Brandy Torres (Excel Academy South, Philadelphia) is a Liberal Arts major at Manor College.

Brandy Torres’ had a morning routine. Before he got ready for the day, he’d wake up and stare into the mirror with a mixture of anxiety, depression and disappointment. Each time, his hands would begin to shake at the thought of his mother finding out that he’d dropped out of high school. 

“It took a toll on me, physically and emotionally,” Torres said. “I never knew what the day would be when she would find out.” 

Torres entered Spring 2020 as a high school freshman in Philadelphia. He was a good student and had just made the baseball team when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Within days, Torres found himself stuck at home in online classes while his once-promising baseball season got canceled. 

He described online learning as “losing his mojo.” It started by turning the computer camera on and off and grabbing a snack. Then, he’d plug in and play MLB The Show during class. Eventually, he just stopped logging in. 

“The problem with online classes was how big the classes felt,” Torres said. “I hated feeling like I was just another person.”

By the time in-person classes returned that Fall, Torres was so behind that he lost all confidence in getting his grades back. He’d leave for school when his mother left for work at 5 a.m., then just return home. 

Eventually, his mother did catch on. She wasn’t happy, but she understood.  

“She didn’t like it, but she told me, ‘I’m a man, it’s your decision,’” Torres said. 

Torres’ path to education returned when he began dating Noelyz Garcia, a Manor College Veterinary Technology student who Torres met through mutual friends. 

At first, Torres hid being a high school dropout for several months. Eventually, Garcia caught on and she gave him an ultimatum – go back to high school or break up. That push gave Torres the momentum he needed. He enrolled at Excel Academy South soon after. 

“It means everything to know I have somebody pushing me to do better things,” Torres said. “She’s constantly elevating me. She knew what I could be before I did.” 

Returning to school at Excel Academy gave Torres more time with teachers in smaller settings. 

“Every single day, I had someone asking me, ‘What’s going on with your life?” Torres said. “It was a smaller community that made me feel tighter. It was at home at school.” 

Torres first discovered Manor College through Garcia, who served as a Presidential Ambassador during her time at Manor. When he was close to graduating high school, he began looking more into Manor and found an instant similarity between the community at Excel Academy and the one at Manor. 

Within a few visits, he knew he made the right decision in enrolling at Manor. During New Student Orientation in August, Torres met Manor College Provost Dr. Joseph Gillespie. In the first few weeks of the semester, Torres and Dr. Gillespie talk whenever they encounter each other in the halls, with Dr. Gillespie checking in on Torres’ time at Manor. 

“The fact that he sees me and he knows me, that means the world,” Torres said, “and it’s like that with all of my teachers here.” 

Torres is currently a Liberal Arts major at Manor College with the goal to transfer into the Psychology program. His goal is to be a school counselor and help children find their paths. 

“I really love helping people who were once in my shoes,” said Torres, who already has spoken at Excel Academy since his graduation. “I know how good it feels to get past those obstacles. I want to help them find that success.”