Dear Contributors,
Our annual update on the Chris Borton Memorial Scholarship Fund brings news of two current and five former scholarship recipients, as well as of some change in the composition of the Board of Directors.
Shige Itoh on top of Mt. Fuji
Yukio King and Shige Itoh, the two University of California, San Diego students we selected as this year’s awardees, are living in Germany and Japan. Yukio is attending the university in Göttingen, focusing on Urban Studies and Planning, with a particular interest in community development and environmental design. Shige is studying Management Science and Japanese Studies at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo, with plans for a career in US-Japanese relations. Both are well versed in the local language.
Yukio King
When the UCSD scholarship staff sends us applications for final selection, they do not include names and addresses. Imagine our surprise when we discovered that Yukio is from nearby Woodland and graduated from Davis High School where his interests paralleled Chris’ in orchestra, German Club and sports. Getting to know him and his family has been very special for us.1999 recipients Nicole Wu and Andrea Martinez-Calvillo returned from France and Mexico respectively earlier this year and are now back at UCSD. Nicole traveled a great deal and had an internship in a Brazilian bank in New York during the summer. Andrea was eager to teach her newly acquired repertoire of dances to her students. She wrote that her stay in Mexico was “definitely the best experience of my college career and has inspired me to want to travel more.”
Andrea Martinez-Calvillo
1998 recipients Austin Leininger (Scotland) and Mark Morris (Ghana) keep in touch with us. Austin graduated Magna Cum Laude and is now doing an internship in a Palo Alto church before entering Seminary. We hope to be able to get together later this month. Mark had a photo exhibit of his Ghanaian work in a San Diego gallery last spring and spent his break on the Inca Trail in Peru.
Our first recipient, Jennifer Chang, completed her M.S. degree and is now employed in a biotechnology firm. This fall she traveled back to the UK to visit friends made during her year abroad.
Mike Scanlin, founder of the scholarship fund, decided that he would no longer be able to continue to serve in the dual role of secretary/treasurer and keeper of the database. Fortunately Dolf Starreveld, a close friend and colleague of Chris’, who married Joan last year, volunteered to take over the task. Joan serves as secretary. These changes were formalized at a Board meeting in February. Ray continues as president.
The Fund itself is doing its job of providing income for the scholarships. The earnings in the current cycle may reach the point where we could offer three rather than two $3000 scholarships next year. We are ever grateful to all of you for your donations that make this possible. Please direct any future contributions to the Chris Borton Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Borton, 101 East 7th Street, Davis, CA 95616.
Next year will probably bring an IRS review to make our tax deductible status permanent – we are pleased to be able to show that we have continued support from a public that includes 238 donors from five continents.
Thank you again for your contributions and for your encouragement of this program to further Chris’ goals of international understanding and friendship. We will keep you informed (albeit a bit sporadically) about how the earnings are being used.
