The George Washington University Columbian College of Arts and Sciences (CCAS) named Cisneros Scholar Annabelle Manzo as the flag bearer for the 2024 Commencement on the National Mall. This prestigious honor recognizes an outstanding graduating student who exemplifies academic excellence, leadership, and service.
Throughout her undergraduate career, Manzo received numerous accolades. These include the 2023 Overall Student Employee of the Year, the 2024 CCAS Undergraduate Studies Award, and departmental honors for her senior paper, “Agents of Surveillance: A Feminist Analysis of How Medical and Biological Technologies are Implicated in Border Control, Surveillance, and Biopolitics.”
Since her first semester at George Washington University, Manzo was involved in numerous research initiatives. She served as Research Assistant for the Immigrant Youth Project, a National Science Foundation-supported research study that collected stories about the experiences of immigrant youth adults living in Florida to understand their social and emotional well-being. At the conclusion of that project, she became the Research Coordinator for Caminos al Bienestar (Pathways to Health), a National Institutes of Health-funded research project focused on how neighborhoods, schools, policy contexts, and families impact the health and development of U.S. Latino/a adolescents.
“Being the lead flag bearer to represent CCAS at the 2024 GW commencement was such an honor and privilege,” said Manzo. “I felt so deeply appreciative because not only was I representing CCAS but also my family and community as a Cisneros Scholar. The Cisneros Institute has supported me in numerous and unimaginable ways, especially as a Latina first-generation college student.”
This fall, Manzo is continuing her role as Research Coordinator for Caminos al Bienestar, leading its longitudinal data collection efforts, while pursuing a Master of Arts in Public Policy with a concentration in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies through George Washington University’s 4+1 program.