JOSH RANNEY
News Editor
Every higher education institution has a mission of making professionals and well-rounded individuals of their students. With that being said, Monica Manney is the embodiment of that mission.
Manney is a super-senior, journalism major and earlier this month was told she would be the recipient of the 2019 Lanford Prize.
The Lanford Prize is presented at graduation in recognition of the recipient’s “balanced achievement[s].”
According to the Fredonia Honors Page, the prize is selected based on a nomination and meeting the criteria of “A high degree of personal honesty and integrity, substantial intellectual growth and achievement during university years . . . and exemplary service to Fredonia.”
Manney said while she did know she was nominated for the award by Khristian King, of the Intercultural Center and Jeanette McVicker, of the English Department, she didn’t really expect much to come of the nomination.
At least until Fredonia administrators started inquiring more.
“Dr. [Cedric] Howard emailed me, and told me to list everything I’ve done as far as my career and clubs on campus,” said Manney. “I was speaking to another professor after, and I found out that they have to vote on a bunch of names, and I didn’t really know the process until they told me that.”
When it came to actually finding out that she was going to be the recipient, Manney said the whole experience was a “funny story.”
“So I was supposed to have a meeting with President Horvath on Thursday but I woke up late so I emailed her saying, ‘I woke up late, I can’t come to this meeting, super sorry.’ She’s like ‘Oh I hope everything’s okay,’ which I thought was a weird response since we were just supposed to be meeting up.”
Manney later found that all the professors and administrators who had selected her to win the Prize were waiting for her at that meeting with Horvath to tell her she won when she emailed saying she overslept.
“So that’s awkward,” she said.
Manney said Horvath asked her if she could come to a meeting to talk about FredFlo, to which Manney replied, “Of course, I’ll talk about FredFlo anytime I get a chance to.”
Manney said at the meeting she was talking about FredFlo and at the end of the meeting, Horvath said she had really good news.
“[Horvath] said, ‘Honestly, I tricked you to get you here, I just wanted to let you know you won the Lanford Prize.’”
Manney was shocked.
“I was like ‘Wow,’ but I am not good with surprises, I’m not a crier, I’m usually just like, ‘Wow, that’s really cool, thanks.’ But the whole time I was thinking, ‘I can’t wait to tell my mom.’”
Manney said her mom had been asking her earlier that day when she was going to find out if she won.
When she finally told her she did win, Manney said her mom spent most of the day asking her when she could post it on social media.
“I was like ‘no you can’t post it yet, you can’t tell people, you have to wait,’” Manney said. “But she was so excited she posted something that said, ‘I can’t wait to tell you all the news.’ I was like, you need to calm down,” she said laughing.
Manney said while the news around the announcement of the Lanford Prize has been a whirlwind itself, she has been going around in circles with all the other groups events she manages to one degree or another.
“I’m the events chair for a ton of clubs, so all of our events are happening this semester, it’s Black History Month, so I’ve been going to all the events, making sure all the paperwork is together, so it’s already chaotic,” she said.
Manney said her inbox is more full than usual, but with emails of congratulations.
“Which I really appreciate,” she said.
“It’s super busy, but not anything I’m not used to. I’m just really grateful for all the love everybody has shown me. And I mean like, a lot of love. Everyone is saying, ‘You’re doing great,’ which is so good to hear,” Manney said.
Manney said it took her winning the Lanford Prize for her to finally be able to take a step back and look at all that she’s worked on and accomplished in her time at Fredonia.
“It helped me out. It made me more confident in my abilities,” said Manney.
One of these accomplishments and contributions to Fredonia that has garnered her even more recognition is FredFlo, the reason she thought she was meeting with Horvath.
“There’s FredFlo the club, and there’s FredFlo the program,” Manney said. “The club works to increase awareness and decrease stigma. It’s about having conversations that are taboo about periods, menstruating and making sure people know their body,” Manney said.
Manney said after sex ed in high school or middle school, many people still have questions but now feel they’re too old to ask.
“It’s like you don’t know, but you want to know,” she said.
“FredFlo the program is working to provide sanitary products on campus and put them in all the all-gender restrooms,” said Manney
New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently signed legislation in part with the Women’s Opportunity Agenda that required middle school and high school districts to provide these products in their restrooms, saying, “By providing all students with equal access to these products, we are creating a stronger, healthier New York for all.”
“We’re taking that to the next level,” Manney said, “and putting them in colleges so you’re not distracted in work or class.”
Something Manney has stood by when pushing for the FredFlo program has been: “We ask Fredonia students to be Fredonia-ready, but we need to make sure Fredonia is student-ready.”
Aside from these advocacy points that have been a highlight of her Fredonia career, Manney has worked to get ready for her professional career as well.
Manney has been a news and reporting intern at Spectrum News in Buffalo, as well as a digital content intern with WGRZ-TV in Buffalo.
At Fredonia, Manney has appeared on WNYF-TV as an anchor.
When it comes to possibilities for her career “post-Fredonia,” Manney said, “I’m very comfortable with not knowing.”
“I don’t know why I’m very comfortable with not knowing right now, because I usually need to have everything very lined up, but I feel like the experience I’ve had in college set me up for something good to happen,” Manney said.
Manney said she has applied to fellowships, internships and has even been recommended for a couple job opportunities in the Buffalo area, but maintains, “I’m not worried about what comes next.”
Looking back at her time at Fredonia, Manney is somewhere between being ready to move on, but also nostalgic and grateful for the institution that got her where she is now.
“I’m ready to be out of Fredonia because I feel that I’ve outgrown this space and I’m ready to move on. But at the same time I feel there’s still so much I need to do here,” she said. “I’m not so much focused on the leaving, but leaving an impact.”