Manzanero honored for Global Education Center work
Dr. Jeannett Manzanero, director of the Kathryn W. Davis Global Education Center at Palm Beach State College, has won an Esperanza Award from the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for her work helping immigrants adapt to life in the U.S. and pursue a college education.
She was among four individuals selected from a pool of nine finalists for the inaugural awards. The awards, which recognize Hispanic business women in Palm Beach County who have significantly impacted their profession and the community, were presented June 15.
“I feel very honored and very humbled. I never expect to be recognized because this is my job. I’m supposed to do this,’’ Manzanero said. “Esperanza means hope. It’s nice to know that I give people hope for education by facilitating for them to achieve their dreams. It’s also nice to know that people in the community notice my work.”
Manzanero became director of the Global Education Center in 2010 and since then has expanded its programs as well as its partnerships with local groups to connect center participants with more resources.
The center was established in 2007 with an initial $1 million pledge from a philanthropist who spent much of her life working to improve American understanding of world culture and politics and whose name the center bears. Davis, who died in 2013, at the age of 106, extended her initial gift, and since her death, her charitable organization has continued its support of the center.
The center provides scholarships and educational assistance to immigrants in Palm Beach County. It also provides information and referrals to its partner agencies, allowing individuals to get help with everything from child care and health services to financial literacy and transportation. It holds regular workshops on immigration issues and numerous other topics.
Manzanero, who also has served as an adjunct professor of sociology for 14 years, is active in various groups. She is a blue ribbon panel member of the Community College Consortium for Immigrant Education. In that role she was consulted to advise the White House Task Force on New Americans on their comprehensive action plan for President Obama. For the last five years she has served as advisor for the Every Quality Unites All Lives (E.Q.U.A.L.) student club at PBSC. She is also a member of the Florida Immigrant Coalition and the Hispanic Education Coalition of Palm Beach County.
