As president of the Douglass Governing Council, Maggie Maniar DRC’21 is an active member of the campus community, working as a representative for the student perspective.
The Douglass Governing Council (DGC) is Douglass’ student government organization, which acts as a liaison between the College’s administration and Douglass students. The organization, among other student boards that work closely with Douglass leadership, is an important asset to keeping lines of communication open between the College and its students.
“When I first joined The Douglass Governing Council, I saw they were a group that worked hard to make sure every student felt heard,” said Maniar. “I was inspired by them, and empowered by the fact that a group of a few students had the ability to make impactful change on campus. DGC taught me to try to make a difference wherever I can, even if it seems too challenging.”
Like many Douglass students, Maniar is ambitious and proactive about her future. In addition to being active in DGC, Maniar participated in the Reilly Program at the BOLD Center for Advancing Women’s Professional Development. Through the program, she completed an externship at Columbia University Medical Center with renowned scientist and Douglass Alumna Angela Christiano DC’87, which later led to a summer employment opportunity. After graduation, Maniar hopes to use her education as a biomedical engineering major, biological sciences minor, and honors college student to attend medical school. She will enter the profession with a wide perspective of the issues that mark the healthcare landscape.
“Douglass has been instrumental in increasing my awareness of social inequities, including those seen in medicine,” said Maniar. “Additionally many specialties of medicine are still dominated by men, and as an engineering student I am familiar with being the only woman in professional spaces. Douglass showed me the value of grounding myself in groups of like-minded women, and also made me aware of my strength and competence when these supportive groups are not available.”
Ultimately, working on behalf of Douglass and its students has been a rewarding experience for Maniar.
“Douglass evolved into one of the most meaningful parts of my college career. At Douglass, everyone from administration to my fellow peers have been genuinely invested in my success,” she said. “Collaboration is fostered between students instead of cutthroat competition, which has allowed me to develop my confidence and explore new interests without fear of failure.”
In 2020, Maniar was the Sheila Kelly Hampton Student Leader Award recipient. Since her sophomore year, she has worked as a research assistant for the Laboratory for Biomedical Research in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. In her free time, Maggie loves to bike and watch Rutgers Football and Basketball.
