Michael Manuel
Discipline Leadership
Michael Manuel was raised on a farm in Urbana, Ohio, as one of seventeen children in a disciplined, faith-centered household where education and hard work were foundational values. Gifted in art and design, he transitioned from artistic pursuits to engineering, earning a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering after discovering his talent for building and problem-solving. As the first African American engineer sent by Honda to Japan, he applied both technical expertise and learned discipline to innovate and refine their prototyping process. Ultimately, he chose education as his calling, dedicating his life to teaching and mentoring youth so knowledge, skills, and opportunity could become his lasting legacy.