For Sarah Dixon, a fascination with the past has always come naturally. Long before she stepped foot into an archive, she was already asking the big questions about people, places, and the invisible threads that connect us to history. 

"My family would take road trips all the time," she recalls. "And I always begged to stop at the historical markers," Dixon said. "I wanted to know what happened right there. I'd be looking out at the flat Texas landscape, imagining what it might have looked like a hundred years ago." 

Today that same sense of wonder drives her work as Coordinator of Rights and Reproductions in UTA Libraries' Special Collections. Instead of reading roadside plaques, she's helping others explore historic maps, photographs, manuscripts, and other rare materials and making sure those materials are accessible and usable for new generations of researchers, writers, storytellers and students. 

"People reach out to us when they want to use or publish materials," Dixon said. "And I love being part of that process, helping them find the answers to questions they thought they'd never solve. Whether it's for a publication, a class project or personal research, I want to help people connect." 

Dixon's journey into public history began with that spark of curiosity, but a quiet moment in junior high helped her realize how powerful storytelling can be. 

"We were learning about the Civil War, and the teacher had the most monotone voice I've ever heard," she laughs. "But I remember thinking I could do this better. I didn't know-how to teach, but I knew I loved history and wanted to make it fun and engaging." 

That passion stuck with her. Later, as she sat on the kitchen counter chatting with her older sister about college plans, Dixon mentioned that she wanted to major in history. The response was unexpected and meaningful. 

"She looked at me and said, 'You sound just like our dad,'" Dixon remembers. "That stopped me. My birth father passed away when I was one, so I never really knew him. She told me he was a huge history buff. That was when I realized I'm living a part of his story without knowing it." 

Dixon earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in history from the University of North Texas, focusing on public history. While at UNT, she volunteered at The Bayless-Selby House Museum, where she saw firsthand how powerful history could be when it met people where they were. 

"People would walk-in and say, 'My grandma had that,' or 'My grandpa built something like this,'" she said. "It was a way for them to reconnect with their past while living in the present. Watching those moments unfold felt like magic." 

For several years, she worked in museums, but she wanted to explore the documents themselves, going beyond the exhibits. 

"Museums are wonderful," she says, "but I wanted to explore another side of history that felt more direct and personal. That's when I started diving into archives. Archives aren't just about preservation, they're about activating memory, research and discovery." 

That mindset is exactly what she brings to her work at UTA Libraries. Whether assisting a faculty member, providing guidance to a student, or helping someone rediscover a family document, Dixon is doing what she's always done: helping others connect the present to the past in meaningful, accessible ways. 

"I've lived in North Texas my whole life," she says. "I've driven past Arlington many times, going to games at Globe Life Field or AT&T Stadium. But I never imagined starting my career here when this position popped up; it felt like the perfect fit." 

What sealed the deal was the team. 

"From my very first phone interview, everyone was so kind and welcoming," she recalls. "Then I met them in person and saw how collaborative and supportive they are. They feed off each other's energy and help each other thrive. That's the kind of environment I've always wanted to be in." 

When Dixon is not at work, you can usually find her outdoors hiking, camping, or rock climbing with her fiancé, Major. The two met while working at a climbing wall at UNT and recently hiked Yosemite Point together, climbing over 3,700 feet to take in the view. 

"Nature is something I deeply respect," she says. "It's timeless. It reminds me that we're part of something much bigger and that history isn't just in books or archives. It's written across the land." 

From those early roadside moments to her current work in Special Collections, Sarah Dixon has followed a path guided by curiosity, purpose and personal connection. At UTA Libraries, she now helps others follow their path through history; one request, one memory, one story at a time. Her journey reminds us that the past isn't something we leave behind; it's something we carry forward together.