NBTHSMUNC VII Keynote Speaker:
Sarah Coykendall
About
Sarah Coykendall (she/her/hers) is the Managing Assistant Director of Education and Outreach at the Holocaust Resource Center and the Human Rights Institute. She holds an M.A. in Holocaust and Genocide Studies (2018) from Kean University, where she also teaches undergraduate courses on the Holocaust, civil rights, human rights, and justice. She earned her B.S. in History and B.A. in Anthropology (2015) from SUNY Oneonta. Sarah’s previous academic and professional experiences include attending the Leo Baeck Summer University for Jewish Studies at Humboldt-Universität in Berlin and studying German at the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg. She interned at the Holocaust Museum and Center for Tolerance and Education in Suffern, NY, and worked as Assistant to the Director of the Jewish Studies Program at Kean University.
Her research explores the Holocaust through the lens of third generation (3G) Holocaust survivors and American Jewish millennial identity. A leading educator in Holocaust studies, antisemitism, human rights, and inclusion, Sarah facilitates professional development workshops for teachers, students, and community members, and frequently presents at regional and international conferences.
Sarah is a 2019 recipient of the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association Top 30 Under 30 Award and was named a 2022 Alfred Lerner Fellow by the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous (JFR). She participated in the 2023, 2025, and JFR Advanced Seminars and the 2023 JFR European Study Program. In 2024, she was invited to join the Educators in Jewish College Campus Program at Yad Vashem’s International School for Holocaust Studies. She is currently a Rethinking Holocaust Education Fellow with The Ghetto Fighters' House for the 2025–2026 academic year.
In addition to her educational work, Sarah is actively engaged in university initiatives. She serves as Goal Leader for the Engagement Subcommittee of the Sustainability Task Force, Advisor to the Interfaith Council, Content Area Subcommittee Lead for the Task Force on Advising, and Secretary of the NTLC Committee.
NBTHSMUNC is incredibly excited and honored to welcome Ms. Coydell to our conference. We are thrilled to have her share her insights and inspire our delegates as we come together for a day of debate, collaboration, and diplomacy.