Honoring Outstanding Oaks at 3,000+ In-Person OAKtoberFest 2022 Posted on October 18, 2022January 27, 2025 by menlocollege Menlo College was thrilled to award Maya Payne-Sewald ’73 (pictured left) as this year’s Outstanding Oak for her commitment and service to the College in the years since her graduation. Maya made history at Menlo by being in the first cohort of women to attend the College, and ever since graduating, she has devoted her time and efforts to philanthropy, mentoring the Menlo College community, and serving on the Board of Trustees, to name a few of her efforts on campus. Every year at OAKtoberFest, the College recognizes one alumnus for their unwavering service to Menlo, strength of character, professional excellence, and selfless guidance of Menlo students. The alumnus is presented with the Outstanding Oak Award as a symbol of their dedication to Menlo and the larger community. Mrs. Payne-Sewald was presented her Outstanding Oak award at this past weekend’s OAKtoberFest celebration, the first time the event was celebrated in person since the start of the pandemic. Speaking at the presentation, Mrs. Payne-Sewald said, “I am deeply honored to be awarded the Outstanding Oak Award by the Alumni Council! However, the award doesn’t really belong to me. It belongs to generations of Menlo Alums who have contributed their time, treasure, and talents to make Menlo College the success it is today.” She continued, “The dedication of alums coming back to help out by working on committees, giving talks on their careers, serving as mentors, or in whatever way the College needs them – they are to be recognized and honored. Therefore on behalf of all these Menlo alums, I accept this award with great honor and respect.” In addition to her involvement with Menlo College, Mrs. Payne-Sewald has led a successful real estate career, owns a thriving business, is a leader of the Menlo Park Rotary Club and Foundation as well as her church, and is deeply involved with her children and grandchildren. In his comments about Mrs. Payne-Sewald, Menlo College President Steven Weiner said, “She is one of those rare people who carry their warmth and compassion on their sleeve in a way that invites everyone around her to ask where they too can sign on to her causes – whatever they may be! Her many attributes extend to include humor, intelligence, and seemingly boundless energy. I treasure the fact that she leverages her talents to the benefits of Menlo alumni and current students alike.” Celebrating Two Honorees due to Pandemic Delay At Menlo’s largest gathering of the fall semester, Menlo College’s Advancement Office also acknowledged Frances Mann-Craik ’76 as the 2020 winner of the Outstanding Oak Award. Due to Mrs. Mann-Craik receiving the award in a virtual setting two years prior, Menlo was eager to celebrate her as the 2020 Outstanding Oak Award recipient in person and as a community at OAKtoberFest this year. In his remarks during the 2020 award presentation, President Steven Weiner said, “Frances is truly one-of-a-kind. She is known for her warmth and involvement over the decades by students, staff, faculty, and board members alike.” Maya Payne-Sewald ’73 and Frances Mann-Craik ’76 were joined by Menlo Alumni Council members Caitlin Sorensen ’19 and Jessica Carlson ’19. Enjoy more from OAKtoberFest! Watch a video recap of this year’s OAKtoberFest!Menlo College Athletics Hall of Fame AwardeesVisit the OAKtoberFest webpageVisit the Menlo College Alumni Blog! 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.
