About Sarah
On the day of the Sandy Hook shooting, Sarah held her child on her lap and tried to answer his questions. She quickly realized the most important thing she could tell her child was, “I am going to make things better.”
This launched Sarah into founding what became the Oregon chapter of Moms Demand Action. It was the start of her activism and political involvement. She continues her efforts to reduce gun violence as a board member of the Oregon Alliance for Gun Safety. As an activist, Sarah has volunteered for campaigns to elect Democrats who will stand up for Oregonians. She has testified at hearings in Salem and advocated to lawmakers in Salem and Washington, DC. She quickly learned that having the right people in office is key to getting changes made and laws passed.
Facing challenges in getting support for her child with learning differences made it clear to Sarah that many systems that should create possibilities for Oregon children and families are riddled with barriers. As a firm believer in the critical role that high-quality public education can play in building exciting futures for our kids, service on the Corvallis School Board was an obvious step for Sarah to take. She sees this role as a step in making things better and removing barriers for Oregon’s children and families.
Sarah is a precinct committee person and neighborhood leader for the Benton County Democrats. In her professional life, Sarah is an academic advisor serving mostly non-traditional students who face the challenges of paying for college and balancing school with working and raising families. Sarah’s strength in this work is connecting students with the tools they need to drive their own progress.
Although she works with students rather than doing research, Sarah’s background is in science. She holds a PhD in Horticulture from Oregon State. Being a scientist influences her approach to problem-solving. McDonald shared, “I want to understand the system that has created a problem or barrier. I want to talk to people with the knowledge and experience needed to understand a problem. I want data and evidence when I am making decisions and developing solutions. This is how my training as a scientist drives my work and it is how I will approach working in Salem for District 16.”
