Sarah was a single parent during her enrollment in New Media Design at The Rochester Institute of Technology. She graduated in 2008 and was diagnosed with breast cancer soon after. She founded Beyond Stage 4, a volunteer non profit organization that raises funds to educate, empower and support young women with metastatic breast cancer. Sarah lost her battle with cancer in June of 2015, however her spirit lives on. This fund is created in her memory to support students at RIT who are struggling with complex life issues while working towards a degree.

The Sarah Merchant Fund is currently in the fundraising phase, our goal is to raise $50,000 by the end of 2019 in order to secure endowment. By supporting this fund, you'll allow us to help future students like Sarah on an ongoing basis. Recipients of the fund will be able to use it for assistance for a wide variety of items, including tuition, books and supplies, or even childcare in order to help them focus on their studies.