Sarah England
What makes Sarah Wildly Capable?
Sarah approaches her life, relationships, and work with thoughtfulness and care and devotes herself fully to everything she does. She has overcome many things in her life and continues to be committed to growth and authenticity. Her dedication to finding ways to serve our community is remarkable. She’s exactly the kind of person anyone would want as a friend and community member. COLLEEN HOWE
What makes you feel proud?
I am very proud of the life I have built for myself. The hard choices I made to give myself peace, safety, and a life worth living. The ways I have remained soft in a world and state that relentlessly try to harden us. The ways that I show up for my friends, my family, and my communities. The work I do at Sunbeam Family Services to build brighter futures with all children and families alongside some of OKC’s most talented, caring, and funny nonprofit professionals. What makes me exceptional is my resilience and compassion and that I try my damnedest to not take life too seriously.
What’s been the biggest obstacle in your life so far?
The biggest obstacle in my life was finding and sustaining the courage to face my past so that I can heal and also be a place of healing for others. I am walking around with significant childhood trauma that permeates its way into a lot of my life and how I function. In recent years, instead of hiding these parts of myself, I have decided to speak more openly about where I am with it and the way my trauma impacts how I show up in the world. I want to treat everyone as if they are having one of the worst days of their life – because who am I to say they aren’t?
What keeps you up at night?
My past and the world around me. I am a pretty good sleeper, but I struggle with the falling asleep part. When the world is most quiet my brain can kick into a warp speed replaying traumatizing experiences from my childhood or devastating news from recent headlines. Having a nighttime routine helps. Listening to binaural beats and theta waves helps. I also still sleep in on the weekends!
What’s the single biggest problem you’d like to solve in your community?
Oh man, as a nonprofit data nerd, I want to solve all of the problems! But the biggest for me is the lack of high-quality early education and family support, especially for families living in poverty. Did you know that 90 percent of a child’s brain is developed by the time that they enter kindergarten? Investing in young children and their families ensures that children can start school on a level playing field with their peers, that families are stable, and that all members of the family have the leadership and coping skills to live full and meaningful lives.
