From the president
Throughout his undergraduate career, Om Manghani, University of Pennsylvania Class of 2024, has been deeply involved with Penn’s local community through the Netter Center for Community Partnerships, the University's primary vehicle for advancing civic and community engagement on campus. A superb leader and organizer, Om has worked closely with community partners to help reduce educational inequities. In the past year, he has collaborated with teachers at a West Philadelphia public school to develop an innovative after-school math club, MathMates, that engages middle school students in fun learning activities facilitated by university students. As a passionate advocate for increasing Penn student involvement with the local community, Om has organized highly successful campus-wide events promoting civic and community engagement. Om also helps connect Penn students as mentors with West Philadelphia youth through his leadership of Community School Student Partnerships (mentorship program) and Road2Research (STEM research program for local high school students). Additionally, as a teaching associate for an academically based community service course, Om has helped students in the seminar develop their collaborative problem-solving skills. Om has been, and I am confident he will continue to be, a significant force for positive social change.
Personal Statement
My education has changed my life. Thanks to my teachers, classes, and activities, I have discovered my enthusiasm for public speaking, developed my love for working with others, and understood how education can be an effective vehicle for social change. These formative educational experiences sparked my passion for working towards equal access to high quality educational experiences for K-12 students. At Penn, I currently lead efforts to connect undergraduate mentors with West Philadelphia classrooms and after-school programs, organize and lead a math tutoring program for middle school students at West Philadelphia's Andrew Hamilton School, and support a Penn-based science internship program for Philadelphia high school students. I believe that higher levels of resources will create more supportive and enriching educational experiences for historically marginalized students. In the future, I hope to teach high school math, become an effective school principal, and eventually create equity-focused policies and programs as a district or state administrator. I want to help address the structural barriers that have consistently disadvantaged low-income, minority students in the United States.