Sarah is passionate about creating bridges between cultures and individuals. Prior to her graduate work in international relations and Japanese, she spent more than a decade teaching and volunteering overseas, including eight years teaching English and American studies at a small women’s college in Japan and two+ years with NGOs in Bangladesh, Russia, Mongolia, and Haiti. She has also worked for the UN World Food Programme, Google Japan, and the Japan Science and Technology Agency.
Following a debilitating bike-car accident, Sarah turned to entrepreneurship, converting her basement into a three-room Airbnb hotel which has been recognized as a top place to stay in Bethesda. She also put her Toastmasters experience to use by helping foreign journalists and other non-native speaking professionals with their English communication and presentation skills.
In addition to JSIE, Sarah serves as co-chair of the SAIS Women’s Alumni Network (SWAN) DC Social committee and is a volunteer crisis counselor.
Sarah earned her A.B. in biological sciences from Cornell University and studied Japanese at Middlebury College Summer Language Institute, the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and Sheffield University. She is presently studying acting at Studio Theater Conservatory and voice and violin at Levine School of Music.