Finding Their Voice: How Manor College Helped Three Students Grow Their Horizons

The students – an alum, a senior and a freshman – explain their college growth journeys.

Natasha Moore stood confidently at the microphone in front of hundreds of people. Several medals and ropes dangled from her neck, each a marker of achievement during her college journey.

“Imagine your life as a play,” Moore, Manor College’s 2025 Commencement Speaker, said. “It’s a play that you direct and write, where you are the main character and have the power to shape your story.”

As she confidently weaved her way through her prepared speech with poise and grace, Moore looked unrecognizable from the shy, introverted freshman who entered Manor College just two years earlier.

Like many prospective students, Moore saw college as a chance to grow both personally and professionally. Moore found her growth through an endless desire to get involved. In her time at Manor, she has served as a Presidential Ambassador and a member of the Rotaract Club. She is the institution’s only three-time President of the Student Senate.

“She will happily tell you she is still introverted, but that does not prevent her from being a leader,” said Thomas Sims, Vice President of Advancement at Manor College, who has served as Moore’s manager for two years. “She is an example to other students who may be resistant to getting involved.”

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Brooke Strassle found similar growth during her four years at Manor College. Strassle first noticed the difference a few months before her graduation in 2023. She was in an Apple Store when an employee recognized Strassle’s blue Manor College sweater.

The pair talked about Manor for the next few minutes, including the employee potentially becoming a student and why Strassle felt comfortable at Manor.

“The Brooke of 2021 wouldn’t have felt comfortable having that conversation,” Strassle said. “Seeing what I could accomplish at Manor built my confidence. I’ve done things here I never would have done before because I felt comfortable here.”

Strassle graduated from Manor College with her Bachelor’s Degree in Child Development in 2023. Today, she’s a Kindergarten teacher at a local Montessori school and returned to college to pursue a Master’s degree. She credits her college experience for shaping her life, from professionalism as a Presidential Ambassador, leadership as a volleyball captain and creativity as a Residential Assistant.

“I am so grateful for the professors and staff that have helped me to learn the skills needed to manage my life outside of college,” Strassle said.

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As a sophomore in high school, Brandy Torres gave up on education entirely. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he “lost his mojo” and unplugged from his virtual classes. When in-person classes returned a few months later, he was so behind that he lost all confidence in getting his grades back and left high school entirely.

It wasn’t until he met his girlfriend, current Manor College Veterinary Technology student Noelyz Garcia. While taking her to campus, Torres saw how faculty and staff interacted with her, only pushing him further to attend college.

“The small community at Manor felt like a tighter-knit community,” Torres said. “I got talking to (Manor College Provost) Dr. Joseph Gillespie and the way he talked to me, the way he sees me and knows me, it just made me feel like I belonged here.”

Brandy Torres entered college this Fall knowing the opportunity will enable him to reach his full potential. He plans to enter Manor College’s Psychology program with the goal of becoming a high school counselor, helping once-lost students like him pursue their dreams.

“I went back to my high school to give a presentation on preparing for college and the feeling I got from that was amazing,” Torres said. “I know how good it feels to get past those obstacles. I want to help them grow and find that success.”