By The Keystone Newspaper President of Essence pushes club forward
By Katelynn Humbles
Sarah Haines didn’t just arrive at KU; she landed in the middle of something big. As she graduated from Conrad Weiser High School, she had already made a name for herself by winning the Fast Lane Art Award with a piece submitted to an exhibition at GoggleWorks, and she had a hand in directing the senior mural at her high school, a project she led with pride and left as her creative mark.
Photo Credit: Sarah Haines
But when she moved to KU, hoping to find her place in a new world, she found herself roommates with Sam Winship and Molly Heller, previous president and vice president respectively of the Essence Fine Arts and Literary Magazine.
“I was in a little tiny chair, just watching them lead this thing,” Haines laughs, recalling her wide-eyed freshman year in an apartment filled with accomplished upperclassmen.
She saw firsthand how they managed everything, from the delicate choreography of magazine production to keeping Essence alive as a vital platform for student expression. And as she watched, a spark ignited—a quiet wonder and growing inspiration that would soon guide her own journey through KU’s artistic landscape.
Instead of feeling intimidated, Haines felt compelled to dive deeper. It was clear to her from the very start that Essence was much more than a creative work being published, but a space which let every individual, regardless of where they came from, find their voice. She was in constant awe of how her roommates balanced creative and logistical challenges involved in running the magazine with a deep respect for each artist and writer who contributed. She was slowly coming to realize that the heart of leadership was not in the title or the responsibilities but in an ability to listen, support, and elevate others.
“I knew I wanted to bring something unique to the table,” reflects Haines, “to give every artist a chance to feel recognized.”
That insight became the cornerstone of her own leadership style. Entering her presidency as a junior in the Fall 2024 semester, Haines knew well that Essence was more than a magazine: it’s a community, that space where people find themselves coming together and creating in ways both personal and powerful. For Haines, being at the helm of Essence has provided a venue for students to publish their work, but more importantly, it has given her an outlet to build a community of artists and writers.
“I remember what it was like wanting to be the featured artist,” she says, her voice filled with empathy as she recalls the longing that she felt as a student wanting recognition. Now, more than ever, as president she is given the privilege to choose others to be featured and there is something almost joyful in her voice when describing the process.
“You get a featured artist, and you get a featured artist!” Haines laughs, playing the role of a game show host as she revels in the pleasure of celebrating others’ work.
Photo Credit: Sarah Haines
But in spite of this evident passion for Essence, the leadership she brings to the magazine certainly doesn’t come without its challenges. She says being president means the weight can crush her at times, keeping the magazine at the level of quality it should be, while still managing to reflect the mission for greater inclusion she has championed.
“It can be overwhelming because I get scared that I’m not doing a good enough job,” Haines says.
The vulnerability in her words starkly contradicts the confidence she exudes, showing the deeply set standards she holds for herself. Even as doubt seeps in, Haines’s hustle and fervor for Essence, and the community it represents, continue to push her forward.
“When I think about how this platform can change someone’s life, I know that’s what matters,” she says.
With her artistic abilities and love of the arts, one would expect Haines to be majoring in visual and performing arts, or a similar field. However, Haines finds her passion in social work. The connection between Haines and her social work with the arts is not coincidental. To her, both worlds interact and feed into each other. Art is one way of expression, but it’s also a means to inspire others.
“I want to create something that people witness and say, ‘I can create something, too.’” At this moment, her eyes sparkle as she talks about the power of creation to inspire change, to make people believe they can do anything. One day, she hopes to combine her love for art and her commitment to social work as an art therapist, empowering people to heal and express themselves through creativity.
Haines was recognized for her commitment to building an inclusive world with the Social Work Prize for Celebrating Diversity. For many, that could have been a pinnacle, one of those moments to savor. For Haines, it’s different: “I was not expecting to win,” she says, still somewhat surprised.
“When people think about ‘diversity,’” she says, “it’s so much more than skin color. Financial diversity, for example, people don’t think about how that shapes you.” Her words hover in the air above her, thick with the weight of her perception.
Haines’s sense of diversity is highly personal. She grew up in a household that struggled financially, observing life experiences shaped by class, race, and identity as part of the greater story of diversity. It’s not about representation for her; it’s about crafting spaces where, regardless of someone’s background, all people can prosper.
It was her creative and thought-provoking project that obtained the Celebrating Diversity award. Her project focused on showcasing the various world currencies and portraying in those specific pieces the very valuable but highly underrated contribution of economic diversity toward changing the lives of individuals and communities.
“My effort isn’t going to waste,” Haines says, reflecting on what it has meant to this recognition. “It tells me that I am somebody, and my contribution counts.”
For Haines, the level of depth in art is as multi-layered and deep as her passion for social work. It’s the way she speaks about comics, you can tell through her voice; her beliefs of storytelling healing, not only in creative expression but as a gateway to healing. Making art has always been a refuge for Haines, processing any difficult feeling that might strike her way.
“Comics have been a huge source of solace for me,” she says as she sits across from me, her hands fidgeting just a bit as she speaks, tapping her fingers on the table and adjusting the sleeves of her jacket. “I wish to publish a comic before graduation, one that will most sincerely convey the emotional landscapes of life.” Despite the restless energy in those gestures, there’s an unmistakable confidence in her voice, a firm, articulate clarity that speaks to a person comfortable in her own skin.
The comic she is envisioning is anything but lightweight; rather, it will map emotional highs and valleys as a reflection of the internal journey all take.
“Those terrible, crappy moments suck, but they really grant power to the amazing and beautiful moments,” reflects Haines calmly but with weight in her voice. She is not one to shy away from life’s messiness. When it comes down to it, this tension between pain and joy actually speaks to much of her work, be it through her art or her social work practice.
It is a duality she feels deep inside and one that she conveys through her illustrations, where the shadows and light coexist, and where dark moments only serve to illuminate the beauty of the bright ones.
“What’s kept me grounded is being an optimist,” she says, her voice softening slightly. “It’s about having faith, hope, and love for the world, even when it hurts.”
Haines has big plans connected with personal development and changes she wishes to instill into her community. She dreams about a future that can combine her interest in social work with her interest in the arts, a place where she can continue using creativity as a tool to inspire others to embrace the full spectrum of human experiences for social change. Haines hopes that the legacy of Essence after she took over will be an inclusive and artistic one on which a future leader would build. She wants them to look at her time with this magazine and be empowered to create something meaningful for themselves.
So, there are more events planned, workshops too, to keep working on that sense of space and community that welcomes everyone. And while balancing her dreams of creating a comic with dedication to social work, she is determined to keep moving forward, one step at a time.
For Sarah Haines, life at KU has been about so much more than academics. It is about finding her voice, embracing her identity, and in the process, lifting others up. And with every issue of Essence, every art piece, and every student whose work she encourages, Haines continues to build a legacy that will impact the KU community long after she graduates.
Her story is that of passion, resilience, and relentless pursuit in making a difference. This is a journey which touches deep with those who cross her path and with those identically convinced as she of the power of art and empathy to change the world. As she reflects on her time so far at KU, she is both proud and hopeful.
“I want to leave a space where people feel free to be themselves,” she says, smiling. “That’s what Essence is all about.”