Alumni Profile
College of the North Atlantic
Sarah Sanchez Downey
Fry Family Foundation President's Excellence in Leadership Achievement Award, 2025-26
Fry Family Foundation Leadership Achievement Award, 2023-24
Fry Family Foundation Horizons Junior Leadership Scholarship, 2005-06
Fry Family Foundation President's Excellence in Leadership Achievement Award, 2025-26
Fry Family Foundation Leadership Achievement Award, 2023-24
Fry Family Foundation Horizons Junior Leadership Scholarship, 2005-06
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Fry Family Foundation has been awarding scholarships and awards for 30 years, and Sarah Sanchez Downey is the only triple FFF Alumna! Sarah was the recipient of two FFF Awards at College of the North Atlantic - the 2026 President's Excellence in Leadership Achievement Award (Graduate) and the Leadership Achievement Award (Entrance) in 2024, The President's Award recognizes the graduating student who has best demonstrated high academic achievement, coupled with exceptional leadership ability and a strong commitment to the province through volunteerism. The Leadership Achievement Award rewards students who are making a significant positive impact in their communities and continue to deliver upon high academic standards and demonstrate leadership abilities. In 2006, Sarah received a FFF Scholarship to Memorial University - the Horizons Junior Leadership Scholarship. This award was created to invest in developing student leaders who were on the ‘horizon’. It was awarded annually to Grade Nine students who wished to develop their community involvement and leadership ability and planned to enter into post-secondary studies.
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Sarah is a recent graduate of CNA’s Medical Laboratory Technologist Program, and was named Valedictorian for the 2026 Graduation. She has begun a full-time position at the Health Sciences Centre where she works at the Transfusion Medicine and Blood Bank Lab.
Throughout her studies, she has dedicated much of her spare time to serving her community in various capacities through volunteering. Sarah served as the Charter President of the CNA Lions Club, helping host a winter food drive for CNA’s food bank, facilitating annual Stem Cell Registry drives at PPD Campus, and working to help bolster community development. Sarah may be most well known for her involvement with the Paw2Love Dog Rescue, where she has facilitated both fundraising events and meet and greet adoption events. In her time with Paw2Love, Sarah and her partner have been foster parents to 21 dogs.
“I am so grateful for the generosity of the Fry Family Foundation. At every leg of my educational journey, the Fry Family Foundation has been there to provide financial support so I may work toward my goals with a reduced financial burden. The Horizons Program empowered me with the organizational and leadership skills to allow me to feel competent to lead and serve. The program left me with a new found sense of self worth and I consider it a pivotal time in my development.
The immense generosity of the Fry Family Foundation significantly reduced my financial stress throughout school and allowed me to focus on giving back in ways I would never have had the time or energy for. Thank you.”
Sarah
2026
Throughout her studies, she has dedicated much of her spare time to serving her community in various capacities through volunteering. Sarah served as the Charter President of the CNA Lions Club, helping host a winter food drive for CNA’s food bank, facilitating annual Stem Cell Registry drives at PPD Campus, and working to help bolster community development. Sarah may be most well known for her involvement with the Paw2Love Dog Rescue, where she has facilitated both fundraising events and meet and greet adoption events. In her time with Paw2Love, Sarah and her partner have been foster parents to 21 dogs.
“I am so grateful for the generosity of the Fry Family Foundation. At every leg of my educational journey, the Fry Family Foundation has been there to provide financial support so I may work toward my goals with a reduced financial burden. The Horizons Program empowered me with the organizational and leadership skills to allow me to feel competent to lead and serve. The program left me with a new found sense of self worth and I consider it a pivotal time in my development.
The immense generosity of the Fry Family Foundation significantly reduced my financial stress throughout school and allowed me to focus on giving back in ways I would never have had the time or energy for. Thank you.”
Sarah
2026