Sophia Layos-Wagaman

Sophia Layos-Wagaman is an aspiring circus arts performer from Fairbanks. A competitive gymnast since 2013, Sophia has competed at U.S. Gymnastics invitationals in Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Montana and Alaska. She has spent the last four years adding circus skills to her repertoire including straps, lyra, wire and partner acrobatics. She performed with the Golden Heart Performing Arts Studio in the 2021 Solstice Soiree at Golden Heart Performing Arts. Sophia was also the the first-ever recipient of the $5,000 CSAW Tuition Grant for a U.S. Circus Artist of Color.

Additionally, Sophia has volunteered for events at the Fairbanks Children’s Museum, offering her time and talent to brighten the days of her community’s kids. Sophia’s nominator states “Sophia’s backstory is one of tenacity and perseverance. It’s wonderful to see her blossom and pursue her desire to study and perform circus arts, and even more wonderful to see her contributions to the Fairbanks community and beyond through performance, volunteerism, and athletics.”