Page 17 - Menlo Magazine Summer 2019

MENLO MAGAZINE
and counseling these talented students need to succeed
at Menlo, in college, and beyond,” said Uytengsu.
“The idea came
through my work with disadvantaged students around the Peninsula.
It’s become harder and harder for them to access the kind of world-class education they need
to transform their lives. At Menlo, we can help change that.”
For Rey Banatao, the initiative
continues a longtime family focus
on philanthropy toward education for the underrepresented. Rey’s parents, Dado and Maria Banatao, established the Banatao Family Filipino American Education Fund in 2002, and the entire Banatao family has been involved in selecting, educating, and supporting groups
of scholars from across California who are majoring in engineering, computer science, or physical science at a four- year college or university. “It’s been an amazing experience growing a community of scholars that eventually comes
full circle and gives back to others. I’ve seen firsthand how impactful access to education and mentorship can be in a young person’s life,” said Banatao. “I am very excited to take all of the learning my family has gained through our fund and help apply it to launching this new program at Menlo.”
Building on the success of the Alumni Endowed Scholarship Fund (AESF), which was established in 2007 to encourage annual gifts of any size from alumni, Centennial Scholars was created as a fund in which substantive gifts from
alumni, parents, and friends of the School could be invested with the School’s endowment in
perpetuity, its annual payout supporting the financial
needs of a select number of student scholars.
The move to endow financial aid support, Head
of School Than Healy said, has been consistent with
Menlo’s increase in its percentage of families
receiving financial aid, which over the last five
years has grown to nearly 22 percent of the enrolled
community.
“Our dedicated financial aid endowment needed to grow in line with the number
of families who are
counting on it,” Healy said. “Now, with Centennial Scholars complementing
the AESF and both growing in
I’ve seen firsthand how impactful access to education and mentorship can be in a young person’s life.
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