When Sarah Lingren arrived at Northern Kentucky University, she jumped in with both feet.

Lingren, a marketing and innovation and entrepreneurship major with a minor in Honors and business, attended Live Oaks for cosmetology when she was a student at Anderson High School. By the time she enrolled at NKU, she was fully licensed and working at the salon.

“I wanted a trade and a degree to open up my options,” she says. “I knew that I was going to work my way through college. I chose marketing because there's a lot of different avenues and flexibility. I really like the psychology of marketing as well. And I chose entrepreneurship with the idea that I might want to own my own salon one day. My general plan is to go into the marketing field. I still really love cosmetology. In theory, I'd pair those two. I would love to do marketing for a cosmetics, beauty or hair care company.”

Lingren wanted to have the full college experience at NKU, so she lived in University Housing for the first three years. She didn’t hesitate to use her proximity to campus to her benefit and joined several student organizations.

She was the vice president of Norse Innovators, secretary for the Haile College of Business Student Consultant Group, vice president of marketing for Beta Gamma Sigma, officer for Women in Entrepreneurship, marketing associate for The Underground Agency Club, member of the Eva G. & Oakley Farris Leadership Academy Cohort, vice president of communications for the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization, chapter secretary for the National Society of Leadership and Success and leader for the NKU Honors College Student Success Team. She was also a student-athlete on NKU’s cheerleading squad for two years.

“Joining all those clubs helped build my sense of community as well as give me opportunities to make friends to try different things,” she says. “I met a lot of different people that I wouldn't have met in my classes. There are a lot of clubs that I joined just to join even if I wasn’t going to have a leadership role. I like being able to help other students and encourage them to join different clubs.”

The Honors College student volunteered on and off campus, including FUEL NKU, the university’s on-campus food pantry. In her role with Norse Innovators, she was responsible for overseeing Norse Marketplace.

Lingren also excelled in the classroom. She published a manuscript, titled "Engaging Entrepreneurial Spirits: The Norse Marketplace at Northern Kentucky University” in the Business Education Innovation Journal with professors Jeff Varrone, Dekuwmini Mornah and Zac Strobl. And her team won first place in "Best Collegiate Student Marketing Plan, Campaign, or Program" at the 2025 Pinnacle Awards.

Lingren’s involvement on campus and leadership hasn’t gone unnoticed. She received the Outstanding Undergraduate Student in the Haile College of Business Award this year.

As she looks back on her four years at NKU, Lingren feels a sense of gratitude.

“NKU has given me so much,” she says. “There are more opportunities because of the connections I’ve made here. The Haile College of Business was really good about not only allowing us to connect to the community at NKU but the community around NKU.”