14 Peninsula Bridge high school seniors receive Dave Goldberg Scholarships

Peninsula Bridge, which empowers under-resourced and first-generation students to achieve college and career success, and the Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation (SGB) announced that 14 high school seniors have been selected as recipients of Dave Goldberg Scholarships.

The Goldberg Scholarship Program was established by SGB in 2017 to support graduating high school seniors across the country who have demonstrated remarkable leadership and achievement. The scholarship honors the legacy of Dave Goldberg by supporting a new generation of leaders who embody Dave’s qualities of leadership, resilience, achievement, generosity, kindness, independent thinking and entrepreneurial spirit.

“Dave believed deeply that if given the opportunity to learn and excel, every person is capable of improving their lives and the communities around them,” said Sheryl Sandberg, founder of the Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation. “We started the Dave Goldberg Scholarship program to honor and carry on Dave’s legacy by lifting up a new generation of diverse leaders. We are thrilled to partner with Peninsula Bridge to expand our program and welcome an additional 14 outstanding students to the growing group of Goldberg Scholars. Seeing their dedication and talent fills me with so much hope for our future.”

All 14 students, a number of whom attend school in InMenlo’s coverage area, will receive a combination of financial support and mentoring during their four-year college experience. Highlights include:

● Critical financial support totaling approximately $15,000 a year per student to cover a range of non-tuition needs not traditionally met by college-based financial aid

● A Peninsula Bridge mentor to provide college success and career guidance and support on a regular basis throughout college

● Support from “Goldberg Connectors” – a network of professionals who will help scholars secure summer internships and job opportunities

● Invitation to attend Leadership Weekend, which allows students to build connections, learn from experts, and spend time with the community

“Every student deserves a chance to reach their full potential, unimpeded by financial or other barriers to college and career access. At Peninsula Bridge, we see first hand the unique challenges our first-generation students face” said Randi Shafton, Executive Director of Peninsula Bridge. “That’s why we are so excited to partner with the Dave Goldberg Scholarship Program, which shares our commitment to opening doors, empowering students to thrive in school and life and to become changemakers in their families, communities and our world.”

The 14 recipients of the Goldberg Scholarship are all active Peninsula Bridge scholars. All of the recipients are students of color from under-resourced households, and the majority will be the first in their families to attend college. All recipients will be attending college this fall, at schools including Barnard, Lehigh, UC Davis, University of Redlands, USC, and Yale.

They are: Adrian Del Rio, Menlo School; Andrea Estrada Arevalo, Los Altos High School; Ashley Rangel Arroyo, Crystal Springs Uplands School; Dorian Deleon, Kehillah High School; Edwin Perez Alvarez, Menlo School; Jennifer Gonzalez Loza, Gunderson High School; Josue Benitez, Mountain View High School; Kaley Mendoza-Pineda, Castilleja School; Kevin Valencia, Los Altos High School; Natalie Armeida, Mountain View High School; Paola Monge, Aragon High School; Sofia Munoz Pacheco, Menlo School; Vanessa Munoz-Hernandez, Menlo School; Vianca Lopez Molina, Menlo-Atherton High School.