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SALISBURY, MD---Growing up, Mandy Sanidad was always the kid with a book in his hands.

To him, libraries were more than a place to read. They were places of possibility, where everyone is welcome, curiosity is encouraged, and people can simply be themselves.

Years later, as a senior marketing major at Salisbury University, Mandy has realized he’s been recreating that feeling everywhere he goes.

Whether as Honors ambassador, resident assistant, journalist, or editor, he’s spent much of his college career helping other people find their footing. Looking back, he sees a common thread running through all of it: community.

“I’ve always known I wanted to help people,” Mandy said. “To me, being in a library means being at the heart of a community.”

As a transgender student, Mandy understands how meaningful it can be to find spaces where you can be fully yourself.

When he first came to SU, he knew he enjoyed writing and storytelling, which led him to become a reporter and eventually editor-in-chief of The Saunterer, the Honors magazine. Through interviews and feature stories, he discovered just how much he enjoyed connecting with people.

“In college, everybody is doing something interesting, even if you don't realize it,” he said.

The more stories he told, the more curious he became about the people around him. His curiosity found a place to grow in SU’s Clarke Honors College, where he was surrounded by students who challenged and inspired one another.

But it was his work as an RA that revealed something deeper.

Late-night conversations, difficult moments, homesick first-year students, residents struggling with mental health—the role demanded far more than checking doors and planning events. It required empathy, patience, and the ability to meet people where they are.

“A lot of times I’ve worked with students who felt very overwhelmed and lost,” Mandy said. “Sometimes they just needed someone to remind them they aren’t alone.”

Whether connecting students with the Counseling Center, Writing Center, or a campus club, Mandy became the kind of person every first-year student hopes to find: someone who sees you for who you are, listens without judgment, and reminds you that you belong.

In helping students navigate challenges, Mandy was navigating his own journey, too. The anxious first-year student who arrived on campus gradually became someone others relied on. Along the way, he grew more confident, more secure in himself, and more willing to raise his hand for opportunities he once might have shied away from.

Now, the growth he’s undergone at SU is carrying him toward his next chapter. After graduating, Mandy plans to pursue a master’s degree in library and information science. To him, the decision feels less like a change in direction and more like a continuation of the story he’s been writing.

Libraries aren’t just buildings filled with books. They’re places where people gather, seek answers, discover new possibilities, and find belonging.

Looking back on his time at SU, Mandy realizes he’s already been doing that work. Every story he told, every student he encouraged, and every conversation that helped someone feel less alone all came from the same instinct: creating a community where people feel welcome.

“If you're able to feel comfortable with yourself, that’s the number one best lesson you can learn,” Mandy said. “Then life unfolds for you.”