• CBS pre-game "Meet Dawson" video (YouTube)
• CBS pre-S25 "Meet the Cast" video (YouTube)

• Official CBS Survivor: Philippines bio page
• Follow Sarah Dawson on: facebook; twitter.
• Dawson's forthcoming web site, SurvivingDawson.com

Images from the preview, pre-game interviews, and other circa-Ep1 Philippines footage:

Vidcap gallery: Click on thumbnails to expand; use arrow keys to navigate between enlarged pics.

From MSN.com's Meet the Cast gallery (by Minh Nguyen):

"Sarah says: 'I really want to have fun. I want to mix up this game. I love Survivor so much that I want to see someone come in and put a prank here and a prank there -- pull a couple of fast ones. They think one thing's happening, they become confused. I'm not malicious. I don't want anyone to get hurt or be insulted.'

Jeff Probst says: 'Dawson is nuts. She seems like she'd be fun to have a few beers with. But in terms of trusting her in my alliance, no!'"

Excerpts from her CBS.com Survivor: Philippines bio page:

"Personal Claim to Fame: My car was once towed and I was able to talk the owner of the towing company into returning it for free. I have become a local legend.
Inspiration in Life: Neil Patrick Harris. Have you seen that man do a toe touch? Quite inspiring.
Hobbies: Surfing and adventure travel.  I love getting to know foreign cultures and flipping strangers into amigos.  Also, I think sarcasm should qualify as a hobby; it is an underrated art.
Pet Peeves: Societal pressures of conformity and disrespectful men. 
3 Words to Describe You: Outgoing, spirited and competitive.
If You Could Have 3 Things on The Island What Would They Be and Why?
1) A horse
2) An audience
3) A hot guy chef
Survivor Contestant You Are Most Like: Sugar for her uncompromising moral compass and passion, and Sandra, because she is extremely calculating and strategic. 
Reason for Being on Survivor: I want to compete, be the Sole Survivor and win one million dollars! 
Why You Think You’ll “Survive” Survivor: I am personable, comfortable, experienced outdoors and very competitive. I made someone cry while playing Cranium once.
Why You Think You Will Be the Sole Survivor: People readily trust me, I am very good as a competitor, I won’t make anyone too bitter and I can talk people into anything."

From her EW.com interview, by Dalton Ross:

"Like another recent contestant, Sarah will be going by her last name of Dawson this season. So was she, in fact, inspired by John Cochran? 'The only thing he's inspired me to do is never wear a sweater vest,' replies Dawson, who could be one of the sassiest sparkplugs this show has ever seen. But will she come on too strong? 'Socially, I've got to try to keep as much of my personality under wraps a possible, because sometimes I do have too much energy.' Just a tad."

Summary of evidence for Sarah Dawson being on Survivor: Philippines.

- (7/27/12) After early rumors had circulated of a "Sarah Naomi" (probably from longtime spoiling pariah missyae, who had insisted she went by that name), eventually a newly registered Sucks poster, SFAN, came forth with more details:
"I've been a lurker here for a while, and it seems I stumbled across Sarah Naomi.
   Sarah Naomi Dawson http://www.facebook.com/sarah.dawson.92775
   She even admitted to being on the show on her public Facebook:
   Someone commented "I see they've announced September 19 as THE day!! ;-D" Then Sarah said: I can't wait! The show is going to be a blast! Hopefully they won't make me look too insane."

- As quickly discovered by poisonkiss87, she also went with the keeping-it-secret twitter username of @survivordawson.

- Shortly thereafter, (still 7/27/12) venerable cast spoiler guatemala fanfic chimed in with, "No, there aren't two Sarah's, but Sarah Naomi does go by her last name, 'Dawson.'"

Who is Sarah Dawson?

From her facebook page (link above), it appears she attended Towson University (Maryland), circa late 2007/ early 2008. It's unclear what she's recently been doing (no jobs listed), apart from world travel (her twitter bio says simply "Have mobile, will travel.")

From a Tennessee state legislature resolution from around the time of her high school graduation (5/22/02, h/t North09), we learn:

- She was born on November 15, 1983, in Philadelphia.

- Her mom (Denise Hollingsworth) is an attorney, and her cousin is/was a Tennesee state legislator.

- In high school (Atlanta Adventist Academy) she sang in choir and was "esteemed four-year member of the Atlanta Adventist Academy Drama Team, which she has served with the utmost distinction as the Student Drama Director."

- Her post-high school college plans were "to pursue a career in Broadcast Journalism and Theater."