Mrs. Sarah Degnan-Barbi, M.A.

Assistant Principal/English, Theater Director. Adjunct Professor, St. Peter's University

With over 25 years of experience in education and school administration, Sarah brings her love of literature, theater and Catholic Education to Hudson Catholic Regional High School . Having worked with students from ages 4 to ages 18 in the classroom, onstage and has a cheerleading coach, Sarah has a BA in English Literature with a concentration in Dramatic Literature and MA in Education/Supervision, and holds teaching certification on the K-5 and 9-12 levels as well as NJ Principal’s certification.

Sarah began her career in education at The Academy of Saint Aloysius, as Assistant Development Director. She then moved into teaching and administration at Immaculate Conception High School in Montclair, where she worked for nearly a decade in the English, Admission and Guidance Departments, finishing up as Director of Admissions. After spending four years at Robert Treat Academy where she ran the high school placement office and worked as a reading specialist, Sarah moved to Saint Dominic Academy in Jersey City where she was Academic Dean for 2 years and then Head of School for 5. In 2021 she joined Hudson Catholic Regional High School, her husband's alma mater, as Assistant Principal and Theater Director.

A lover of theater and musical theater, Sarah has worked as a theatrical fundraiser, Assistant Director and Director of varied productions, including Moana, Chicago, School of Rock, The King and I, Arsenic and Old Lace, Rumors, and most recently, Into the Woods and West Side Story both named Rising Star Productions by the New York Conservatory of Dramatic Arts. Students who have performed on her stage have been awarded over 70k in scholarships to performing arts schools and programs and she currently directs two mainstage productions each year at Hudson Catholic Regional High School as well as a summer production for students across all grade levels. In addtion to her work at Hudson, Sarah is a youth theater teacher at Curtain Up Studios and Alexa Teebo Vocal Studies and works with the Sprenza Theater of Jersey City as well.