Sean Manning
Sean Manning is no stranger to high achievement at the University of Georgia and has been recognized for his hard work both in and out of the classroom. Sean was recently named a Scoville Peace Fellow, giving him the privilege of working full-time at an organization of his choice, bridging the gap between his academic excellence and his professional future, and acknowledging his early commitment to peace and security.
“The Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship is an incredible honor and will give me the opportunity to work at the intersection of nonproliferation and politics after graduation,” Sean said. “I will dive headfirst into the field as I leave Athens. I’m so grateful to UGA and Honors for the skills, experiences, and mentorship necessary to thrive as a Scoville Fellow.”
A Sen. Sam Nunn Scholar and Blue Key initiate double-majoring in international affairs and economics with a minor in Arabic, Sean is a fourth-year student from Hahira, Georgia.
Sean also completed a summer in Washington, D.C., as a recipient of the 2024 Honors in Washington scholarship. With this award, Sean interned at Noblis in the Defense Threat Reduction Agency Cooperative Threat Reduction contract. It allowed him to gain more personal and professional experience—an opportunity that the Morehead Honors College helped make possible.
“Honors in Washington was an incredible experience and allowed me to live in Washington when costs may have otherwise been prohibitive,” Sean said. “To me, Honors in Washington represents the Honors College and UGA’s commitment to student success, no matter their background.”
His accomplishments made him a notable speaker at the Honors Convocation ceremony last fall, where Sean shared the stage with Dean Meg Amstutz and other Honors students, speaking with first-year students about his experiences at UGA.
Sean Manning worked as campaign manager for the PROVIDE ticket, which received about 76% of all student votes for the 2024 executive seats for UGA’s Student Government Association.
While working hard in the classroom has paid off, Sean has given his all to extracurricular activities as well. From an early start with the Student Government Association his freshman year, Sean has worked his way up, becoming chief of staff and overseeing initiatives set forth by the SGA executive cabinet while leading weekly cabinet meetings. Sean made an even more impressive mark on student government when he worked as campaign manager for the PROVIDE ticket, which received about 76% of all student votes for the 2024 executive SGA seats.
“Throughout my time in SGA, my utmost goal has been to passionately advocate for students and bring about meaningful solutions,” Sean said. “By managing the PROVIDE campaign, I and the rest of our team were able to leverage years of SGA experience to promote a wide range of actionable policies we have since implemented such as reduced shuttle fares to the Atlanta airport and a new, cheaper meal plan.”
SGA is not the only place Sean shines. He leads Model U.N. at UGA as the secretary general, managing the organization’s budget to make room for conferences across the world. His love and commitment shines through successful competitions and, notably, by him becoming Model UN’s first homecoming representative at UGA. After his internship with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Sean noted that while he has narrowed down his life path for post-graduation, he is keeping his mind open to the possibilities.
“UGA Model U.N. was one of the first Model U.N. teams in the country, so it is an honor to helm this incredible group of individuals,” Sean said. “I plan to levy the academic and professional experience I have gained in college to support diplomatic efforts for nonproliferation and U.S. led international peace.”
—Parker Taylor
