A Helping Hand

The gift of service was lovingly instilled in Manny Paulino ’18 VSB by his mother. “My mother has always been my inspiration to serve others and do the right thing. She taught me to care for others and that if you are in the position to help, you should always do so.” Both VSB and Manny’s next-door neighbors feel the impact of Manny’s own life lessons and values.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Manny noticed that some of his elderly neighbors were struggling to maintain their homes; so, he showed up for them. He quickly became known as “Handy Manny,” the neighborhood handyman. As a result, he forged deeper relationships with his neighbors, fostering a tighter neighborhood community. “It’s easy to offer to help people, but I take pride in showing up,” Manny said.

Manny’s legacy at VSB is one of giving, as well. As a student, Manny was heavily invested in the Villanova community. A regular in The Clay Center and around Bartley Hall, Manny was a friendly, familiar face. If there was a student panel at a VSB Prospective Student Day, you could expect Manny to be seated up front sharing his experiences and guidance with future Wildcats.

In his junior and senior years, Manny served as a VSB Peer Advisor, welcoming and acclimating his new peers to campus at New Student Orientation, and serving as a resource to them for course registration, career planning, and social life. He also worked in the University Career Center as a Career Assistant, and participated alongside VSB faculty in economics research on business improvement districts in the greater Philadelphia area.

“VSB helped me to understand that there are many ways to be of service,” Manny said. This could be through tutoring and genuinely wanting your classmates to do well in their coursework, or by volunteering and staying involved in events like St. Thomas of Villanova Day of Service. No act of kindness is too small and is always appreciated!”

Throughout it all, he was able to build his way to professional success, participating in seven internships over the course of four years before graduating with three majors. Today, Manny serves as a Finance Manager at the Hershey Company. Once a student mentee himself, Manny has returned to the VSB Alumni Mentor Program on the other side of the relationship, ready to continue his legacy of giving back to Villanova. Manny reflected, “There are a lot of valuable lessons I learned while a student that I would like to pass on to current students. I enjoy being helpful and establishing long-term relationships.”