La Salle University makes Lawrence Mani, ‘26, feel connected and supported.
La Salle University makes Lawrence Mani, ‘26, feel connected and supported.
For Lawrence Mani, ‘26, a political science and international relations major, a supportive community, rich in academic challenges, faith, diversity, and opportunity, is a personal priority and an integral part of the roadmap for his future.
Born and raised in Sierra Leone, he and his family moved to the U.S. in 2019 during the COVID-19 pandemic. While not a great time to move many miles away from one’s homeland, Mani dedicated himself to becoming part of the community at his school, Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School in Drexel Hill, Pa. There he met English teacher and La Salle alumnus Joseph Rogers ‘18.
“Explorers are never lost,” Rogers, told Mani, along with many other positive things about the teacher’s own La Salle experience. Mani’s interest was piqued.
“I was like, what? Explorers are never lost? Because I never knew La Salle before. So, I researched La Salle, applied, made a couple of visits, and loved the community. That’s how I got to La Salle,” Mani recalled.
Asked to describe La Salle in one or two words, Mani said the word community tops his list.
“That’s No. 1 because that’s actually what stood out to me out of all the schools I considered. I wanted to be in a place where I feel connected to professors, staff, and students. I mean, we have the Christian Brothers on campus. Great resources. So that’s what I found. And it’s still happening right now. I love the community here. It’s great—really supportive, and I love it.”
Once enrolled, Mani learned more about what a La Salle education really means, including the concept of “Being Known for More.” As an active student leader, he’s put that concept into action repeatedly.
“La Salle is a small place, and I’m involved in a lot—student government, honors, the piloting club, assisting incoming freshmen, and I work in the Information Center in the Union. It gives me that chance to meet new people, talk to them, get to know them more. That’s really key,” he said.
“Currently, I serve as the Student Government Association vice president, which I’m super excited about. It’s an honor. Even before running for the position, I had plans to help the community. My slogan was “No one is voiceless.”
A second word Mani uses to describe La Salle is ‘growth.’ He noted that La Salle helped him grow in many ways, and he observed his growth from high school to the current day. He’s especially excited about his improved public speaking ability, saying he never thought he would be so comfortable in front of crowds.
And when it comes to appreciating the sense of community at La Salle, Mani pays it forward.
“As an RA, the advice that I usually give some of my residents now, as freshmen, is to get involved as much as possible because that’s how you really get to know how much potential you have to be a leader in the community,” he said.
After graduation, Mani plans to continue his education. He intends to earn a doctoral degree and return home and get into politics with an eye toward bettering communities. But after he ventures into the world, he said he’ll be back at La Salle to lend support.
“I’m definitely grateful for this opportunity, especially my scholarship. I feel like if I didn’t have that support, I probably wouldn’t be in school right now. But support from donors and family members has made going to La Salle really great. I hope to actually come back at some point and help out a student at La Salle,” he said.
Political Science major Lawrence Mani, ‘26, is a leader in the La Salle community and hopes to give back.
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