A Life Lived Full Throttle: Sarah Manriquez
WGSS faculty member Kayt Sunwood, Sarah Manriquez, and WGSS Program Coordinator Carol Gray
The UAF College of Liberal Arts proudly recognizes Sarah Manriquez as one of the 2024–2025 Outstanding Students in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. A nontraditional student earning dual degrees in Digital Journalism and Photography & Film—with minors in WGSS and Music Performance—Sarah exemplifies creativity, resilience, and the transformative power of showing up fully for both art and advocacy.
For Sarah, being a student has never been about checking boxes. It’s about chasing purpose, building community, and doing the hard, often messy work of living a life aligned with what she calls “the things that set your soul on fire.”
Her academic journey spans nearly 15 years, two universities, and countless new beginnings. But when asked what advice she would give other students, she doesn’t hesitate: “This is your opportunity to try everything. Go to the meetings, go to the events, join a club, try things that you think you might never even like or think you might be interested in—because you never know.”
The seeds of that philosophy were planted during her childhood growing up on the island of Roatán, off the coast of Honduras. Raised in the vibrant landscape of a tropical island, Sarah was immersed in color, culture, and story—formative experiences that continue to ripple through her creative work. Sarah was inspired early on by her grandmother, a former off-Broadway actress and model in NYC who instilled in her the importance of dreaming big. “She taught me that life is short, and you need to pursue what sets your soul on fire,” Sarah shared.
That ethos led her to photography. From the moment she held her first disposable camera as a child, Sarah was hooked on visual storytelling. “I always had a disposable camera in my hand, going through the mangrove—I wanted to document everything,” she said. “I was always taking pictures of stuff. A lot of that birthed from just being so inspired by seeing my grandmother’s photos and having the weight of those images in my hands, and knowing that I had something really special.”
One of her proudest achievements at UAF was seeing her honors thesis capstone project come to life in the form of her first solo exhibition at the International Gallery of Contemporary Art in Anchorage. “When I walked into the venue on opening night for First Friday, it was packed,” she recalled. “People were engaging with the work that I had done, and that was so special, and it made me so proud. There were mentors that decided to actually come down from Fairbanks and join me in Anchorage… That made it just even more sweet to be able to share with them what we did together.”
Beyond the classroom, Sarah has been a driving force in amplifying stories across UAF and the wider Fairbanks community. As the Public Information Officer for the College of Liberal Arts, she leads marketing and media efforts for more than 20 departments, coordinates major public events, and mentors fellow students in journalism, photography, and digital storytelling. Her work has spotlighted local artists, Indigenous leaders, and climate advocates—bridging campus and community through compelling narratives that matter. Whether producing video content, curating social campaigns, or training the next generation of storytellers, Sarah is committed to making work that resonates beyond the university.
She hopes future students will see the university as more than just a stepping stone. “A college environment is so rich in opportunity, and it’s so diverse. No matter what your interests are, there is something for you… There are cool friends that you haven’t met yet that might become your lifelong friends, or mentors who might inspire you to completely change what you think you thought you wanted to study,” she said. “Take the reins and really drive your journey and go full throttle.”