Shirley Rumierk

Shirley Rumierk is an American actress known for her roles as Vanessa Suarez in Rise and Autumn Cox in Manifest. Born and raised in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, New York City, Rumierk is of Puerto Rican and Colombian descent. She discovered her passion for acting at a young age through the 52nd Street Project, a theater program for children in Manhattan. Rumierk attended Trinity School and later studied economics at Harvard University before switching her major to Hispanic studies. During her time at Harvard, she traveled to Cuba to study literature, history, and architecture. After graduating, she pursued her acting career and joined the Oliver Scholars, a non-profit organization for high-achieving Black and Latino students.