On January 12, Sage Hill welcomed Princess Sarah Culberson, an award winning humanitarian, author, actress, dancer and educator, to come and talk about her and her journey at a Sage Center Speaker Series event.

Princess Sarah started her presentation in Wilkins Town Square by sharing where she came from. She was adopted by white parents at a young age, who raised her with only care and love. Growing up in West Virginia, Princess Sarah had good memories, breaking racial barriers in her own family and experiencing the farm life. She then received a full theater scholarship to West Virginia University. After graduating, she wanted to know more about her family. When she could reach her biological father, she was shocked to find out a life-changing fact: she was a princess in Sierra Leone!  

Finding out that she was West African royalty, Princess Sarah visited Sierra Leone. There, she got to know numerous people, who all welcomed her. It was an eye-opening experience, and she later brought back kids of her organization with her every time she visited. 

Princess Sarah has achieved a myriad of her goals, one of the most significant being Sierra Leone Rising, a nonprofit organization formed to support education, as well as the rebuilding of Bumpe High School after the 11-year Blood Diamond War. Later on, Princess Sarah expanded her philanthropic organization to include female empowerment and public health for her people of Sierra Leone. 

One of her dream projects and ultimate goal as a princess is to “have clean drinking water for the entire Sierra Leone,” said Princess Sarah. “We’ve been partnering with different organizations. But none of this stuff we’ve been able to do has been our own. It’s a village of people making things happen.”

Apart from being princess and running her organization, Princess Sarah pursued her acting career in Los Angeles. She has appeared in such shows as “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” as well as being a dancer with a professional dance company that specializes in Salsa, Hip-hop, and contemporary performances.

Now, Princess Sarah continues to tell her story and inspire others on their journey to self-discovery and transformation.