Sarah Drake ’05, ’09
Founder and CEO, herARTS in Action
B.E.S., Geography and Ethnic Studies, 2005; B.S., Social Responsibility, 2009
Sarah Drake created an international NGO after her experience in Burkina Faso in 2011, which has supported 30 girls in Burkina Faso and 30 in Sierra Leone so far to attend school with all the support they need to be successful. She built one well and fixed six with another being built this fall in Burkina Faso, and built eight latrines with six fixed. She started an entrepreneurship program in fall 2022, investing in two women’s projects. Sarah self-published a three-book series that helps tell the girls’ stories and raises funds for the scholarship program. She also piloted the storm drain mural project in St. Cloud and included students from the sites near the work.
"Even though I grew up in a small town, I always had ideas and ambitions with global reach. Attending St. Cloud State University for both my bachelor's and master's degrees gave me access to the global while learning local. My classes and all of the organizations I was active in, plus the friends I made, taught me how to take action while working with others and making an impact." - Sarah Drake ’05, ’09