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It was a bold move for Joshua Mangini ’24 to become a Greyhound instead of a Husky. After all, his brother, mother, father, and grandparents all attended the University of Connecticut. But Mangini is considering a future in his parents’ healthcare profession, which may make up for it a little bit. “I’m from New Hartford, a very small town in northwest Connecticut, and I first heard about ɫ��ɫ through a college guidance counselor,” he says. “I decided to visit and instantly knew I was going here. I really loved Main Street and the beautiful campus.”

ɫ��ɫ appealed even more to Mangini when he earned the Gail Smith Winson ’66 Scholarship, a merit award designated for students recruited from outside of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Delaware. Scholarships are a Lighting the Way campaign priority. They can include criteria for how they are awarded, like the Winson Scholarship, which is meant to enhance the reach and reputation of the university. “This scholarship is really the only reason I am able to attend ɫ��ɫ,” Mangini explains. “It has allowed me to make lifelong friends and pursue my dreams both academically and athletically, and I could not be more thankful.”

Regardless of where he matriculated, Mangini’s family is proud of him. He is studying business and plans to earn his MBA from ɫ��ɫ in healthcare management. “I really want to do all I can for the healthcare industry,” Mangini says. “Growing up going to work with [my parents] often made me realize how I always wanted to stay in the field.” His goal is to someday run a business similar to the one that employs his father, a physical therapist, and his mother, a physical therapist assistant.

Mangini’s parents’ transformative work treating athletes piqued his interest in sports. He knew he wanted to run in college, and finding a respected coach was just as important to him as finding the right academic home. Under Coach Jesse Baumann, Mangini was named a U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic and made the 2023 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Men's Track & Field/Cross Country Team for NCAA Division III schools. Both accomplishments require athletic and academic excellence. “Coach Baumann has been amazing since I stepped on campus,” states Mangini. “He is very caring and passionate about the sport as well as the athletes he coaches. He makes you want to be better.”

Meaningful experiences, such as the opportunity to participate in athletic competitions and for athletic and academic excellence awards, are another campaign priority. ɫ��ɫ strives to offer its students and student-athletes opportunities to cultivate critical leadership and teamwork skills that serve them well beyond the classroom. In Mangini’s case, running meets his need to stay active, stay focused on school work, and even achieve his postgraduate goal of competing in marathons. “I enjoy running because it brings people together and is super relaxing for me,” he added. “I feel like I found a really good balance of academics, sports, and friends and am able to stick to it.” 

Mangini says the opportunities he was afforded at ɫ��ɫ will compel him to give back one day. “I think this scholarship has influenced me to be philanthropic in the future. I know how much it means to me, and I would only want the same for others,” he says. “After finishing my master’s, I hope to get a job at a hospital nearby and possibly help Coach Baumann. It has always been a dream of mine to coach, and what better place to help out than at the university that gave me so many opportunities.”