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always, you know, um ask for help no matter what. I feel like Manor definitely has a lot of resources um in terms of whatever it is that you might need. Um even if they don't have it, I feel like um they will point you into the right direction. >> Hello Blue Jays, and welcome to the nest stories about life after Manor College. I am your host, Kelly Peiffer, vice president of marketing communications, and this is the best part of my day. My hope is that this podcast will encourage, inform, and inspire you,

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making you feel like at Manor College, you belong here always. Before we get to today's guest, it is time for a segment of the show I like to call, did you know? Did you know that Manor College is officially welcoming its largest incoming class since 2022? That's right. We are proud to welcome over 200 new Blue Jays to the Manor College family this semester. The class includes 141 first year students and 66 transfer students. Over half of the class, 56% comes directly from Philadelphia. Beyond

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Philly, our new students represent eight counties in Pennsylvania, plus eight states and four countries. Whether you are traveling across state lines or commuting from right down the road, we are thrilled to have you on campus. To all our incoming new students, you belong here. Today's episode is sponsored by the Manor College Bachelor's degree in data science and applied AI. The future of technology isn't just coming, it's being coded. At Manor College, our data science and applied AI program is designed for those

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ready to lead the digital transformation. You'll take a practical, hands-on approach to new technologies, building real-world AI solutions from day one. From machine learning to data analytics, we provide the technical edge and problem-solving skills you need to thrive in a fast moving industry. You belong here. Earn your bachelor's in data science and applied AI at Manor College. Visit manor.edu to learn more. Hello all. Our next guest today, his journey is built on perseverance, family, and staying true to his purpose.

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Originally from Guinea, West Africa, he came to Manor College as a first-generation college student with a passion for soccer and a goal of building a career in sports. During his time at Manor, Musa Konneh was a member of the men's soccer team while studying sports administration and management. But after losing his father, Musa stepped away from school to work full-time to help support his mother and younger siblings. Even through those challenges, he never forgot the advice his father gave him. Stay true to

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yourself and remember your purpose. With support from his family and mentors, Musa returned to finish what he started, earning his bachelor's degree in 2021. Please welcome to the nest from the class of 2021 Manor College alumni, Musa. Hi, Musa. It's so good to see you. >> Hey, Kelly. Uh, nice to see you, too. Thank you for having me on. >> Yeah, you're welcome. So, if you don't mind, take us kind of back to the beginning. How did you first learn about Manor and why did you choose to

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ultimately attend? Um, so truth be told, Manor wasn't kind of um on my radar. Um, I was initially set to attend um University of Delaware. Um, but because of um some family issues, um you mentioned, you know, with the pass on my uh my father and whatnot, um kind of had to reroute everything. Um so I kind of had to stay home. um basically tried to um you know get my education while at the same time trying to help my family out uh by finding a job and whatnot. Um so I found Manor through um a friend of mine um at that

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time um named Jimmy um that was attending Manor. He was also on the soccer team as well. Um he told me about Manor and you know um how Manor was just u one of this great small um close knit community school um that really you can just go there even if it was for the two years um get my associates while at the same time you know doing something that I love which was playing soccer um you know by doing that as well and also you know um helping my family out um so that's how I came um came to Manor Um,

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like I said, wasn't my first choice. Uh, but overall, um, you know, things have a way of working out. Uh, and I'm glad it worked out that way. um because Manor eventually um did become um something that I'm glad that I attended and went to um because of how small it was um you know how close the professors um and the staff and everybody um paid that um attention to you in terms of you know helping you of what you needed help with and I believe me going to University of Delaware I wouldn't have

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had that opportunity um and the help um you know especially with um some of the times personal issues that I was going through as well that um I don't think I would have gotten there. >> Yeah. Well, you've hit on so many things just there. You know, Manor wasn't necessarily your first choice, but ultimately you're grateful that you were able to attend it because life threw you some really major curve balls. You know, your father passed away. You had to take care of younger siblings and help

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your mom. Um, you had to work. I believe you work full-time and also were a student athlete. >> How did you manage all that? That's a lot to manage working student athlete, making sure you're still doing your coursework, trying to be a good teammate, trying to be a college student, you know, like what did you find work for you to keep everything balanced in like your time management? Um I think it and and whole had to do a lot with manner um you know the courses they had um I was very very much

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flexible for me to be able to do you know a lot of those things that you mentioned um which you know like if I would have went to a bigger university um I don't think I would had that flexibility that I had um with Manor um and plus it was pretty much close to home like a 10 15 minute drive um so it wasn't um as far. Um, and like I said, the professors, um, and the staff, they were very, very much understanding. Um, so they, you know, tried to work with me as much as they can, um, to work around

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with certain schedules. Um, and especially, I know at that time, um, you know, me joining the men's soccer team. Um, it was kind of late for me at that time when I, um, I first enrolled in Manor. Um but um John uh JD Dempster um he kind of really um gave me a chance and um in joining the team knowing full well that the roster was already set. >> Um but you know um hearing my circumstance and situation um he he gave me that chance which I was really grateful for. Um because uh me joining

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that um the the soccer team really u was able to give me the chance to kind of clear my head and help me go through some of those u personal issues I was going through just by you know being on that team and and playing the sports that I love. >> Yeah. Right. when you're going through so many hard things in life, getting the chance to do something that like feels second nature and is exercise and gives you endorphins and like, you know, you can't always be thinking about other stuff in life when like you're trying to

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beat a guy to a ball or you're trying to defend, you know what I mean? So, it's good that you had that as an outlet for you um for your mental health. For sure. What um you know, you're a first-generation college student. A lot of our students at Manor are first in their families to attend and graduate from college. This is a commonality we have with a lot of our students. What did it mean for you and your family to Moose is going to college? What does that mean for your younger siblings and

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for your mother? Um how has that been in your family dynamic for you to have a college degree? >> Um it's been very great. Um it's been um proud uh proud moment for me and for them as well. Um very humbling and um uh ever since then um I have seen um you know uh my younger siblings um even some of my cousins um you know take that step as well um to to attend college and try to you know be um those also first generation college graduate as well. Um, you know, um, my cousin just actually,

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um, his his name was Musa as well. He was on the soccer team. Um, he went to Manor for about two years before he transferred out. He's currently at, um, Penn State um, Harrisburg right now. Um, so and due um because of me, um, he literally told me, "If it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't have considered going to college." So hearing those um kind of also made me feel like uh I'm glad I made that right decision to stick it out um and to pull through um despite

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all the circumstances. >> Wow, that's amazing. Um it it's so it's to me I'm always so amazed when our students are the first in their families to go to college because college is hard. it's hard to turn everything in on time and get your stuff done and register for your next semester and all those things that you have to do and you just think of them as like things to do like I have to read this discussion, I have to turn this in, I have to write this paper, but then when you step back

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and you think like all those little things you had to turn in and you had to do and the deadlines, but like they all lead to my cousin now going to college, my sister now going to college, like it has such greater purpose. like you are literally changing and have already changed your family tree. It's so meaningful, transformational, like all those adjectives. It's just beautiful and congratulations. It's wonderful to hear. >> Um kind of transitioning a bit to what you've been up to since graduating

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Manor, kind of give us a a sum a summary of what have you been up to since 2021 um when you graduated. Um so yeah so since 2021 um I kind of been in um a lot of mixtures of things. Um after graduating in 2021 um I worked at um Enterprise um run a car for about three years um with them in the city. Um, and then after that, um, I worked with, um, a sports apparel called JMO Sports, um, for about a year, um, a year and a half with them, um, basically as a sales representative for the PA territory. Um,

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and then, um, through that, I just, um, been doing some, um, self-employed entrepreneurship work, um, and whatnot. um traveling a lot um you know after graduating as well which has really um been uh very helpful um you know and I got the get got that idea um you know through Manor as well um in my sports management program um that I was in um with my advisor JP Lutz um you know he really um encouraged that um and gave that notion especially um with sports management um there there does come a lot of travel and whatnot. And it's good

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to to travel, especially if you want to be um in that industry. Uh because it does come with it and it does um open up your uh mindset and your horizons to a lot of different stuff. Um yeah, so over the years I've been out to a lot of places. I traveled to a lot of places, met a lot of people and whatnot. Um so yeah, that's what I just been up to. Yeah, currently right now um you know I am working um on building a a fintech app um with my brother um that we're hoping to uh possibly launch by the end

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of this year. >> Oh wow. Can you tell us more like what kind of app is it? >> Um so it's in um so it's called Suzu Connect. Uh so what it essentially is um so it's something that um the African, Latino and Caribbean even Asian um diasporas and whatnot. Um so what they normally do is they call um they call it different types of stuff in um in different region. Um but we call a suzu. is when um a group of individual come together um and they put a certain amount of money um together every month

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um and then each month that individual gets that payout um whether it's 5,000 10,000 or 20,000 um so this is something that's been going on for hundreds and hundreds of years and I've been seeing in my community um since I was a little kid um so you know I came up with the idea to to not start something soon, but just digitize it um and make it efficient and better than the way that they're doing it right now. >> Oh, that's cool. Is the idea that um the money goes to an individual or community

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for them to like kickstart a loan or a business to succeed money for something? >> Exactly. So, I mean that was the whole point why they started doing that because they didn't have access to capital um back then or banks wouldn't loan to them. Um so they just initially just started something like this where they can be able to save money together and then um each individual gets that certain um um pool of the money um and then they can decide to to do uh whatever it is that they need to do with

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it. I've seen um people start businesses um put their kids through college, buy houses and whatnot u by doing these uh this method. >> Oh wow, that's so cool. Wow, that's wonderful. Well, I mean, absolute best wishes to you on that and would love to follow up and hear more how that's going. Um, but sounds like what a great like need obviously, but also what a great solution. Um, really really love that. You know, Musa, part of our Manor College mission is the last line in the

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mission says that we want to prepare students to serve society effectively and compassionately. and like what you just said that you're doing with your brother trying to build this app like fits that so well with our mission. So, it's really cool to hear that an alumni out there um is doing that with his career. That's really really inspiring to hear. So, thank you so much. >> Um so, kind of like when you look back at your journey, you know, you didn't you didn't graduate that long ago, but

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it's been five years. What um what's maybe some of the advice that some of your Manor mentors like it sticks out to you or something that you learned from your time at Manor that really like made an impact on you that's you know still with you today? >> Um to um always ask for help honestly. Um, I think coming in um before Manor, I was always um somebody that would like to figure out um everything on my own. Um I didn't like to ask for help. Um so I would always because uh most of the time people would

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rely on me. So I always figured uh that I had the answers for to everything. Um but um you know my mentors um the staff and the teachers and professors over there um they told me to always um ask for help um no matter what. Um and it's okay to ask for help as well. Um and to just be kind um compassionate um and to most importantly just um love what you do um no matter what it is. Um, and I think over the over the years I have really got gotten to know like what that truly means, you

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know, loving what you do. Um, you know, no matter what it is. Um, because originally um, you know, I was in a sports management u program. Um, and my goal was to become um, you know, and it still is. I want to become a soccer agent. Um, so over the few years I have um did um you know an attempt to start my own soccer agency um and whatnot. Um and I'm still going, you know, there's some, you know, I have hit some um roadblocks and obstacles. Um but because of the simple fact that

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um I love what I want to do and what I'm doing um you know just it just keeps me going as well. And to also never ever stop learning um as well. Um they have taught me that. Um, I remember I took a um this one semester a philosophy class. >> Uh, I forgot the professor's name. >> Mike Landis. >> Um, yes, it was Mike Landis and it was somebody else. Um, >> an older gentleman. I I totally forgot his name. Um, but I I'm I'm grateful and glad that I did um take

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that course. Um, in the beginning, it was very hard to understand. um I didn't know what was going on. >> Um but the discussions we had in there really opened my mind up to in terms of just always wanting to learn. Um always wanted to keep an open mind um as well. Um because even when I graduated from Manor, um just um last year I took a um a networking computer course um with a program called New Path um where I was able to get certified in um certain um courses of networking and and whatnot

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and uh cyber security. Um so I kind of have like um that basic foundation knowledge of it um and networking and whatnot. Um so just by um you know hearing that and learning that from my mentors and just keep wanting to learn um it it opened up a new interest of mine um and learning something about it especially the way you know with AI everything is going nowadays I just said you know what why not let me um try to learn something new you know um and as as a human being um I think you know that's what we should just strive for to

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always keep wanting to learn um and just keep asking questions and like I said just um loving what you do no matter what it is. >> Yeah. I think um you hit on a couple things there that I feel like really make a great entrepreneur. Someone who's like hungry to learn more >> serves people well. Kindness, compassion, but also is always willing to ask for help. These are great like traits to me for someone who's going to be a successful entrepreneur because it's not easy. It's a grind. It's um you

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work a lot of hours to >> maybe no one even notices or realizes. So, it's really it's a hard life being an entrepreneur, but it sounds like you have the grit and fortitude >> to do it. So, I wish you wish you all the best there and can't wait to hear more. So, final kind of question for you, Musa. Um, what advice would you give to Manor College students today, whether they're student athletes or not, but they're most of them are probably working and kind of commuting.

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Um, what would you tell them as someone who's like been there, done that, and now it's kind of on the other side of things. What would you tell them? >> Um, I would tell them to definitely keep going. Um, to definitely cherish the moment because it goes by quick. Um, you know, I I look back at it and I'm just like, wow. I mean, like you said, it's been 5 years, but I can remember like it was yesterday, you know. Um, and to always, you know, um, ask for help no matter what. I feel like Manor

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definitely has a lot of resources um, in terms of whatever it is that you might need. Um, even if they don't have it, I feel like um, they will point you into the right directions and help you um, you know, figure it out. Um because my wife actually graduated from Manor as well. So um she just she graduated 2025 with her associate in health. Um and now she's currently um attending Holy Family for her nurse her nursing uh degree. >> Um you know she had a situation where I

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think it was like a financial aid situation or like a scholarship situation. Um but she was uh Manor was able to help her out um with other avenues and other resources and whatnot. Um just by asking for help um and also you know getting involved in a lot of um activities you know I know Manor has a lot of activities whether it's sports whether it's student government as well um to definitely try to get involved in those as well as much as you can. >> Yeah it's great advice. Yes, it's great

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and I I love that you're your wife's also an alumni um in in the marketing office. We would call that a Manor match. You guys are a Manor match. >> That's that's lovely to hear. We'll have to talk to her at some point, too. But yeah, I always tell students, we just had a bunch of new freshmen come in and start a semester, and I got a chance to talk to a bunch of them at orientation. And my biggest piece of advice for new freshmen is like talk to people. Tell people who you are. tell people what you

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need or what you're confused about because >> we have so many ways to help and resources, but we can't help if we don't know. >> That's the biggest advice I try to tell freshmen particularly. >> Like make yourself known, make yourself um you know, give yourself a voice because like we would love to help you and and there's so many ways we can do that, but we just have to know a little bit about what's going on. So that's great advice coming from someone who's

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done it, lived it. His cousin's gone here, his wife's gone here. You've had a lot of people in your world, get connected to Manor, and it's really great. Um, well, Musa, thank you so much for spending time with us today. It's been such a joy to talk to you and get to know you more and just to share your story. It's very inspiring. I hope our listeners really felt as encouraged as I did. Thank you so much and we wish you nothing but the best with your entrepreneurial endeavors and we'll

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certainly be following up to kind of stay on top of what's going on with you. >> Thank you so much, Kelly, for having me. I appreciate it. Thank you so much. Go Blue Jays. >> Thank you for tuning in today. If you like what you heard, listen and subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. Stay up to date with all new episodes by following Manor College on Instagram, Manor College. And that's a wrap on another episode of The Nest. Stories about life after Manor College. Remember Blue Jays, you belong here always.