Academy News

An accomplished academic, Sarah Sahagian holds a master’s degree in Gender Studies from The London School of Economics, where she was the recipient of the LSE Merit Scholarship, the most prestigious academic scholarship awarded to the school’s incoming graduate students. 

While in high school, Sarah won the Impromptu Speaking Category at the International Independent Schools’ Public Speaking Championship. She also competed at the World Individual Public Speaking and Debate Championship three times, placing second overall in 2004.

Sarah’s work teaching debating and public speaking began when she volunteered through the Queen’s Debating Union’s outreach program, which provided debate training to local Kingston, Ontario Students. Sarah has also coached public speaking and debating at Branksome Hall in downtown Toronto and through the Debate Mate Program in London, England. 

Students coached by Sarah have received such prestigious honours as winning the Ontario Provincial Debating Championship, taking home Fuflord Debate League titles, and placing in the top ten overall speakers at prestigious national debate and public speaking tournaments. Sarah has coached eight students who qualified to represent Canada at the World Individual Public Speaking and Debating Championship, three of whom placed in the top 15 speakers. Other students of hers have won the Toronto Regional Debating Championships, placed in the top three at the English Speakers’ Union Competition, and came first in the bilingual debating category at Ontario’s Provincial Debating Championship.

Over the course of her career, Sarah is delighted to say she has coached multiple students who qualified to represent Canada at the World Schools Debating Championship, a distinction that goes only to the country’s most brilliant debaters.  

Another passion of Sarah’s is preparatory school and university admissions counseling. She became fascinated by the world of independent school and elite university admissions when she worked as a journalist researching those subjects. Sarah is now proud to say she has helped several students gain admission to their dream high school preparatory schools and top US colleges. She loves helping families identify the best possible environment for their children and creating a plan to maximize the odds of acceptance.   

As a writer, Sarah’s byline has appeared in such outlets as The Washington Post, The Toronto Star, The National Post, Elle Canada, and The Huffington Post.