Q & A: Haven Manigault

What are your hobbies? Why do you enjoy them? Why did you start?

“Just being at home with friends and family, playing basketball, reading. I think they are just good pastimes, something to do, instead of just sitting around. My favorite thing is just being at home, I am a homebody.”

What is your family like?

“My mom, my dad, I have a dog, my brother– he is 24 and lives in North Carolina. My family is very vibrant– I can talk to them about anything. It’s very open and cool.”

Is there a motto you live by?

“Yeah, I go by the Golden Rule, ‘treat others how you want to be treated.’ It reminds me to not judge people because you do not know where they come from or their background, what they have gone through, stuff like that. So that just reminds me not to judge people.”

What are some words that would describe you?

“Optimistic, humble and cool. Optimistic because I try to look on the bright side of things even through the hard times. Cool because I think I am pretty cool. I said I am humble because I always try to keep my head up through a lot of stuff, just keep pushing.”

What inspires you to treat everyone with kindness?

“What makes me want to treat everyone with kindness is because you should just be kind to people and not try to be any other way. You should always just be kind. You could be in a situation where you need help too, so you should always be kind. Kind is a strong word. By being kind is to even just smile or say hi to people. It is something you should always be.”

Who inspires you in your life?

“My parents inspire me to be better, and always strive for my best. To never let anything stop me from doing what I want to do and just be me.”

What has ROTC done for you?

“Opened doors, for scholarships and opportunities in the military. It has taught me how to be more disciplined and to know what is right and what is wrong. It has taught me to always have good integrity and do what is right even when nobody’s watching.”

Do you want to go into the military?

“Yes. I am looking at an Air Force scholarship. Hopefully, I will get it and will do four years in the Air Force.”

What is important to you in your life and why?

“To live life. Do the things I want to do and do the things that make me happy and just be happy. There are situations in life that come and it’s important just to stay happy and keep your head up and find the bright side of it. Where you put your heart to, that is where your energy flows. You should just be happy.”

Do you like performing and where do you perform?

“Yeah I do like performing. I was in the talent show last year — it was my first year. At first, I was a little shaky. But once I got on stage I felt better and I felt like I accomplished it. I did it for me and nobody else. I walked away confident and knew it was something I wanted to keep doing. I have been singing ever since I was four in my church choir. I do it every month. I sing gospel but I will sing any music really.”

How does singing make you feel?

“It makes me feel confident, I can be myself and do something that I want to do— sing and nobody can stop me. So that’s something I like about singing.”