Alumni Spotlight: Ethan Mandel '15

Ethan Mandel '15 is the embodiment of 'consideration of others.' While college students across the globe packed up their dorms and headed home indefinitely, Mandel, a sophomore electrical engineering major at Northeastern University, used his spring 2020 quarantine to fill a need he saw in his community.

With the help of a childhood friend studying chemical engineering at Virginia Tech and a backing partner, Mandel formed RSA Industries, a hand sanitizer company that donates a portion of its proceeds to families negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I just saw everything that was going on with Covid and tried to figure out a way to give back,” Mandel said. “When something needs to be accomplished, the action you take doesn’t have to be a final step,” he said.

“Sometimes you just have to keep moving forward. You have to do something rather than nothing. Start with anything.”

If those words strike a familiar chord, it’s because this is exactly the type of internal momentum exemplified by young people who have emerged as leaders (in ways both big and small) throughout the pandemic.

This potent mix of initiative and integrity reflects the real meaning behind ‘consideration of others’—as well as qualities of leadership that are highly valued in a complex, diverse society.

Mandel, also a graduate of Newark Academy, says he has Peck to thank for his ‘consideration of others’ mindset.

“When you’re younger, those ideals aren’t at the forefront of your mind,” he said. “But being surrounded by those kinds of ideas, being constantly reminded of Peck’s InDeCoRe values, subconsciously impacts you. It isn’t until later that you reflect on those values, which are now deep within your character.”

Time and perspective have caused Mandel to more fully appreciate Peck’s character education program.

“Seeing who I was then and seeing who I am now, I realize I could have done things to speed my own growth,” he said.

Peck’s emphasis on strong writing skills and public speaking practice have also served Mandel well both in college and in his new business venture. Unlike some of his engineering classmates, Mandel says he can communicate his ideas coherently both in writing and verbally.

“I have no fear of public speaking and a lot of people are terrified of it,” he says. “I was exposed to it my entire life. I don’t think kids get that at every school. I think there’s so much value in teaching that.”

In addition to his Peck education, Mandel says his ideas about leadership also come from his mother, a top executive at Wyndham Vacation Rentals. One of the key leadership qualities he has learned from her is quick decision-making.

While Mandel does think RSA Industries will continue, he envisions taking a smaller role in the company as he continues his degree program at Northeastern, which involves a rigorous experiential learning program.