Profiles of Roothbert: Manny Sandoval
“In my 51 years of life, I’ve had my share of hardship, happiness, and horror,” began Manny Sandoval. “At the end of the day, I’m still here. And I didn’t think I would be.”
“For a long time, I believed and understood that the world was against me.” Born and raised in the Bronx, NYC, Manny reflected on his mindset growing up. “Going from house to house, family member to family member, roof to car, I understood that no one cared about me.”
By the time Manny started to make critical changes in his life, specifically giving up drugs and alcohol, he faced a period of incarceration. “I had decided to change before incarceration. However, the incarceration helped maintain those changes. I had no choice but to maintain the sobriety. I had no choice but to sit there with myself.”
Upon his release, Manny started working immediately in manufacturing, but ultimately decided that he wanted to do more. “I knew I wanted to do more, but I didn’t know what exactly. I knew what I didn’t want to be.” In 2013, Manny started working with PeaceBuilders. PeaceBuilders is an organization committed to violence prevention in the streets of Hartford, Connecticut. From mentoring to in-school visits, the level of support required a certain level of thoroughness and consistency.
“Back in the early 1990s, Hartford was the murder capital of the world. Last year, there were about 250 shootings. This is a big deal for a capital of 175,000 people. It’s not a big city, but it comes with the violence, needs, and poverty typically found in one.” Manny excelled in his position, linking with principals, teachers, and coaches in the school system to improve his outreach. “On the record, officially, I probably worked with 25 to 30 kids. Off the record, I maintained contact with and supported 80 to 100 kids. So many kids.”
Eventually, Manny’s work at PeaceBuilders caught the attention of Monica Brase, a school principal involved with the organization. “Monica told me I needed to go to school. She was like a mentor to me. I felt like a hypocrite, telling kids that they needed to go to school when I had no degree myself,” admitted Manny. However, with Monica’s guidance, from essay revisions to interview prep, Manny applied for a grant from the Roothbert Fund.
Upon receiving the grant in 2015, Manny decided to attend Springfield College. In 2017, Manny graduated summa cum laude and represented his peers as the class speaker. “My son, the day of my graduation, called me the teacher’s pet,” recalled Manny. Immediately afterwards, Manny decided to continue his education, and enrolled in the University of Saint Joseph’s, graduating at the top of his class and becoming, yet again, the class speaker.
Manny’s accomplishments and tenacity only propel him towards further success. “In high school, I was too busy cutting class. To tell you the truth, I didn’t think I would ever get to 50 years old. And now that I’m 51, I think the name ‘doctor’ would be an awesome thing for my sons to see.”
Manny proudly claims to “come from a long line of superintendents”, referring to working as a head custodian. “My grandfather, my father, and I all had a building we would take care of. My father still currently has a building in Parkchester. He’s been there for 30 years.” After high school, Manny would sweep, mop, and take out the trash in exchange for housing in the same building.
However, Manny has since broken tradition. “I have three boys and one girl. I think my children are proud of me. My sons went into the service, given honors and chosen to be the leader of his squad in the Air Force.” From technical school to academic honors, Manny’s children have followed his example in cementing a tradition of hard work and excellence.
After over seven years with PeaceBuilders, Manny now works for Community Mental Health Affiliates, an organization that provides mental health services in New Britain, CT. “In truth, I didn’t want to stop working with youth, but I need to get clinical hours for my licensure. I want to navigate through the system and open my own LLC, and I need to work with different populations. I’m gaining experience working with people experiencing homelessness, substance abusers, people who have mental illnesses, etc. I’m learning a lot.”
Manny’s original mentality, a mentality of irrevocable defeat, has since transformed into a mindset of self-improvement and self-accountability. “The idea is to start bringing the ugliness out, accepting it, and moving on to the next day,” reflected Manny. “I still can’t wholly rely on other people”, admitted Manny. “That is still being worked on. I really think that I have gotten to a point where I know that I can be the best I can be, and I don’t expect this from others. If I give you the shirt off my back, I don’t expect you to give it back. I can only be better.”
As Manny pursues his licensure in clinical therapy, he envisions providing people with a more holistic sense of self-care and wellness. “Taking time to talk to someone is not enough. You’ve got to feel good about yourself. I want to infuse physical wellness into my mental health practice. I’m hoping it’s groundbreaking.” Physical wellness is important to Manny. Whether organizing triathlons for youth or training towards an Ironman, Manny believes in nourishing physical as well as mental wellness.
Manny hopes to continue working with youth in the future. “Working with young people continually challenges me to be better. There are people looking up to me, impressionable people.” Whether returning to PeaceBuilders or engaging in youth development through his independent practice, Manny has the ambition, experience, and dedication to create a lot of good.
“I’m still here and I didn’t think I would be”, repeated Manny. “I’ve accomplished a lot. I have my kids and my wife, and I think they’re proud of me. My sons not so long ago even told me so. That in itself makes this all worthwhile.”
Manny Sandoval, a Roothbert Fellow from 2015, recently published a children’s book, titled What’s a Pie Medic?. The illustrations and storyline are entirely self-created and self-compiled. Check out the book here.