back down from any challenge she’s faced,” said Abigail Borron, associate professor in ALEC and 118 Foundation board member. “Whether it be a career-, personal- or faith-driven, Sadie has always been a go-getter in a very humble manner. She has always impressed me.”

Lackey and her team at the 118 Foundation have raised more than $45,000 since the organization’s January launch and have provided financial assistance grants to seven young adults from four states.

Regardless of whether she’s in a farm field or a board room, Lackey says she strives to play her hand however she wants, no matter how it was dealt.

“Once you examine what you truly want to accomplish, it's surprising how you can find time to make it all happen while still taking care of yourself and your family,” Lackey said. “It's incredible what you can do when you strike a balance.”

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