Introducing the Meritus Class of 2016!
The academic year is complete and we have much to celebrate! Our 20 th anniversary stands at the forefront. Meritus, since its inception, has raised close to $9.5M in scholarship support alone to benefit more than 750 Scholars. Our outcomes: 88% of Meritus Scholars are graduating from college----   far exceeding the 26% a verage for low-income students nationally. Hats off to everyone who helped along the way!
 
Joining us this year are 55 new Scholars: 50 stemming from San Francisco schools and five from schools in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties through our new partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula. Our goal is to begin to create a robust regional dialogue around equity and access in higher education by expanding the scope of our work. Our 2016 cohort will attend UCs (54%), CSUs (24%), private in-state (7%) and out-of-state universities (15%). Nine out of 10 of them are the first in their families to go to college.
 
Hearty congratulations go to the 43 Scholars completing their college degrees this year! Their accomplishments are the foundation for future opportunities and mobility. Happily, they also graduate to become Meritus alumni---- many of whom continue to work with new Scholars or pay it forward in other meaningful ways.
 
Lastly, more than 50 Scholars will be interning this summer in fields that include healthcare, business, technology, and public service. By connecting academic interests with career pursuits, our Scholars are building resumes and networks to serve them in college and prepare them for post-graduation career opportunities.
 
Happy summer! Thank you for making Meritus the special community that it is !
       

Diana M. Wolf 
Executive Directorawards
CELEBRATING OUR 20th ANNIVERSARY CLASS
The Meritus community recently gathered to honor our 55 newest Scholars at two special events: a ceremony in East Palo Alto commemorating our new partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula, as well as the 20th Annual Meritus Awards Reception in San Francisco. Many thanks to all attendees, sponsor Zephyr Real Estate, and hosts KQED and BGCP for making these celebrations possible!
graduates
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR GRADUATES
We are proud to announce that 43 Meritus Scholars have graduated from college this year! For our Scholars, this milestone represents the culmination of years of hard work and serves as a stepping stone to bright professional futures.
Clockwise from top left: May Chen, Adonis Williams, Ugonma Nwankwo, Elexus Hunter,  Edgar Velaquez, Maria Teresa Alfaro
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SUMMER INTERNSHIPS ARE UNDERWAY
This summer, Meritus Scholars will be honing their professional skills with more than 25 companies and organizations, including Genentech, Merill Lynch, and the Department of Justice. These paid internships will allow our Scholars to build networks, explore career paths, and connect their academic studies to future goals, and will culminate with a capstone poster presentation on August 4th from 4-6pm at Zephyr Real Estate (2282 Market Street). All are welcome to attend!
jasmine
STAFF UPDATE
This month we are excited to welcome Jasmine Minato to the Meritus team! Jasmine is a 2012 Meritus Scholar who recently graduated from UC San Diego with a BA in political science and public policy. As our new Career Advisor, Jasmine aims to prepare our Scholars for professional success and will draw on her experiences interning with the D.C. Attorney General, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and California Senator Dianne Feinstein.
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SAVE THE DATE!
We are pleased to announce that the 2016 Making College Count Celebration will be held on Tuesday, November 15th, 2016 from 6-9pm at the UCSF Mission Bay Rutter Center. We hope you can join us to celebrate Meritus' 20 th anniversary! Visit meritus.org/celebration to learn more about the event, join the Host Committee or purchase your tickets.
ways
Support MORE WAYS TO SUPPORT MERITUS:
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