Recent Hoover High School graduate Phanuelle Manuel was this year’s Finley Character Award winner for the class of 2024. Phanuelle was nominated along with 38 other seniors from a pool of 646 students in her grade. Phanuelle won for her honest, loving character and her strive to positively impact the community around her. A 2022 graduate of the Youth Leadership Forum of Birmingham, Phanuelle is the president of the Youth Philanthropy Council, which donates thousands of dollars to local nonprofits. Here, Phanuelle describes her gratitude for being nominated and winning such a prestigious award.
How did it feel realizing you’d won the Finley Character Award?
I hadn’t gone in with any anticipation to win because I knew most of the other nominees, and they’re the best people. Some of them are even my best friends and are the pride of Hoover High School. They have such high quality character, and they’re so kind, intelligent and hardworking. I felt honored to even be nominated, and winning was such a pleasant surprise.
How do you juggle your extracurricular activities, maintain your grades and still prioritize time with your family and friends?
It’s all time management. I honed my skills to learn how to manage my time. As an IB and AP student, figuring out what my method was early on for managing school work was important to me in succeeding in high school.
What clubs or activities have you participated in that helped define your high school experience?
During my freshman year, I was completely virtual. Even then, I participated in clubs. Currently, I am the president of our Society of Women Engineers chapter. I help lead the Hoover Outstanding Women Leaders in STEM program with my friend Christina. This past year I’ve been serving as the president of Youth Serve Philanthropy Council, and it all has been a 12 out of 10 experience. My favorite thing about high school has been the philanthropy council. I love it so much. We get $20,000 to delegate to various nonprofits in the Birmingham area that serve youth or have youth volunteers. It has been such an enjoyable experience for me.
What piqued your interest in studying computer science in college?
My interest in computer science began the summer before my sophomore year. I participated in the “girls who code” summer immersion program, and because of COVID-19, it was online. That was the first program I did where I was like, “Wow, I really love this field, and I’ve got to learn how to code.” I got to create my own website tailored to mental health awareness. I also participated in the legacy program, which is a partner program with the University of Alabama for African American girls who plan on taking computer science principles the following school year. It increased my love for computer science, and since then, it’s been one of my favorite things to talk about and participate in.
What advice would you give high school students, in order to help them succeed in high school and stay competitive in higher education or the job market once they graduate?
Keep working hard. I would not have been able to get into college (and get a full-ride scholarship) if I had not worked hard. I do not have any regrets. I am so very grateful that I worked hard and persevered through the tedious years of high school to become accepted into this program–the Randall Research Scholars Program at the University of Alabama.
