Maanav
University of Chicago
Majors: Mathematics and Economics
Hometown: Lockport
In his own words:
“As I sit with those friends who have blurred the line between classmate and family, I think back on the wondrous, sometimes chaotic, and sometimes heartbreaking years that formed us. MPA offered me the opportunity to break the arbitrary boundaries I had long projected myself in. At MPA, I stand alongside future politicians, doctors, and lawyers: people whose names will echo in history. I was alone, bitter, and ungrateful when I walked into MPA. As I walk out of MPA into the vast unknown, I have everlasting friends, a love for education, and the happiness of knowing that there is a place in our country where truly anybody can flourish. If that isn’t life-changing, I don’t know what is.”
His teacher says:
“Smart, diligent, and a connector of ideas, people, and ambitions, Maanav has a gift for getting what he wants and often does so simply by expecting others to fall into line in order to bring his plan to fruition.
“Whether it is his strength of character, the barrage of multisyllabic words he can marshal to his cause, or simply the way he convinces others that they want what he wants, Maanav uses these powers in the service of good and, even as pandemic made so much impossible, he made quite a number of things happen at MPA, big and small.
“Like any good leader, he makes sure that others get what they need as well and has worked hard to bring new ideas, and fun events, to life.”
— Mme. Tangel