By Katlyn Putney (STM ’10)

In the 2014-15 yearbook, the list of activities under Sara Magno’s name almost fills the entire space allotted to her. By participating in sports, helping at Mass and retreats, excelling in biomedical sciences, and doing even more than could possibly be remembered or listed in a yearbook, Magno made the most of her time at STM.

Magno’s favorite memory from her time at STM also happened to be a history-making moment for the Cavaliers. She was a senior captain on the 2015 girls’ soccer team that won the first regional championship in the program’s history.

“We had a great team and a great group of young women,” she recalled. That season, Magno was named First-Team All-Conference by the Metro Classic Conference and earned All-Conference Defensive Player of the Year. “I’m still very proud of what we accomplished.”

Soccer is still a big part of Magno’s life. She played Division 1 and Division 2 in college and now plays for the Fayetteville Fury, a professional indoor team in the NISL.

Magno attended Youngstown State University, then St. Cloud State University, where she graduated with a degree in biomedical sciences. While attending St. Cloud State, she was commissioned as a Medical Service Corps Officer in the United States Army. She currently serves in the 82nd Airborne Division, where she spends her days training with her platoon of combat medics and “jumping out of perfectly good airplanes.”

Rather than returning home after college, Magno felt the desire to do more and try something new.

“I wanted to go to new places and meet new people. I knew that to grow into the person I wanted to be, I had to get out of my comfort zone in a major way.”

She continued chasing her dream of being in the medical field, commissioning into the Medical Service Corps in 2020.

“I can’t recommend the PLTW program enough. Both the engineering and biomedical sciences programs had wonderful teachers who genuinely cared about their students’ success. They definitely helped me create study habits I used in college and beyond.”

Soccer, biomedical science courses, and leaving her comfort zone were all part of her life at STM and have all made a difference in her life today.

“STM helped me achieve my goals by shaping me into a well-rounded individual. I think so often as a teen, we get wrapped up in one aspect of our personality, whether it be athletics, academics, music, theater, etc. STM’s small school atmosphere gave me the opportunity to try different things and branch out from what I was comfortable with. Because of the opportunities I was given at STM, I am a more multifaceted individual.”