ONE HUNDRED

HARLEY STORIES

ONE HUNDRED

HARLEY STORIES

Sariah Cochran ’17: Learning How to Listen, Lead, and Care

When Sariah Cochran ’17 arrived at Harley in Grade 7, she was already well acquainted with learning outside the traditional classroom. After being homeschooled and later attending Charles Finney School, Sariah was ready for a new kind of educational experience—one that felt both challenging and deeply connected. Encouraged by her older brother, Malcolm ’15, who was already attending Harley, she stepped into the Middle School during Hassan Jones’ P ’19’s (Head of Middle School, 2005-2020) tenure as Head, and quickly found her place.

From the start, Harley offered Sariah a sense of belonging. She remembers tennis with Mr. S (Raj Singaravelu, Lower School 2004-07, Middle School, 2007-present) as a highlight, and credits her English teachers with shaping how she learned to engage with literature and express herself through writing. Ms. Reader (Kirsten Allen Reader Brown ’90, P ’20, ’26, Middle School English, 1999-18, Dir. Of Enrollment, 2018-24, Upper School English, 2025-present) made Middle School English a space she genuinely loved, while Pat Malone P ’20’s (Upper School English, 2009-2023) classes pushed her to grow as a writer and critical thinker.

After Harley, Sariah went to Swarthmore College where she pursued a dual major in psychology and Spanish. The combination reflected her growing interest in understanding people—how they think, how they communicate, and how culture and language shape experience. After graduating, Sariah gravitated toward work that placed children and families at the center. She has worn many hats: intervention teacher, math tutor, environmental educator, and registered behavior technician, each role deepening her commitment to child development and social-emotional learning.

Now based in Philadelphia, Sariah works as a Social Emotional Learning Coach with the Public Health Management Corporation. She conducts onsite visits with students, educators, and caregivers, assessing learning styles and individual needs. Through coaching, Sariah helps educators and caregivers develop and implement interventions to help their young learners thrive.

Looking ahead, Sariah has her sights set on graduate programs in Philadelphia. As an educator, she believes learning is a continuous journey. Through deepening her understanding of various pedagogies at the graduate level, she believes she can better serve the communities of Philadelphia.

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