NEWS & RECENT EVENTS

Buy your books at Keplers and help PCF
Buy all your books at Kepler’s in Menlo Park. As a new “community partner” with Kepler’s, PCF receives 10% of all purchases when you mention “Peninsula College Fund” at the time of purchase! This money will go directly to scholarship students! Use this link when making purchases.

2011 Career Success Day
Students were back to work the morning after the Holiday Party at PCF's Career Success Day.  Students had the opportunity to hear from expert career counselors, with sessions geared toward their grade level, as well as participate in one-on-one mock interviews.  Students also learned about the importance and art of writing Thank You letters, and put it into practice by writing notes to several PCF donors.  Thank you to our volunteers: Robin Royale, Dee Harris, Joe Connolly, Karen Canty, and Michelle Rodriguez, with special thanks to Tim Johnston, Marianne Adoradio, and Sandra Clark.  Thank you to Eastside College Prep for providing the facilities.

2011 Career Success Day: Students practicing interview skills

2011 Holiday Party
We hosted our annual Holiday Party on December 21st at Sacred Heart Preparatory.  Students and mentors had the opportunity to reunite with friends, enjoy a delicious meal, and listen to the beautiful music of Presentation High School's choir.  Students received biscotti, Thank Card cards and the book 365 Thank Yous as gifts.  Thank you to Fran Eastman, Sacred Heart Prep, Presentation's Jazz Choir and Hyperion for their generosity.

PCF students enjoyed catching up at the Holiday Party at Sacred Heart Prep

2011 College Success Weekend
Over 55 scholars attended PCF's first College Success Weekend, held August 13-14 on the Notre Dame de Namur (NDNU) campus in Belmont. The two-day event featured speakers and panels on a broad range of practical topics from goal setting and networking to financial planning and gender-specific challenges faced by college students. But the weekend wasn't all business. Interspersed among the rigorous schedule of seminars and speakers were various team-building activities designed to help the 15 new PCF scholars bond with the other students and build an  extensive support group to sustain them as they head off to their various colleges. The students especially enjoyed the opportunity to spend Saturday night in the dorms at NDNU. A great time was had by all, as they played video games, ping-pong, and yes, even musical chairs, "duck duck goose," and hide and go seek! PCF students learned, played, laughed, and came away more prepared to meet the challenges of college.

2011 Awards Ceremony:
PCF was pleased to welcome 15 new high school graduates to its scholarship program in a moving ceremony held June 18 at Sacred Heart Prep in Atherton. With the addition of this class, PCF has awarded scholarships to a total of 67 students since it was founded six years ago. Representing six mid-Peninsula high schools, the 15 new PCF scholars are currently attending an impressive and diverse scholars group of colleges and universities, including Connecticut College, Mount Holyoke College, Occidental College, Santa Clara University, University of California, Santa Barbara, and others. The highlight of the evening was an address by Santa Clara University professor and internationally recognized author, Dr.Francisco Jimenez. Drawing upon his own experience growing up as a migrant farm worker, Francisco urged PCF scholars to view their financial and personal challenges as positives to "boost them up" as they continue their educational journeys. He also reminded students that, just as he was helped in achieving his dream, all of them have a responsibility to serve their community by giving back. The awards ceremony also featured inspirational speeches by current and new PCF scholars, including Manuel Castro, a recent graduate of UC Davis, who talked about the challenges of being a first-generation minority student, and Izamar Moya,a freshman at Connecticut College, who spoke about the importance of building a support group. A new video depicting the important work of PCF was also shown, adding the final touch to a ceremony that was filled with inspiration, motivation and even some tears.

Article in the Palo Alto Weekly about PCF
"Scholarship winners, grads, to be feted Saturday", Chris Kenrick, Palo Alto Weekly, June 16, 2011 Download PDF here

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