Manuella Kwawu SEAS’26 is from Ghana and is graduating with a B.S. in mechanical engineering. She is being recognized for her dedication to fostering spaces where students feel empowered to make mistakes and learn, as well as for advancing Columbia Engineering’s vision of “Engineering for Humanity.” At Columbia, she served as co-president of Engineers Without Borders (CU-EWB) for two years, where she co-founded a student-led project to design and build a three-unit classroom block for preschool students in Obodan, Ghana. Over her two-year tenure, she also oversaw and supported the successful completion of three student-led infrastructure projects in Uganda, Morocco, and Ghana. Kwawu is also passionate about teaching and mentorship and has served as a TA for five courses across the mechanical engineering and mathematics departments. Her academic interests lie in robotics and manufacturing, and she has conducted research in the Robotic Manipulation and Mobility Lab.