A Life Committed to Peace, Justice, and Global Understanding

AU mourns the tragic loss of SIS alumna Sarah Lynn Milgrim, MA ’23, whose life was taken in an act of antisemitic violence in Washington, DC on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. 

Sarah was a remarkable young scholar, peacebuilder, and deeply engaged global citizen. Her passion for environmental justice, conflict resolution, and cross-cultural understanding left a lasting mark on all who knew her. She earned dual Master of Arts degrees in International Affairs: Natural Resources and Sustainable Development from the University for Peace in Costa Rica and American University’s School of International Service. 

As the recipient of the Mehdi Heravi Internship Award in 2022, Sarah traveled to Israel to work with Tech2Peace, an organization that brings Israelis and Palestinians together for dialogue and high-tech training. Her research, interviews, and commitment to peace in the face of violence demonstrated the clarity of her vision and the depth of her courage.

To honor Sarah’s life and legacy, the School of International Service invites contributions to establish the Sarah Milgrim Memorial Fund for Graduate Student Support. 

Ensuring that her commitment to justice, and vision for building a better, more peaceful world lives on  through the work of future students, this fund will provide support to SIS graduate students whose academic and professional pursuits reflect Sarah’s deep commitment to peacebuilding, environmental sustainability, and global justice.

The Sarah Milgrim Memorial Fund will offer flexible support to SIS graduate students working at the intersection of environment, peace, conflict resolution, and related fields. Whether through scholarships that reduce financial barriers to advanced study or internship awards that enable students to take on meaningful, underfunded opportunities, this fund will carry forward Sarah’s legacy of service, inquiry, and impact.

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