Securing Success

A Greek immigrant, George Manioudakis’s American dream was never for his son Angelo G. Manioudakis ’88 to be a partner at a big firm or become a heart surgeon, but to be the first in their family to get a college education. Angelo did that — and more — and is now paying his father’s dream forward for fellow first-generation Bentley families. 

“The college experience is euphoric. It’s the kind of wonderment that you get when you sit down in a classroom for the first time, knowing how influential this experience is going to be,” recounts Manioudakis. “I remember soaking it all in, like a sponge. It was an amazing feeling.”

The Chicopee native and father of three wants to help other first-generation college students — and their families — have that same life-changing experience. “Providing access to a Bentley education to those who don’t have the natural competitive advantages of our society is so important,” says the chief investment officer of Northern Trust Asset Management. “I want to give a boost to this group of students who are hungry to build, grow and achieve when given the chance, and who may not have had the opportunity otherwise.” 

As part of Falcons Forward, Bentley’s biggest giving day, Manioudakis and his wife Melani Cammett made a gift of $10,000 to the First Generation Student Success Fund as a match challenge. “The more life we breathe into this fund and encourage support from alumni, family, friends, the more it will be able to support first-generation students at Bentley — it is a group effort, and the match challenge was a way to spark a little bit more of that.” 

And spark it did! Dave Muscato ’84 was inspired to match Angelo’s gift and gave an additional $10,000, helping raise nearly $16,000 on the giving day for the new fund, which supports the Bentley chapter of the Tri-Alpha national honor society, programming during first-generation college celebration week and the first-year pinning ceremony for students and families.  

Manioudakis, a finance veteran who serves as a trustee and chair of the investment committee at The American College of Greece, knows the importance of a well-rounded business education and hopes that his support at Bentley will give society what it needs: multifaceted leaders, managers and executives. 

“Business as a field is in a second evolution. Stakeholders now cross hierarchical boundaries and think about more than just profits and returns — they want to do good business,” reflects Manioudakis. “Bentley is at the top of the heap and cutting edge when it comes to governance, sustainability, entrepreneurship and more, and I am excited to be a part of this progression.”