11/11/2025
Staff Spotlight: Sarah Todd, a communication manager at MSK, was born in Modesto and grew up in Los Angeles. Following the footsteps of her grandfathers — one a Marine and the other in the Navy — Sarah enlisted in 2005 after graduating high school. The decision was part tradition, part opportunity. “I liked the idea of continuing the family legacy, and it would also help me pay for college, so that was my biggest motivation,” she says.
Training at Parris Island, South Carolina, was her first introduction to the intensity and camaraderie of military life. From there, she was deployed twice as part of a Marine Expeditionary Unit, traveling by naval ship to Hawaii, Singapore, Australia, and across the Middle East. “It was like an ocean cruise with purpose,” she jokes. “But it also meant being ready for anything, anywhere.”
As part of the Motor Transport Division, Sarah operated military vehicles and ran convoys that supplied troops across Iraq, Syria, and Jordan.
After completing her service in 2009, Sarah earned her bachelor’s degree in English and joined MSK in 2014. Today, she helps employees navigate benefits and resources — work she finds deeply rewarding. “Benefits can feel overwhelming,” she says. “If I can make them clearer and help people feel supported, that’s one less thing to worry about.”
Reflecting on her service, Sarah notes the Marines taught her that true leaders invest in their people, listen, and meet them where they are — values she continues to see and uphold at MSK.
When asked what being a veteran means to her, Sarah says: “It means carrying forward the lessons, the bonds, and the responsibility to look out for others. Especially other veterans. We all share something that stays with us for life.”
