Manny Andrade ’09

Manny Andrade '09: Climbing Mountains, One Step at a Time

When Manny Andrade ’09 stood before the Mid-Pen graduating class of 2025, he wasn’t just delivering this year’s alumni commencement speech—he was embodying the journey he urged students to embrace: a steady, persistent climb toward their goals, no matter the obstacles.

A proud Mid-Pen alum, Manny's story is one of perseverance, humility, and deep gratitude for the support systems that helped him along the way. “Before having these amazing accomplishments,” he told graduates, “I had many challenges that I had to overcome.” Chief among them: starting school without knowing a word of English, the son of parents who could offer love and support—but had little formal education themselves. “My father was illiterate and my mother had the education level of a third grader,” he shared. “I could have quit at any time and they would have understood. But something inside me always told me: move forward.”

That drive carried Manny through Mid-Pen, where he received the Founder’s Award, the school’s top honor for seniors, and on to the College of San Mateo, Notre Dame de Namur University, and eventually Seattle University School of Law. Along the way, he built the academic and personal tools needed to thrive—often by learning to ask for help. “In the long run, this curse of having to ask for help was a blessing in disguise,” he said. “I became very comfortable speaking with individuals I didn’t know. And I became very comfortable asking for help.”

Manny’s legal career has already taken him to impressive heights. After earning his Juris Doctor, he clerked at the Washington State Court of Appeals and then for Chief Justice Steven González of the Washington State Supreme Court. Today, he is a personal injury attorney in Seattle, part of a firm where he continues to seek—and offer—guidance. “You just have to ask,” he reminded graduates. “I haven’t met anyone who wasn’t willing to help.”

His speech returned often to the metaphor of climbing mountains. “Don’t try to climb it in one day,” he advised. “Take it one step at a time. Don’t forget to rest.” That message, grounded in lived experience, resonated deeply with the graduating class. So too did his tribute to the values he first encountered at Mid-Pen—respect, kindness, acceptance, and responsibility. “At every place I’ve worked,” he said, “people are happy to work with me because I respect them. And where I haven’t been respected—it’s been a horrible experience. Don’t stay in a place where people don’t value you.”

In reflecting on his time at Mid-Pen, Manny named several faculty members who left a lasting impact: John Austin, Laurie Miller, Dave Richardson, Kurt Lange, Larry Johnston, Jodi Wright, Nancy Brown, and others. “Thank you for always believing in me,” he said. “That really mattered a lot.” He closed with a quote from César Chávez that could have been a summary of his own path: “To make a great dream come true, the first requirement is a great capacity to dream. The second is persistence.”

From a kindergarten classroom where he couldn’t understand the language to the chambers of the state Supreme Court, Manny Andrade has never stopped dreaming—or climbing.