.svg)
#TheOG50: The one with Sarah Sooklal
"We're not just building events. We're building belonging."
—Sarah Sooklal, Director of Community Engagement, Cannon School
At Cannon School, Sarah Sooklal does more than plan events. She builds bridges. As the Director of Community Engagement, Sarah’s work spans alumni relations, parent engagement, volunteer coordination, and community programming - all wrapped in a passion for creating spaces where everyone feels seen and valued.
With a relatively small but mighty advancement team and a young alumni base just crossing the 2,000 mark, Sarah brings energy and empathy to every part of her work, embodying what community-building truly means in a school setting.
Rekindling relationships with the earliest champions
One of Sarah’s proudest accomplishments is reconnecting with Cannon’s earliest alumni; the foundational classes who helped shape the school’s identity.
“I never want them to feel forgotten. Their support is what got us here.”
Through intentional outreach and genuine relationship-building, Sarah has made these alumni feel seen, valued, and most importantly, part of the current story. It’s not just stewardship; it’s restoration.
Expanding the circle through parent engagement
With shifts in family dynamics and time availability, parent engagement has evolved. Sarah is leading the charge in redefining what that looks like - coordinating volunteer opportunities, reimagining participation, and making sure all parents, regardless of how much time they can give, feel part of the school community.
“We’re asking how we can bring people back into the fold—not just for their time or their money, but for their heart.”
Building systems that support the whole school
Sarah doesn’t view engagement in a silo. To her, stronger alumni and parent involvement directly enhances the student experience, and that ripple effect fuels her motivation daily.
“When our alumni or parents are more involved, our teachers are better supported. Our students are better supported. It’s all connected.”
From supporting teachers to creating confidence for incoming families, Sarah’s work is rooted in building a community ecosystem that nurtures everyone.
What’s next for Sarah and Cannon School?
Looking forward, Sarah is focused on deepening parent engagement - especially as two-parent working households and post-COVID realities shift how families interact with schools. Her vision is to make involvement more accessible, flexible, and rewarding.
And while technology (including AI) plays a supporting role in her work, Sarah is clear on one thing: human connection is irreplaceable.
“AI is a great tool, but it can’t replace remembering something personal or writing a thank-you note.”
Inspired by Sarah’s story?
Connect with her on LinkedIn and don’t forget to nominate the next advancement trailblazer for the #TheOG50!
"We're not just building events. We're building belonging."
—Sarah Sooklal, Director of Community Engagement, Cannon School
At Cannon School, Sarah Sooklal does more than plan events. She builds bridges. As the Director of Community Engagement, Sarah’s work spans alumni relations, parent engagement, volunteer coordination, and community programming - all wrapped in a passion for creating spaces where everyone feels seen and valued.
With a relatively small but mighty advancement team and a young alumni base just crossing the 2,000 mark, Sarah brings energy and empathy to every part of her work, embodying what community-building truly means in a school setting.
Rekindling relationships with the earliest champions
One of Sarah’s proudest accomplishments is reconnecting with Cannon’s earliest alumni; the foundational classes who helped shape the school’s identity.
“I never want them to feel forgotten. Their support is what got us here.”
Through intentional outreach and genuine relationship-building, Sarah has made these alumni feel seen, valued, and most importantly, part of the current story. It’s not just stewardship; it’s restoration.
Expanding the circle through parent engagement
With shifts in family dynamics and time availability, parent engagement has evolved. Sarah is leading the charge in redefining what that looks like - coordinating volunteer opportunities, reimagining participation, and making sure all parents, regardless of how much time they can give, feel part of the school community.
“We’re asking how we can bring people back into the fold—not just for their time or their money, but for their heart.”
Building systems that support the whole school
Sarah doesn’t view engagement in a silo. To her, stronger alumni and parent involvement directly enhances the student experience, and that ripple effect fuels her motivation daily.
“When our alumni or parents are more involved, our teachers are better supported. Our students are better supported. It’s all connected.”
From supporting teachers to creating confidence for incoming families, Sarah’s work is rooted in building a community ecosystem that nurtures everyone.
What’s next for Sarah and Cannon School?
Looking forward, Sarah is focused on deepening parent engagement - especially as two-parent working households and post-COVID realities shift how families interact with schools. Her vision is to make involvement more accessible, flexible, and rewarding.
And while technology (including AI) plays a supporting role in her work, Sarah is clear on one thing: human connection is irreplaceable.
“AI is a great tool, but it can’t replace remembering something personal or writing a thank-you note.”
Inspired by Sarah’s story?
Connect with her on LinkedIn and don’t forget to nominate the next advancement trailblazer for the #TheOG50!
Blackbaud, the leading provider of software for powering social impact, and Almabase, the digital-first alumni engagement solution, have announced the expansion of their partnership to the education sectors of Canada and the United Kingdom. The partnership will provide institutions with a modern, digital-first solution to improve constituent data, drive self-serve engagement, and boost event participation.
A Unified Vision
The partnership aligns with Blackbaud’s commitment to customer-centric innovation across digital engagement, Advancement CRM, and financials.
“Partners bring integrated capabilities that extend capabilities and outcomes for Blackbaud customers. We are thrilled that Almabase’s offering, integrated with Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT® and leveraging Blackbaud’s best-in-class payment solution, Blackbaud Merchant Services™, is now available to even more of our customers around the world.”
- Liz Price, Sr. Director of Global Partners at Blackbaud
