Sarah Vicente (she/her) is a Project Manager for the San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative and Co-Director of the Advancing Health Literacy Program. Originally from North Carolina, Sarah joined Teach for America in Baltimore after graduating from college. As a teacher, she saw firsthand the impact of the social determinants on education and health. Her experiences in the classroom drove her to a career in public health and continue to drive her desire to help all people, especially kids, live healthy lives.
Previously, Sarah worked in the Health and Wellness Division within the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education. There she developed and field-tested the country’s first statewide standards-based health education assessment in accordance with the landmark Healthy Schools Act. Additionally, she was responsible for implementing technical assistance and professional development for educators across the city. All of her work focused on ensuring that students were given the tools and resources needed to live healthy lives.
Sarah has also served as an adjunct public health instructor for undergraduate students, Director of Health Operations for a technology-driven worksite wellness firm, and biomedical editor for the National Cancer Institute. She has consulted with numerous non-profit organizations to develop health and education programming for populations from elementary-aged students to graduate-level professors.
Since moving to San Diego, Sarah has become involved in the local community as a member of the San Diego Unified School District’s Wellness Committee and as a Certified Personal Trainer and fitness instructor through the YMCA.
Sarah is a Certified Health Education Specialist and earned her MPH with a focus in Health Promotion from the George Washington University in Washington, DC. She also holds a Master of Arts in Teaching, Secondary Science Education from the Johns Hopkins University and a B.S. in Chemistry from the College of William and Mary.
Sarah joined the Center for Community Health in 2021.