From Toa Alta to Madrid, Maxwell Student Carries on Wanetik’s Spirit of Service
Angelie “Angie” Serrano Baéz ’27 has never been one to do things halfway.
The rising senior from Toa Alta, Puerto Rico, is pursuing not one, not two, but three majors—political science, international relations, and law, society and policy in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, along with a minor in Latin American studies. And, she just completed a semester abroad at Syracuse University’s center in Madrid, Spain.
That drive extends well beyond the classroom. Serrano Baéz participates in the Renée Crown University Honors Program and Kappa Alpha Pi pre-law/pre-government professional fraternity. She is active with La L.U.C.H.A., the Latinx student organization, and the Puerto Rican Student Association, where she will serve as president in her senior year. She has also volunteered as a tutor with the University’s Literacy Corps and served as a peer mentor through the Wellslink program, which pairs incoming students with returning students.
Her combination of academic achievement and commitment to others made her the selection committee’s choice for the 2026-27 Matthew Ross Wanetik Memorial Scholarship, which honors a Maxwell School student who passed away from an undetected heart ailment while studying abroad in 2008.
The parallels between Serrano Baéz and Wanetik are striking. Wanetik majored in political science and international relations and was deeply engaged in campus and community life, including service work through his fraternity. Serrano Baéz shares that spirit of involvement. She volunteers with the Make-a-Wish Foundation and We Rise Above the Streets Recovery and Outreach, a nonprofit that serves homeless and marginalized members of the community.
When asked who inspires her, she says, “My parents, because they have worked so hard to make getting an education possible for me and for my siblings.”
In her senior year, Serrano Baéz plans to complete her international relations capstone and honors thesis and begin preparing law school applications. She is considering her options. Corporate law is one possibility. She credits the scholarship with helping keep that path within reach.
“Scholarships like this are such a meaningful way to honor the legacy of Syracuse community members while also supporting current students like me who might need a little extra help to pursue higher education,” she says. “Receiving the Matthew Ross Wanetik Memorial Scholarship has truly been a blessing, and I hope it also encourages other students to take advantage of the resources available to them and apply for opportunities like this.”
The 2026-27 selection committee included two Maxwell alumni: Marshall Spevak, who received a bachelor’s degree in political science in 2010 and serves as CEO of the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial, and Erin T. Hamilton, who received a bachelor’s degree in international relations in 2019 and works in the U.S. State Department. Hamilton received the Wanetik scholarship in spring 2018.
