Update on June 2 from Cindy Folkler: “The $10,000 goal to provide assistance to Lilly Quinonez and her son, Nacho was met (exceeded)! I wanted to let you know how very grateful Lilly and Nacho are for the outpouring of support they received from InMenlo readers and community members. They send heartfelt thanks to everyone for their prayers and generosity.”

M-A Foundation for the Future Executive Director Cindy Folker has created a GoFundMe page to support Parent Outreach Coordinator Lilly Quinonez and her son, Ignacio (Nacho). Cindy writes:

“Our wonderful Parent Outreach Coordinator at Menlo-Atherton High School, Lilly Quinonez, deserves our support.

“Her beloved son, Ignacio (Nacho), was seriously burned on both of his hands in an awful accident at a construction site where he was working.

“Lilly is a single parent who cares for hundreds of students and families at Menlo-Atherton. It is our turn to help her.

“Our goal is to come together and cover her rent for the next four months as she focuses on getting her son all of the care, physical therapy and other help he is going to need.

“Any donation is appreciated.”

To donate, click here.

Eight outstanding Menlo-Atherton High School seniors received scholarships at the Kiwanis Club’s annual scholarship luncheon, Tuesday, May 24^th, at the Allied Arts Guild. This year’s scholarship awards totaled $41,000. More than $1 million has been awarded to local students during the lifetime of the Club’s scholarship program.

“There are many deserving students at M-A,” said John Martin, Chair of the Kiwanis Club’s Scholarship Committee. “We interview the students to learn more about their academic achievements, commitments to service and plans for college. It was obvious from their academic honors, community involvement and the broad range of interests each has, that this year’s scholarship winners are exceptional and very motivated. They will do well in college, and in life.“

Eight students received scholarships:

Lesly Gopar Chavez was awarded the William D. Martin Memorial Scholarship. She will be attending the University of California Davis and plans to major in Psychology, a great area of interest to her as a result of her volunteer work with children.

Ritwik Kesavath received the Damon Wedding Memorial Scholarship which he will use to attend Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. A member of the M-A Robotics Team for four years and the Quiz Bowl Team for three years, he plans to get a degree in Computer Engineering.

Caroline Sobek was awarded the Les Cutting Memorial Scholarship and will study Bio-Chemistry and minor in Statistics at UCLA this fall. Her passion for both fields is the result of an opportunity to participate in Paleo-Biology lab research at Stanford and her work as the statistician for the MA wrestling team and other school activities.

Sharon Ontiveros Cuevas will attend the University of San Francisco to major in both Chemistry and Spanish or Portuguese. She has a summer internship at Stanford in Stem Cell Research and would like to help people as a Physician Researcher focusing on stem cell research.

Orbelina Alvarado Carranza will attend Canada College this fall. After finishing school there, she will select a college to advance her plans to study Business Administration or Law so that she can work with immigrant communities.

Ariel Sullivan’s volunteer experiences in Future Career Community Leaders of America and her advocacy for drought prevention influenced her choice for college. She will be attending Sewanee University of the South this fall. The school has a 99% green ratio, which fits nicely with her desire to study Environmental & Sustainable Services. She also plans to major in Spanish.

Luis Acosta-Linares will attend the University of California in Berkeley and will focus on Science, possibly Neuro Science. He will intern with Kaiser this summer as part of its Partners In Health program.

Carlos Acosta-Linares hopes to become a Pharmacist. He will study both Pharmacy and Public Health at the University of California Merced. This summer he will intern with Kaiser as part of its Partners In Health program.

Menlo Park Kiwanis Club is an active and committed partner to many non-profit organizations, having given over $100,000 last year in support of local projects. These include scholarships for Menlo-Atherton High School graduates and volunteer work with St Anthony’s Dining Room, Tour deCure of Diabetes, Special Games for physically challenged youth, Rebuilding Together and Menlo Park’s Kite Day. The Club’s annual Christmas Tree Lot is the major source of funding for all of these philanthropic activities. Visitors are welcome to the Club’s weekly luncheon meetings, Tuesdays, 12:00-1:15 pm, at the Allied Arts Guild. To reserve a spot call 650-580-4441.

Photo caption: John Martin, Menlo Park Kiwanis Club Scholarship Chair (left) and Bruce Wellings, Kiwanis Club President (right), handed out eight scholarships to Sharon Ontiveros Cuevas, Caroline Sobek, Ritwik Kesavath, Lesly Gopar Chavez, Ariel Sullivan, Carlos Acosta-Linares, Luis Acosta-Linares, and Orbelina Alvarado Carranza.

Amidst deafening air horns, rambunctious cheers, and a blazing afternoon sun, Menlo-Atherton High School held its 65th graduation ceremony at 4:00 pm on Thursday, June 2, with 427 graduates participating.

Following the traditional M-A band and orchestra performance of Pomp and Circumstance, Olivia Luna, Bryce Rodgers, Olliver Pelayo, and Christopher Tinsley gave inspiring senior speeches.

Graduates turned their tassels as Principal Simone Kennel wished them a fond farewell. Families and friends rushed the field to congratulate the recent graduates.

Photos by Caraline Albro; Graduate Molly Kearnan hides behind her University of California, Berkeley-decorated graduation cap.

Around 50 people turned out this afternoon at the Alpine Inn (Zott’s) for the 60th reunion of the Menlo-Atherton High School class of 1956. That was the second graduating class to start as freshman and complete their fourth year as seniors at M-A.

Over the years, we’d met a couple of people from this graduating class and were glad to talk with former Oakland Tribune reporter Dave Newhouse (right, shown promoting another classmate’s book) who’d shared his thoughts on his class’s 55th reunion a few years back.

And wearing another hat, that as member of the Menlo-Atherton High School Alumni Board, we were grateful to receive a check for $1,000, a class of ’56 gift that will go towards the Alumni Board’s scholarship program for graduating seniors.

Photos by Linda Hubbard (c) 2016

Talking about money may make some youth more squeamish than a freshman at his first biology dissection, but knowledge about money remains core to an individual’s ability to succeed in the modern economy. Teens from under-resourced communities in Menlo Park and beyond often graduate from high school without basic financial literacy. The volunteers and teachers of Future Profits aim to change that.

The Future Profits curriculum grounds the lessons in the context of daily life, covering everything from payday loans and saving accounts to life planning. Activities and competitions cut down on “chalk talk,” engaging students with games such as analyzing how modern music talks about money.

The Future Profits program has expanded to seven local high schools, including Menlo-Atherton. The majority of the partner schools are located within the Sequoia Union High School District, and the organization aims to reach those students at high risk for dropout or moving toward minimum wage jobs.

Teachers voluntarily set aside one class session per week. A team of Future Profits volunteers use the class session to present the 24-lesson curriculum over the course of two semesters. Each team includes a rookie and veteran volunteer, allowing the new volunteer to learn the ropes before going on to teach the curriculum and mentor another volunteer themselves the following school year.

Steve Sawyer, eight-year veteran volunteer of the program and a resident of Menlo Oaks, said that he sees the program expanding the horizons of students and helping the kids “develop more of a vision of the possible in their lives.” He hopes students gain an “effective set of tools” to discern paths for themselves through activities that help the students plan their personal, financial, and life goals.

In the opinion of Lil Johnson, who started as a volunteer in 2012, the program provides a “vocabulary of how to make it in the world and not get played.” Rather than being directed simply for under-resourced kids, Johnson believes “all high schools should have this” or a similar program in financial literacy.

Now that summer break has ended, volunteers will be heading out to Menlo-Atherton with the onset of the fall semester. These dedicated volunteers hope the program continues to reach more and more students so that the teens of the Bay Area are not held back by ignorance of money.

Photos by Kirsten Warner-Davis, Community and Development Manager at Able Works

Wilbur Lombard “Bud” Fellows, 89, passed away peacefully in his sleep on September 9, 2016 in San Diego. Born in San Francisco to Horace and Madeleine Fellows he lived a long, healthy and fulfilled life. He was married for 63 years to Coralie (Hill) Fellows who passed away in April, 2014.

Mr. Fellows is much remembered by Menlo-Atherton High School alums as he served as a Spanish, French and Latin teacher, as well as Counselor, Dean of Boys, and Principal of the Adult School over a 35-year career that spanned from 1953 to 1986. His son Don’s post about his father’s passing on the Do You Remember the Old Menlo Park Facebook page received hundreds of tributes.

In addition to his career in education, Mr. Fellows served on numerous professional and civic boards in Menlo Park including the Rotary Club, the Menlo Park Library Commission, among others.

He served in the U.S. Army at the end of World War II and went on to earn bachelors and master’s degrees at San Jose State University where he met Coralie. He also attended Mexico City College where he played collegiate football and developed his love of languages.

Bud is survived by his brother, Kenneth Fellows of Sacramento; children Don (Jill), and Kaerla; and grandchildren Lauren Springfield, Ryan and Austin Fellows and a three-month-old great granddaughter, Charlotte Elizabeth Springfield.

A celebratory service will be held on Friday, September 16, 2016 from 3:00 – 5:00 pm at the Remington Club in Rancho Bernardo. Donations may be made to the Elizabeth Hospice, 500 La Terraza Blvd. #130, Escondido, CA, 92025.

Homework. College essays. Social media. Sports. Volunteering. Part-time jobs. Friends. Teens’ lives are jam-packed from the minute they wake up until the time they finally sleep — just keeping up is a daily struggle for many.

Partially filmed at Menlo-Atherton High School, Breaking Points explores the stress and pressures our teens face every day, as well as the unhealthy ways that some of them cope. This powerful film is part of The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids’ Medicine Abuse Project, a national action campaign with the goal of preventing and addressing prescription medicine abuse among teens.

The film, which will be introduced by M-A Principal Simone Rick-Kennel and former principal Matthew Zito, will screen on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 7:00 pm in the M-A Performing Arts Center.

M-A Parent Education Series events are free, sponsored by the M-A PTA, the Sequoia Healthcare District, and the Sequoia Union High School District. Advance registration is appreciated. Simultaneous Spanish interpretation will be available.

M-A football coach Adhir Ravipati was named the San Francisco 49ers Charlie Wedemeyer Memorial Coach of the Week winner for week four following last Friday night’s win over Los Gatos High School, 35-28.

At the end of the game, Los Gatos only needed to get in the end zone to tie it up, but in a series that couldn’t have summed up the crazy game better, M-A came up with a huge sack on a 4th and four to finally secure the win.

“It is somewhat ironic that I receive this great recognition after a game that I was not happy with our team’s performance, but I was definitely proud of the growth a sloppy game like this showed in our kids,” explained head coach Ravipati.

He was not satisfied with how his team played, but he was very proud of what a tough win like this proves about his team. The coaching staff stresses the importance of their players’ success off the football field and puts a heavy emphasis on the importance of being good leaders and men in life.

“We talk a lot about that process of what it takes to be successful off the field. While it was a frustrating game, I think Friday was a great testament to the process and brought home everything we preach and value,” said Coach Ravipati.

“This game speaks volumes on the growth of our players over the course of a year. To overcome the adversity they did and go through that and come out on the other side… They had to dig deep in this one and believe in themselves, and not quit just because it was hard.”

This is coach Ravipati’s second year as head coach at M-A, and he deflected much of the credit to his principal at Menlo-Atherton, the administration, the board, athletic directors and of course, the rest of his staff.

“They just do so much for our kids off the field and they are so supportive; I wouldn’t be able to do it without them and their support, and they deserve so much of this credit. I’m humbled by this recognition,” he said.

As 49ers Coach of the Week, Adhir Ravipati will receive a $1,000 grant for the Menlo-Atherton High School football program from the 49ers Foundation. As part of this award, he will also receive two tickets to a 49ers home game where he will be recognized on the field. The week prior to the game, Coach Ravipati will be invited to the visit the SAP Performance Facility to watch a closed practice where 49ers head coach Chip Kelly will officially present him with his award.

On November 26, the Menlo-Atherton High School class of 2006 held its 10-year reunion at Novela in San Francisco. “We had nearly 100 people,” emailed Jackson Slavik, one of the reunion’s organizers.

If you’ve spotted the bags of Ladera Granola and are wondering what they’re doing there, Brian Tetrud, that company’s founder, is a member of the class, and he catered the event.

Jackson (black shirt) is pictured above with Terry Hutt on his right and Eric Gumerlock on his left.

He provided the caption for the group photo below: “From left to right is: Phil Fox, Julia Hill, Jason Dunne, Kate Roberts, Stuart Abramson, Jacque Cuisinot, Jamal White, Erica Tolda, Jess Wijtman, and Squid Trempont (the last one is obviously a high school nickname, hope you can include it!)”

While the rest of her classmates at Menlo-Atherton High School are walking the halls of campus this winter and spring, junior Holly Newman will be walking the halls of Congress.

Nominated by Senator Diane Feinstein, Holly is one of only 30 high school juniors in the country who will be taking part in the Senate Page Program, equally divided by gender.

“From an individual perspective, I’m really looking forward to it,” she said. “The independence will be refreshing. This is like a mini college-experience because I’ll be living with my peers.

“From a broader perspective, politics are so important to me. Everyone needs to know what’s going on in the country. What better opportunity than to learn the workings of governmentfrom an internal perspective .”

Senator Daniel Webster appointed the first Senate page in 1829; women were first appointed in 1971. Page responsibilities include delivery of correspondence and legislative material within the Congressional Complex. Pages may also take messages for Members, prepare the Senate Chamber for session and carry bills and amendments to the desk.

Pages are housed in the Senate Page Dormitory, which is located a few blocks from the Capitol. They attend class in the early morning, studying typical junior year subjects such as mathematics, English, and social studies. A Field Studies program also ensures that Pages are exposed to many of the educational and cultural activities that Washington, D.C. offers.

The impetus for Holly applying to be a Page was an experience she had working for the M-A Chronicle. “Justice Scalia had died and I walked around campus asking for comments,” she recalled. “By and large no one knew who he was. That kind of opened my eyes to how apathetic about politics kids my age are.”

Holly learned more about the political process working on Senator Hillary Clinton’s campaign for President, working as the assistant to the San Mateo County Director. She was tasked with managing phone banks and coordinating volunteers.

She had already applied to be a Page when she met Senator Feinstein at a Clinton campaign event. “I hadn’t been accepted yet, but I went up to her and said, ‘It would be an honor to work with you!'”

Holly heads to Washington with a loftier goal ahead: She wants to be a politician when she grows up.

Photo by Linda Hubbard (c) 2016

Except for a few years owning a wine store in Capitola, it’s music that’s been front and center in Menlo-Atherton High School teacher Kent Kurris’ life. He plays both the piano and the French horn and has taught at both the high school and college level, starting in 2010 at M-A, overseeing two classes of orchestra, the concert band, and two jazz bands.

His arrival on campus filled big shoes. His predecessor, music teacher Frank Moura, had been on campus for 39 years and his jazz bands had won hundreds of awards during his tenure.

“I like to look at it as continuing the excellence, and adding on,” said Kent, who initiated something M-A had never had — an orchestra. “Pulling together a traditional full orchestra with strings and winds has brought more balance to the music program.”

Meanwhile, the jazz bands continue to win awards. In December, M-A’s Jazz Band III took first place in the Advanced Jazz Band Category while M-A’s Jazz Combo placed first for the second year in a row at the San Joaquin Delta Jazz Festival.

“That’s the first time they’ve both taken first place,” Kent said.

The M-A jazz bands typically go to six to eight festivals a year; most high school bands do one or two. “As long as we have bands that play on that level, I want to give them exposure,” said Kent.

That kind of travel, of course, takes money. The program’s big fundraiser, the Big Band Dance, takes place on Saturday, January 21, from 7:00 to 10:00 pm in Ayers Gym on the M-A campus. This year there’s an option to make it a dinner dance by pre-ordering a Mediterranean meal. Details are available online.

Kent’s musical tastes are as varied as the music the orchestras and bands he conducts play. “I really listen to everything,” he said. “My favorite artist changes by the week.”

How much he personally sits down at the keyboard is also variable. “My wife can tell what kind of day I had by how I play the piano when I get home,” he said. “This job takes a lot out of you. I can be plunking and playing all day long, so some times it’s the last thing I want to do when I get home!”

Photos by Irene Searles

Locals turned out tonight at Freewheel Brewing Company, which the late Malcolm McGinnis opened with a number of co-partners four years ago.

Malcolm, who passed away in September, was active as a lacrosse coach at Menlo-Atherton High School, where his son Duncan played. Daughter Lauren, a senior at M-A, has also been involved in athletics at M-A.

M-A athletic director Steven Kryger told us that in honor of Malcolm, the school is establishing the Menlo-Atherton Boys Varsity Head, Heart and Balls Scholarship award, which was the focus of the fundraising event at Freewheel tonight.

An annual award of $1,000 will go the senior who demonstrates over the course of his career the qualities that Coach McGinnis stressed: an exceptional player who exemplifies awareness and knowledge (head), leadership and honor (heart), and sacrifice and competitive spirit (balls).

People who didn’t attend tonight’s event can donate by making checks out to Menlo-Atherton Boys Lacrosse (reference Coach McGinnis Scholarship Fund). Mail to: Steven Kryger, 555 Middlefield Road, Atherton, CA 94027.

Photos by Linda Hubbard (c) 2017

Three residents of Menlo Park — Jamie L. Cleron (Crystal Springs Uplands School), Alexa Thomson (Sacred Heart Preparatory; photo right) and Andrew D. Yates (Menlo-Atherton High School; photo below right) have been selected as candidates for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. They were selected from nearly 3.5 million students expected to graduate from U.S. high schools in 2017.

Inclusion in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, now in its 53nd year, is one of the highest honors bestowed upon graduating high school seniors. Scholars are selected on the basis of superior academic and artistic achievements, leadership qualities, strong character and involvement in community and school activities.

This program was established in 1964, by Executive Order of the President, to recognize and honor some of the nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors. In 1979, the Program was extended to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative and performing arts. In 2015, the program was again extended to recognize students who demonstrate ability and accomplishment in career and technical education fields.

A distinguished panel of educators will review the submissions and select 800 semifinalists in early April. The Commission on Presidential Scholars, a group of up to 32 eminent citizens appointed by the President, will select the finalists, and the U.S. Department of Education will announce the Scholars in May. Scholars will be invited to Washington, DC, for several days in June to receive the Presidential Scholars Medallion at a recognition ceremony and to participate in events and activities.

Application is by invitation only. Students may not apply individually to the program, nor may their schools nominate them.

When the Menlo-Atherton High School bell rings on August 16 for the beginning of the 2017-18 school year, physical education teacher Pam Wimberly will be there — just as she’s been for the past 50 years!

She’ll be bringing with her yet another award. This Saturday, June 17, she is being inducted into the Hall of Fame by the California Coaches Association. She is already a member of M-A’s hall of fame.

It’s the kids that keep her going, she says. “I’m motivated by what has always motivated me, to instill in students the importance of physical fitness for the rest of their lives.”

Pam had recently graduated from Morgan State College, a historically-black school in Baltimore, when a gentleman by the name of John Bunting came calling.  “He was traveling throughout the South to recruit African-Amercan teachers for the Sequoia High School District,” she recalls. “We talked in person on campus, and then I had a three-way call with him along with the chairman of the physical education department.

“I got the job and moved west in August of 1968. I had an aunt here but otherwise knew no one. My parents did encourage me; they’d passed through the Golden Gate during my dad’s Army career and felt California was a good place to be.”

While the San Francisco Bay Area has been her home ever since, she brought with her a born-on-the-East-Coast love of the Dodgers, for which she gets a fair amount of ribbing from her students. “It was the Dodgers who gave a black man the chance to play, and I got to see Jackie Robinson at Connie Mack Stadium [in Philadelphia] and that was that. I’ve been a Dodger fan ever since,” she says. “Whenever they’re in town, I sit right behind their dugout at AT&T with my daughter in her Giants garb right next to me.”

At M-A, Pam coached basketball for 42 years and softball for 15 years. She was also the Athletic Director for 24 years. We wondered if there was any special memory, special team. She paused before answering: “I had an outstanding group of young ladies when we won the second CCS basketball championship.”

Pam, who was named teacher of the year at M-A in 1986, considers herself “an educator first.” But that doesn’t diminish her love of sports. The senior softball team she coaches, Saints Express, competed today in the National Senior Games in Birmingham, winning one and losing one in the 65+ division. So yes, educator first but always competitor, too.

Photo by Irene Searles (c) 2017

Did you know that Menlo-Atherton High School was the only school in San Mateo County to be named a California Distinguished School in 2013 (also in 1986 and 2007)? Of current grads, 96% continue their education; 60% attend a wide variety of four-year colleges including private and out-of-state schools, and 37% attend two-year colleges.

That demonstrates that an awesome education is happening at our local high school whose student population is extremely diverse. And, as I found out last spring, local businesses have a unique opportunity to elevate certain educational experiences, stepping out of their worlds to provide guidance and support to students who dream of one day playing critical roles outside the classroom.

Bringing the professional world into a classroom setting offers high school students experiences and perspectives that are generally reserved for post-collegiate existence. It gives them an invaluable head start in fermenting concepts and ideas that will become commonplace once they graduate and seek employment.

It is in this spirit of reaching out, of two worlds colliding and coexisting, of infusing a high school curriculum with the passion and knowledge of a local business, that my Menlo Park-based company, PERSONIFY, got involved, initially due to the simple desire “to give back, somehow.”

PERSONIFY is a strategic design firm, crafting logos and solutions for a variety of clients. Our services are rooted in a fundamental belief in the power of effective design’s capacity for goodness and betterment of business and society.

So, for nearly two months, the PERSONIFY team dedicated the whole of its creative spirit into the students studying multimedia design at M-A,, crafting a six-week curriculum focused mainly on the process of creating a new logo and brand identity for a local pizza place. In doing so, the students began to understand design process in both theory and professional practice, with the team returning every week to guide and inspire their work.

The power and potency of a positive approach and creative mind were continuously stressed, providing the students with a constructive means by which to navigate the ups and downs of any design process.

As an old, weathered cliché informs us: With any truly wonderful experience (be it educational or otherwise) it is the journey taken, not the final destination, where the most valuable pearls of truth and knowledge lie.

Yes, these six weeks would produce a handful of new logos, but the most resonating and empowering aspect of the curriculum was, according to M-A teacher Chris Rubin, the generation and understanding of a process by which problems were solved and solutions created. In the end, it was about ‘What are the processes to solve any problem?’ You can do anything as long as you can master this process; it’s universal and applicable to all aspects of life.

If you are intrigued at the idea of getting your local company involved at M-A, contact Principal Simone Rick-Kennel.

Author Krista Skehan, who grew up in Atherton, is the founder and Creative Director of Menlo Park-based PERSONIFY. She’s pictured far right in the photograph, along with her colleagues Katie Stewart and Matt Niehues, walking the halls of M-A.

Three M-A parents – Stella Bergan, Susan Mohr, and Stacey Alexander – along with M-A football coach Adhir Ranipati worked together to establish the Aisea Bojack Mataele Scholarship Fund to honor the Menlo-Atherton High School student who passed away last December from a rare illness. Here is the announcement:

“It is with enormous “Bear Pride” that we announce the Aisea “Bojack” Mataele Scholarship Fund. As many of you know, our community lost a dear friend and beloved Menlo-Atherton student/athlete when Aisea Bojack Mataele passed away on December 21, 2016 from a rare illness.

“We have established the scholarship fund to help carry on the amazing legacy that Aisea left at M-A as a scholar, an athlete and a true gentleman in every respect. As an accomplished two sport athlete, playing both football and basketball, Aisea was a humble giant who was the emotional rock for many of his friends, and served as an inspiration to his peers both on the field and in the class room.

“The Aisea “Bojack” Mataele Scholarship will be awarded to a football player who embraces the qualities and characteristics that Aisea demonstrated during his time at M-A. They will have accomplished the same goals and high standards that Aisea maintained and excel at all three pillars of the M-A Football Program which include academics, athletics and community service.

“We invite you to help us. To read more about Aisea’s story, make a donation, and make a difference in the life of another M-A student in honor of Aisea “Bojack” Mataele, please visit our web page.”

InMenlo received this email from M-A co-athletic director Steven Kryger:

“Our district, school, and athletic administrators have been monitoring the communications from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District the past few days in response to the local air quality being effected by the wildfires in the North Bay.

“In the best interest of the health of our student-athletes, coaches, and officials, we have made the decision to cancel all outdoor athletic events for the remainder of the week. This includes the football games scheduled for Friday night vs. Aragon High School at Coach Parks Field.

“Any games rescheduled will be posted on our athletic website, www.bearsathletics.com.”

Note: Sacred Heart Prep and Menlo School are also cancelling various sporting events; check the schools’ websites for latest information.

Photo of M-A football field by Betsy Sergeant Snow (c)2014

Cameron Bozdog, a senior at Menlo-Atherton High School, earned the highest possible ACT composite score of 36.

On average, less than one-tenth of 1 percent of students who take the ACT earn a top score. In the U.S. high graduating class of 2016, only 2,235 out of nearly 2.1 million graduates who take the ACT earned a composite score of 36.

The ACT consists of tests in English, mathematics, reading and science, each scored on a scale of 1.36. A student’s composite score is the average of the four test scores. Some students also take the optional ACT writing test, but the score for that test is reported separately and in not included within the ACT composite score.

In a letter to Cameron, ACT Chief Executive Officer Marten Roorda wrote: “Your achievement on the ACT is significant and rare. While test scores are just one of the multiple criteria that most colleges consider when making admission decisions, your exceptional ACT composite score should prove helpful as your pursue your education and career goals.

Editor’s note: M-A senior Cricket Gorey founded the WOMBAT Club at the school in 2014. The name is an acronym for Women of Medicine, Business and Technology. While M-A is 40% Latino, she noticed that few Latinas participated in WOMBAT programs. So, last month, she did a special outreach to AVID students as part of her Gold Award projects approved by the Girl Scouts of NorCal. The following article about the resulting STEM Fair originally appeared in M-A Chronicle.

On Tuesday, January 23, the Women Of Medicine, Business, and Technology (WOMBAT) Club had a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) event for Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Students to learn about different career paths. Women of all backgrounds and STEM fields had tables set up around the Performing Arts Center Cafe, eager to share their stories of innovation.

Senior Cricket Gorey, founder of the WOMBAT Club, started the process of organizing the STEM fair back in November. “I reached out to the Anita Borg Institute, which helps promote women into computer science,” says Cricket. “They helped connect me to all these amazing women. I also reached out to old WOMBAT speakers.

“I contacted Erica Bland and asked her if AVID would be willing to take a day off class to visit a STEM fair. The fair was open at lunch to the whole school, and during fourth and fifth periods, several AVID teachers brought their students to the fair to hear the women speak. This was unique to the club… it’s usually just the monthly speakers. We’ve never had a big event like this before. It was a pretty exciting step forward for the WOMBAT Club.”

There were eight representatives from six different companies. Two women explained their respective positions as software engineer and biology researcher at 23 and Me, a genetic testing company. Lynne Thieme, a graduate of the University of Illinois in the Delta-Gamma sorority, continues her sorority work by helping blind athletes. Other speakers included Juanita Mah, a programmer working for Lantian Software, and representatives from Microsoft (Claudia Galvan), Broyhill Asset Management (Andrea Sefler) and HP, Inc (Sofia Marquez and Aja Hartman).

Cricket, along with co-founder Isabelle Sapountzis, began the club early in 2014 with a vision to inspire female students into medicine, business, and technology fields. “I went to the state science fair as a seventh grader, and I remember looking down the row of projects and noticing, there’s no other girls here. It was weird, that I was 12, and there was already a gender split. I kept thinking about that. So in freshman year, I thought, let’s do something about this!”

Isabelle has also followed her love of science. As a middle schooler, she joined robotics in spite of being the only female present. “It would make me a little sad. Why am I the only girl in here? Does nobody else feel comfortable enough to be in this class?”

Ever since she was young, Cricket has loved the wombat animal. “I was joking around that I’d start a wombat club, because of the name,” she explains. “Then I realized that it could stand for Women of Medicine, Business, and Technology.” With a name to the idea, the WOMBAT Club began.

Photo top from rrom left to right: Cricket Gorey,Juanita Mah (Lantian Software), Ksenia Kriksunov (23andMe), Andrea Sefler (Broyhill Asset Management), Lynne Thieme (Collegiate Services), Sofia Marquez (HP Inc.), Patricia Penton (23andMe), Aja Hartman (HP, Inc.), and Claudia Galvan (Microsoft)

Second photo: AVID students learn about different future careers at the STEM Fair

Friday evening (2/2) the basketball court in Menlo Atherton High School’s Ayers Gym was named Wimberly Court in honor of long-time, outstanding girls basketball coach, Pam Wimberly.

“Coach Wimberly’s contributions to the M-A girls basketball program and M-A overall these past 50 years are immeasurable,” said M-A co-Athletic Director Steven Kryger.  “She has had a tremendous impact on the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of lives through basketball and PE. This is truly a deserving honor and will help solidify her legacy for years to come.”

InMenlo profiled Pam last June and many of her former students commented on the positive impact she’d made on their lives.

Photos of Pam with her family and on the court courtesy of M-A Athletic Department