Tag: Joshua Villalva

Throughout the past academic year, Menlo College students came together to create new community groups on campus and advocate for innovation and change. With the College’s support, students pursued betterment through self-guided exploration, as well as betterment for the campus community and the generations to come.

Living Learning Community Takes Root

A group of Menlo College students formed the Living Learning Community (LLC) this year to expose themselves to new environments and organizations that value innovation. The members became a close-knit community living in the same residence hall, and supported each other personally, academically, and professionally. The LLC offers students opportunities to learn from different perspectives and backgrounds, providing a cohesive view of the many ways to innovate and develop new ideas.

This year, the group visited several companies, including the Shark Tank-funded startup Truffle Shuffle, Stanford d. school, the startup accelerator BootUp Venture, and Google. This spring, the LLC met with Mukul Agarwal, the founder, and CEO of BootUp World. During the visit, Agarwal shared his personal story and the mission of his company to empower entrepreneurs and innovators. 

“To be successful, one must focus on mastering oneself and building positive relationships with others,” he advised the students. Agarwal encouraged them to find clarity on what success means to them, emphasizing that self-awareness is the foundation for everything else. The students described Agarwal’s advice as life-changing.

Civic Activism: Students Advocate on AICCU Day in the Capitol

Diana Guardado ‘23 and Sophia Umanzor ‘25 proudly represented Menlo College at the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities Day in the Capitol student advocacy event. It was held this spring in the state capitol, Sacramento.

As First-Generation Latinas pursuing their education at a private, non-profit institution, Diana and Sophia shared their inspiring personal stories with the officials present. Additionally, they emphasized the significance of being recipients of Cal Grants and requested the officials to continue support of funding for higher education based on the transformative impact it has had on their journeys.

Diana Guardado ’23 Named to 2023 ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll

With her active participation in generating election voting among her peers this past fall, Diana Guardado ’23 was named to the 2023 ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll representing Menlo College! The honor recognizes college students leading nonpartisan voter engagement on their campuses.

This year, the Ask Every Student group awarded $5,000 to the Civic Engagement Coalition of Menlo College. Guardado led the proposal with the Dean of Arts and Sciences and Professor Melissa Michelson. Coalition co-leaders Diana and Angielyn Dela Cruz ‘24 used the funds to increase nonpartisan civic learning, political participation, and voter registration through celebratory community-based events.

Menlo College students, led by co-leaders Angielyn ‘24 and Diana ‘23, also held a candidate forum for the Atherton City Council, in cooperation with the League of Women Voters of South San Mateo. All four candidates joined moderators Guardado and Joshua Villalva ’23, Atherton residents, students, and employees, in conversations about affordable housing, racial profiling, and civic engagement.

“Voting enables us to stand up and shape the kind of communities we want to live in. The outcomes of protests, the results of Supreme Court hearings, and the livelihood of our generation are shaped by the leaders we elect. We have the power to enact change that is for and by the people. Fortunately, under the guidance of Dr. Michelson, she enabled me to create a civic engagement coalition on campus for my peers and me to speak directly with elected officials of Atherton about our concerns regarding race-based treatment from law enforcement and the lack of transparency from the city.” – Diana Guardado ‘23

Sixth Cohort of Innovation Fellows Named

Four Menlo College students, Chieri Abe ‘24, Raymond Juballa ‘23, Mali Korn ‘25, and Dennis Vanin ‘24, were designated as University Innovation Fellows this academic year, after completing rigorous training. 

The University Innovation Fellows program, a global initiative, equips student leaders with the skills and knowledge to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, creativity, and design thinking on their campuses. By joining this esteemed group, these students had the opportunity to connect with fellows from various universities, and immerse themselves in Menlo’s vibrant innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, Menlo’s participation in this program, now in its sixth year, demonstrates the institution’s commitment to nurturing a culture of innovation and empowering its students as change-makers.

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.

Read More:

• 2022-23 Year in Review: Menlo College Students Win at Academic Competitions; Earn Awards
• Four Student Innovators Named to Stanford’s UIF Program
• All of Menlo College’s Rankings and Reviews