From Theatre Kid to Viral Creator: Garnet Valley Alum Arjun Manjunath Makes His Mark

Garnet Valley alum Arjun Manjunath is turning creativity, storytelling, and community into a career and he hasn’t forgotten where it all began.

Now 22, Manjunath is a social media content creator and event producer, as well as a recent graduate of the University of Pittsburgh. He first gained traction online by sharing content from his life as a Pitt cheerleader, documenting his study-abroad experience in Florence, Italy, and offering behind-the-scenes glimpses of his time living in New York City while interning at TikTok headquarters.

Today, Manjunath is best known as the founder of Romanticize Pittsburgh, a viral social media series that highlights the city through cinematic storytelling and community-driven events. Though he isn’t originally from Pittsburgh, Manjunath has embraced the city fully, making it his mission to explore its neighborhoods, people, and hidden gems while encouraging others to see the city through a more creative and hopeful lens.

Before social media, internships, and viral videos, however, Manjunath was a self-described “theatre kid.”

While a student at Garnet Valley High School, he performed in numerous productions, including Legally Blonde: The Musical, Evita, Seussical, Annie, Newsies, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, among others. He credits the Garnet Valley Performing Arts Association (GVPAA) for sparking his lifelong love of performance, storytelling, and creative collaboration, skills that continue to shape his work today.

Manjunath has publicly expressed his gratitude for the program, giving a shout-out to GVPAA as a foundational influence on his artistic journey.

Students and alumni can follow his work and creative projects on Instagram.

Arjun Manjunath

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From the Garnet Valley stage to social media screens across the country, Arjun Manjunath’s journey is a powerful reminder that the arts don’t just prepare students for performances. They prepare them for life.