Major: Accounting
Hometown: Waycross, Georgia
Object: Collection of CDs
Meaning Behind the Object:
Rather than stream music from a device, Micah Manabat ’26 prefers to discover artists and albums through something more tangible: compact discs.
She has a large collection of CDs spanning genres and decades, from Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” to Conan Gray’s “Kid Krow.” The latter was the first CD Manabat purchased while she was in high school, and she’s been thrifting and growing her collection ever since.
“I bought it because I really liked [Conan Gray’s] music, and I kept it with me going into college,” Manabat said. “When I was a freshman, I decorated it and when we moved out, I tucked it away and thought I lost it. What’s funny is that when I was looking through my stuff four years later, I somehow stumbled upon it and I realized this whole time it wasn’t actually lost, it was just in my memory box.”
Manabat, who will be working as an assurance associate for the nonprofit sector at CliftonLarsonAllen in Bethlehem, said her collection has served as the soundtrack to her time as a Lehigh student, with the CDs playing a part in some of her favorite memories with friends.
“I have so many moments where I’ve had people come over to my dorm and we would just listen to music and I would ask them what they want to listen to,” Manabat said.
The Class of 2026 reflects on the keepsakes, memories and milestones that shaped their Lehigh experience. Through personal stories and meaningful objects, these Future Makers share moments of growth, discovery and connection. Read the stories behind the keepsakes, or view the expanded photo essay.
