Staff of the Year Spotlight: Rachel Saporito’s Journey at Westcliff
Every institution has a heartbeat; at Westcliff University, it lives in the people who keep the wheels turning while creating an environment where others can thrive. In 2025, no one reflected that spirit more than Rachel Saporito, marketing operations manager and recipient of Westcliff’s Staff of the Year award.
Known for her collaborative spirit and approachable personality, Saporito is the colleague others naturally turn to. Within the marketing department, she serves as a project manager who keeps initiatives moving, coordinates stakeholder requests, and ensures no detail is overlooked. Her mix of strategy and execution has made her the steady hand guiding the university’s campaigns from concept to completion.
It is this reliability that earned her the prestigious Staff of the Year award, an honor voted on by her fellow peers.
“Honestly, it kind of came as a shock to me,” Saporito said. “The fact that I was nominated by other staff members really means a lot. I feel like sometimes marketing is in the shadows, but being shown this award, especially since I’ve been at Westcliff for more than five years now, means everything.”
This year’s award follows her nomination for Most Collaborative and builds on her Staff of the Year nomination from 2024.
By joining an elite group of past honorees, Saporito proves how far determination and a willingness to embrace challenge can take a career. From her early beginnings to her crucial role today, every step of Saporito’s journey has shaped the professional recognized with this year’s highest staff honor.
Leveling Up 
Saporito’s rise at Westcliff began in 2019 when she joined the university as a marketing coordinator. A native of the Bay Area, she moved south to Long Beach to study graphic design at California State University, Long Beach, entering the creative and content world that would later define her career.
After excelling in her first role, she moved into the position of social media manager, where she helped bring Westcliff’s digital presence to life. Through eye-catching campaigns and daily engagement with the university’s online community, she proved she could shape how Westcliff presented itself to the world.
Saporito’s path did not stop there. With each promotion came greater responsibility, and eventually she stepped into her current role as marketing operations manager. The position called for both precision and creativity, qualities she had been building since her earliest days at Westcliff.
“Personally, I feel like it really shows my growth here at Westcliff,” Saporito said. “I feel like I’ve really been able to step up my game as well as step up my role on the team. It also showcases that my work is very noticed.”
The results spoke for themselves. Throughout 2025, the marketing team has averaged more than 100 project requests and 400 task subitems completed each month. Nearly 90 percent of those requests were finished on time or ahead of schedule, marking a dramatic increase from the previous year. These results highlight the department’s operational success under Saporito’s leadership, with her coordination serving as the driving force behind its progress. It is this impact — felt across the university — that played a defining role in her recognition as Staff of the Year.
“Even if you feel like you’re not being seen, you definitely are,” Saporito said. “It always comes back to the work that you do. The same energy you give always comes back tenfold.”
Wearing Two Hats
What gives Saporito an edge in her role is more than her experience behind the desk – she also knows what it feels like to sit in the classroom. Having earned her MBA degree in 2024 from Westcliff, she carries the rare perspective of someone who has walked in the shoes of the very students she now serves.
That dual identity allows her to anticipate student needs, strengthen internal relations, and bring an authenticity to her work that sets her apart.
“Being able to celebrate the degree with my family as well as my Westcliff team felt like a really great accomplishment,” Saporito said. “I can now take that knowledge and say, this is what students experience on a daily basis. This is what it looks like to balance homework, or why we should avoid certain dates because that’s when assignments are due. That perspective has helped our team as a whole, giving us a fresh viewpoint and allowing us to hone in on what really matters for students.”
Saporito’s dual perspective underscores a simple truth: Westcliff thrives when students are at the center. The university’s commitment to student success is not just a value written on paper, but a principle carried out daily by staff and faculty. In many ways, Saporito embodies that principle, ensuring the work her team produces always connects back to the people it ultimately serves.
Her impact, however, extends far beyond students. As an active member of the Employee Engagement Committee, Saporito also helps create meaningful experiences for staff across the university. From planning initiatives that celebrate employee contributions, she plays a role in ensuring that Westcliff is a rewarding place to work as well as to learn.
Beyond the Desk
Rachel Saporito’s story at Westcliff is one of growth. From her early days as a marketing coordinator in 2019 to her role today as marketing operations manager, she has helped shape the way the university communicates and connects with its community.
When asked about her favorite moments at Westcliff, she points to events that brought people together.
“One of my favorite standouts was Westcliff’s 30th Anniversary celebration that we had back in 2023,” she said. “I also love the International Food and Culture Festival. It shows the community’s diversity and celebrates what makes Westcliff, Westcliff.”
Outside of Westcliff, Saporito enjoys unwinding with creative outlets like drawing, painting and reading. “I’m pretty creative, pretty artsy … anything that gets my hands moving,” she said. She’s a devoted animal lover who enjoys spending time with her two cats, Ozzy and Jazmine. And like many, she treasures time with friends and family, grounding her busy professional life with the connections that matter most.
As Westcliff celebrates Rachel Saporito as the 2025 Staff of the Year, her story serves as a reminder of the impact one person can have when passion, creativity and collaboration come together. Please join us in congratulating Saporito on this milestone.