Giving to Menlo

"No man is an island," said English poet John Donne Meditation XVII. He seems to refer to the interdependency and connection of each person to another in order to survive and flourish. So, in keeping with Mr. Donne's famous quote, No college should be an island. Menlo College is the center of higher education for our students, but we understand that our responsibility to them and the community goes beyond our physical boundaries.

The Business Connection at Menlo College sees centers as its bridges out to the community and back onto the campus. Centers are mini think tanks; they focus on a specific issue, school of thought, or academic discipline, and then they produce programs, research, and information to advance a field and inform the public. By definition, Menlo College centers are collaborative as they require expert academicians and business leaders in order to achieve their goals. As a cutting edge institution in Silicon Valley, our goal is to identify opportunity and to support the future of business.

Our most recent business connection was the launch of the LIFT (Learn and Invest for Tomorrow) program of the Center for Financial Literacy, cosponsored by Citi and Menlo College. The Citi/Menlo collaboration is important because both of our missions reflect that we are working in partnership with corporations and individuals to fulfill mutual dreams—to be relevant to our community. You can find information about Citi on Citi's website and in our current magazine.

"Therefore, send not to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee" ends John Donne's Meditation XVII. We interpret this to mean that what affects one of us affects all of us. There lies the importance of positive connection and imagining the possibilities for the greater Menlo community and the region.

Warmest Regards,