Manor College Grad Fixes Problems – and His Own Outlook – on the Way to New Career

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Kareem Haines (Philadelphia/Bishop McDevitt High School) graduates from Manor College with his Bachelor’s Degree in Computer and Information Systems.

With his big smile, fist bumps, and a friendly “How ya doin” as he walks down a Manor College hallway, Kareem Haines is an eternal optimist. But it wasn’t always this way, Haines said. 

“My freshman year, I used to be a big downer,” Haines said. “I always seemed to think the worst would happen. And if it did happen, it was a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

It wasn’t until Haines’ senior year at Manor College that he broke that outlook. He began working as an intern with Manor’s IT office and each time he’d fix a problem, he’d gained not only the technical skills but confidence.

“The intern experience helped me to grow,” Haines said. “Hearing people encourage me, or tell me I was doing a great job, helped me get over the nervousness of starting my career.” 

In the next week, Haines will find several more positives to hold on to. On May 15, he graduates from Manor College with his Bachelor’s Degree in Computer and Information Systems. Four days later, he officially starts his new career as a Systems Administrator at Manor College. 

“It feels surreal,” Haines said. “It’s the next chapter of my life. With the support I have from my mom, my dad, and the career guidance I have at Manor. I’m really looking forward to it.” 

Haines discovered Manor College through his mother, who worked at Manor when Haines was a child. He remembered how she’d talk about the community at the college and saw friendly faces across campus. Haines accepted the Systems Administrator position at Manor College for the same reason, praising Ilya Knizhnik, Manor’s IT Director, for being the perfect mentor. 

“He shows you he cares,” Haines said. “When my grandmother fell ill, he kept reaching out to check on me and make sure that she and I were OK. He didn’t have to do that, but he did. It made me feel good that I mattered to him as an employee.” 

In his daily life, Haines keeps a quote from Roman Emperor Marcus Arelius close: “We shouldn’t be scared of death, instead, we should be scared of never living the life we want to live.” 

“A lot of times, we allow our mind to overthink, and it stops us from having the life we want to live – analysis paralysis,” Haines said. “I used to be that way. We all have that moment in our lives. Sometimes you just have to put your head down, say ‘whatever’ and just go do what you need to do.”

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