Celebrating Volunteers at Menlo College Posted on April 28, 2022January 27, 2025 by menlocollege Volunteerism and service are at the heart of the Menlo College community. Academic Achievers Give Back to the Community This academic year, led by Accounting Professor Ruixue Du, Menlo relaunched its participation in the VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program. One of Menlo’s standout Accounting students, Moncerrat Barriga Villalobos ’22 undertook five training sessions followed by a VITA exam. After passing her exam, Moncerrat subsequently volunteered five Saturdays in a row to help prepare tax filings for low-income residents in San Mateo County. “Participating in VITA was a wonderful experience and it was an honor to put my skills to use. I appreciated the opportunity to help these residents complete their tax filings while also honing my accounting skills,” said Moncerrat. What’s more, Menlo College also relaunched its Alpha Chi program this year. The program is reserved for Menlo students who have secured a spot among the top 10% of academic performers in the College. After earning their place in the program, Alpha Chi participants then hosted students from local Sequoia High School to share the benefits of a college education with prospective students. “This program helps high school students develop critical social skills and encourages their academic achievement,” Dean of the School of Business and Professor of Business Analytics Mouwafac Sidaoui related. “It helps them discover their sense of belonging in a college community and broadens their perspectives for future career and academic opportunities. Menlo College students have an important role to play in helping high school students envision themselves on their way to success.” Supporting One Another on Campus In addition to volunteerism with the local community through academics, Menlo formally launched its Community Refrigerator and Food Pantry in the 2021-22 academic year. Since then, in addition to the support from seed funding from the Menlo Park Rotary Foundation, the Basic Needs Task Force raises funds from those on campus as well as secures volunteers to go food shopping, to keep the provisions plenished. “Our goal on the Basic Needs Task Force is to ensure that no one goes to class hungry,” said Student Government Association President and Basic Needs Task Force Chair Rasmia Shuman ’22. “Thanks to an amazing team of volunteers, the refrigerator and pantry are constantly replenished, keeping our community fed and strong. The team has plans to expand into other areas of identified need, like health and hygiene supplies, and professional clothing, too.” Service to others is also reflected in alumni involvement on campus. For example, at the most recent Career Connect Day, a record number of more than 20 alumni volunteered to share their insights and wisdom into achieving professional success with current students. “I was a full-tuition room and board scholarship student. I would never have had the opportunity for a successful career without the education, skills, knowledge I gained at Menlo. I never would’ve had this beautiful network of Menlo friends to get jobs from and give jobs to. I owe my career to Menlo College, and so what I owe, I pay back. … Being involved at Menlo post-graduation has enriched me in a million ways,” Frances Mann-Craik ’76 said. Menlo Athletics Consistently Earn National Recognition in Volunteerism The Menlo Athletics program is another area of the College that excels in volunteerism. For more than 10 years (with a pandemic interruption), Menlo Athletics was named a “Champions of Character” institution by the NAIA. Part of the recognition is due to the program’s dedication to service. For example, the Athletics Department runs a drive every year for a local organization to provide gifts for underserved youth in the San Francisco Bay Area. A complete list of recent activities by team is available on the Menlo Athletics website. “Service is very important to Menlo Athletics. It is our aim that our student-athletes become leaders, and part of learning to be a leader is to be in service to others. It’s a cornerstone of athletic programming that reinforces the role athletics can play in molding the leaders of tomorrow,” said Vice President for Enrollment Management and Athletics Keith Spataro. A History of Service at Menlo College Beyond the volunteer programming embedded in the Menlo curricula, Menlo also serves as a physical host for various civic and cultural events. During election time, Menlo transforms into a community polling station. The College also co-hosts the annual sculpture show, bringing larger-than-life art from around the world to campus for the Bay Area to enjoy. “Menlo’s mission is for its graduates to make meaningful contributions to the innovation economy. The students of today are interested in doing so, as well as creating a more just, equitable, and harmonious world. Their passion is reflected in the time and dedication they – and our whole community – put into serving those around them,” said Menlo College President Steven Weiner. Read more: Applying to Menlo CollegeOpening with Artistry: Menlo College Reopens Campus with a New Sculpture DonationMenlo College Named NAIA Five Star Champions of Character Institution for 10th Consecutive Year About Menlo College Menlo College was established in 1927. It is a small, private, non-profit, four-year, accredited, residential college located in Atherton, California. Menlo College’s location in Silicon Valley, one of the world’s most entrepreneurial and innovative geographical areas, has enabled the college to create a valuable market niche for its students locally — as well as globally. Menlo College cultivates in its students the skills, integrity, and passion to make meaningful contributions in an innovation economy.
Menlo College’s Dean of Arts and Sciences Expands on Commitment to Engaging Student Voters ahead of 2022 Elections Posted on April 25, 2022January 27, 2025 by menlocollege Dean of Arts & Sciences and Professor of Political Science Melissa Michelson this month launched the Student Vote Research Network (SVRN), an inclusive, collaborative space for scholars, students, advocacy organizations, and community practitioners to come together to grow college student voter engagement through research and programming. Student voter turnout has surged in recent years, doubling from 2014 to 2018, and students voted at nearly the same rate as the general population in the November 2020 election after decades of low rates of participation. The SVRN seeks to grow student civic engagement even further, with a goal of 100% student turnout. Increasing student civic engagement is seen by scholars as crucial to the future of the health of democracy, and to giving younger Americans a voice in political decisions that affect their lives such as student debt, funding for higher education, and the economy. Menlo College Contributes to National Initiatives to Increase Student Voter Turnout Many scholars and organizations have worked to understand student turnout over the past few decades, including the National Study of Learning Voting and Engagement (NSLVE) and other coalition spaces. SVRN brings the conversation together into a single network, in order to cultivate cross-pollination of ideas, research findings, and on-the-ground knowledge from students and practitioners. “We’re looking to bring together all of these individuals and organizations who have been working independently in isolation so that we can be clear on best practices, what we need to know, and what we need to add,” Dean Michelson said. Nearly 1,000 colleges committed to making a plan for achieving 100% student voter participation in the 2022 elections, and the Student Vote Research Network aims to help these institutions achieve their goals. Co-founded by Democracy House, an organization co-founded by Ian Simmons, the Student Vote Research Network will officially launch on Wednesday, April 27, 2022 with an inaugural Workshop on the State of the Student Vote. This will be a collaborative space for dialogue among scholars, students, and advocates dedicated to growing college student voter engagement. Attendees will be able to share knowledge, workshop ongoing projects together, and brainstorm ideas about research initiatives. Mobilization Continues Around Campus in Effort to Increase Voter Participation More locally, a team of 12 students at Menlo College is working with Dean Michelson toward the 100% participation goal, supported by a grant from the San Mateo County Voter Engagement Fund. The initiative is looking to increase voter turnout through one-on-one outreach by student leaders, visual reminders on campus and on social media, use of classroom time to allow students to register, and easily-accessed educational materials. The Menlo College Student Voter Mobilization Plan’s specific activities also include on-campus registration drives in April, as well as a ballot completion festival in mid-May after vote-by-mail ballots arrive. For the past decade, Menlo College has also hosted an on-campus polling place, including options for on-site registration and early voting. President Steven Weiner also recently signed the ALL IN Presidents’ Commitment, a commitment as part of the ALL IN Challenge to reach full student voter registration and voter participation in all elections. These recent activities are the latest in a lineage of political engagement research and activity on college campuses by Dean Michelson. In 2021, Dean Michelson ran a study with the Ask Every Student (AES) initiative, featuring participation from more than 2,200 students at 14 campuses nationwide to support campus efforts to achieve full student voter registration. “During the pandemic and the shift to virtual learning, many campuses were unable to conduct their planned face-to-face voter registration and turnout efforts,” Dean Michelson said. “This study explored how well they were able to pivot to online outreach. We also found persistent points of friction and surprising effects of spillover to families. The results will help guide future efforts, and future studies, as we continue to work toward the goal of 100% participation.” Through this collaboration, Michelson produced ground-breaking scholarship that confirmed the efficacy of the AES program, as well as provided important insights on how to make the program more effective in the future. Menlo College Students Turning Interest in Political Science into Majors and Minors Michelson’s leadership in student voter research and advocacy efforts line up with the College’s recent creation of a Political Science Minor, which officially made its debut in 2021-22. Many Menlo students have created their own Political Science major on campus through the Individualized College Major program, as well. Two of these students, Student Government Association President Rasmia Shuman ‘22 and Latinx Club Treasurer Diana Guardado ‘23, are co-leading the current #MenloTo100 effort. “I have learned that the study of Political Science exists not only to provide students with a form of living after graduation; more importantly, it is intended to educate students on how to advocate and promote the well-being of their community,” Guardado said. “Politics play an important role in every person’s life,” Dean Michelson said. “To educate students on political science is to support advocacy and social justice.” Applying to Menlo CollegeCelebrating Volunteers at Menlo CollegeFocused on Student Success: Menlo College Earns Three New 2022 Top College Rankings About Menlo College Menlo College was established in 1927. It is a small, private, non-profit, four-year, accredited, residential college located in Atherton, California. Menlo College’s location in Silicon Valley, one of the world’s most entrepreneurial and innovative geographical areas, has enabled the college to create a valuable market niche for its students locally — as well as globally. Menlo College cultivates in its students the skills, integrity, and passion to make meaningful contributions in an innovation economy.
Menlo College Students Explore International Business in Inaugural Academic Global Immersion Program Posted on April 7, 2022January 27, 2025 by menlocollege Menlo College students recently visited the United Arab Emirates as part of the new Academic Global Immersion (AGI) program. Led by Dean of the School of Business Mouwafac Sidaoui, the AGI program prepares students for leadership roles through visits with global companies. “It is valuable for students to understand cultural challenges and opportunities around the world,” Dean Sidaoui said. “Through conversations with business executives, students are able to bridge the gap between what they learn in the classroom and the implications these things have in the real world.” Academic Global Immersion Students Feel “More Equipped” In January of 2022, nine Menlo College students from five countries participated in the program. They met with Green Energy Solutions & Sustainability, LLC., the UAE’s Ministry of Economy, the Emirates National Oil Company, and participated in the Dubai EXPO. “I gained insight into environmental dynamics and business trends in developing economies,” Samuele Mian ‘22 said. “I also saw the challenges and opportunities in diversifying a cosmopolitan society and a growth-oriented economy.” “Academic Global Immersion brought a new lens into my life,” Chara Higaki ‘22 said. “I saw a world that accepted different religions and cultures as they are. I found my calling to be a voice for change and a voice for women. I feel more equipped to take advantage of my education. This will be a great tool to use for the rest of my life.” The AGI program will offer trips to students in January and May each year. Academic Global Immersion Contributes to Menlo College’s Award-Winning Experiential Learning Model All Menlo College business students participate in an academic internship program. Menlo students have interned at Apple, Deloitte, Marriott, SAP, Tesla, and Marriott. They also participate in a seminar to enhance their experiential learning. Menlo College received the 2019 Outstanding College Work Experience & Internship Program Award from the California Internship & Work Experience Association. The award recognizes innovative programs that provide unique opportunities to gain skills and on-the-job training. Read more: Menlo College’s Academic Global Immersion ProgramApplying to Menlo CollegeMenlo College Receives the 2019 Outstanding College Work Experience and Internship Program AwardFour New Top College Rankings: Menlo College Students see ROIStudent Success at Menlo CollegeAll of Menlo College’s Rankings and Reviews About Menlo College Menlo College was established in 1927. It is a small, private, non-profit, four-year, accredited, residential college located in Atherton, California. Menlo College’s location in Silicon Valley, one of the world’s most entrepreneurial and innovative geographical areas, has enabled the college to create a valuable market niche for its students locally — as well as globally. Menlo College cultivates in its students the skills, integrity, and passion to make meaningful contributions in an innovation economy.
