2026 Inspiring Graduate | Dava Manes

Dava Manes is living proof that it's never too late to rewrite your story for yourself, your family, and every future student who has ever wondered whether they waited too long to earn a college degree. Making her an inspiration to everyone she meets.

She has reframed education as a lifelong endeavor rather than a youthful requirement. She is the mother of two teenagers, a successful TikTok creator, an entrepreneur, and a lifelong learner.

At this spring's undergraduate commencement ceremony, Manes will walk across the stage, highlighting years of hard work, perseverance, and navigating life's challenges to earn her bachelor's degree in sociology. A dream she has had for more than 20 years, and at 40, she will achieve it.

Manes started her family young, having her daughter at 19, and immediately entered the workforce. So, at the time, advancing her education was not part of her journey.

"I always knew something was missing from my life. In my late 30s, I looked around and thought there was more for me to do," she said. "My two children were in high school, with my eldest on the cusp of graduating. My job as a TikTok creator is flexible, so I knew it was a good time to go back to school."

Amid the pandemic, Manes pivoted in her career and became a TikTok content creator, bringing sociology concepts to life through fun, engaging interviews for the masses. Sociology, the study of human behavior in groups and social systems, is the lens she uses to tell her stories so others can learn. Through her content, she highlights group dynamics and helps viewers to understand the full context of a situation, not just one side of the story. In many ways, bringing the classroom to everyone.

In 2024, Manes transferred from CNM to UNM to pursue her bachelor's degree. As an "elder millennial," she carried plenty of doubts and fears about returning to the classroom, from learning how to be a student again, connecting with her younger classmates, navigating unfamiliar technology, and figuring out how to build an entirely new routine around studying and parenting.

Manes shared that "I was really scared. I thought the younger generation would think, "What is she doing here?"

What she found was an amazingly supportive and uplifting community that has been as much a part of her journey as her family.

She recalled a moment in class when, with a mix of gratitude and awe, a professor asked the students to convert a PDF into a Word document. She was unsure how to do it and felt an immediate wave of panic. Before she could even process it, a classmate quickly and gently walked her through the steps, an act of kindness that forever left an impression and a deep appreciation.

A part of this supportive community was her faculty mentor, Professor Ryan Goodman, who she said had a significant influence on her academic journey. She credits him as the main reason for choosing sociology. She says her turning point was when she took Pop Music and Social Change with Goodman.

Videography by Dylan DeYapp. Produced and edited by Megan Borders.

"He was able to showcase sociology in a way that is not only modern, but mixed with examples that are interesting, engaging, and ultimately resonate with the class," she said. "He really changed how I looked at the sciences and how I personally interact with sociological notions."

"I always knew something was missing from my life. In my late 30s, I looked around and thought there was more for me to do."

- Dava Manes

Throughout her program, Manes has had to balance parenting, school, and work. Not only has she built a very successful TikTok career, but it was important to her to show her children that education has no expiration date, making her a role model of perseverance. Telling her children that "where there's a will, there's a way."

Her children have also actively encouraged her along the way, serving as her very own cheerleaders and helping her celebrate this amazing life milestone.

"It was huge to show my kids that it's never too late to go back to school," said Manes. My daughter is the one who encouraged me to celebrate graduation to its full extent by walking in the ceremony. She told me, 'mom you have to do it, it's such a big deal."

Manes' proudest achievement while at UNM was being inducted into the Alpha Kappa Delta international Sociology Honor Society.

"I never thought I would be able to go to college, so being inducted into an honor society is such a big deal for me," she said.

Manes celebrated her achievement at an April 22 reception. She received her honors stole at the ceremony and is excited to wear it with pride at UNM's commencement this month.

With commencement looming, Manes isn't just obtaining her degree; she is redefining what it means to begin. What once felt out of reach has become proof, not only for herself but also for her children and others watching, that timelines are flexible and there is more than one way to achieve a dream.

In her moment standing on stage with her diploma in hand and her future ahead, her story is larger than herself; it can be an invitation to others in the crowd to start, return, or believe they can achieve their dreams.

"Education isn't just for one stage of life; it's for everyone, at any age," said Manes.