Art and Donna Pontau began funding scholarships in honor of their parents in 2020. As they learned more about the Pedrozzi Young Scholars Program, they decided to make an addtional investment in Livermore students by sponsoring the Pedrozzi Young Scholar Cohort 2021 throughout their seven years in the Pedrozzi Young Scholar (PYS) Program.
While working as a libraian at the Livermore Libary Rincon Branch, Donna developed a soft-spot for the Marylin Avenue School (now Marylin Avenue STEAM Academy) students who frequently visited the library. Learning that the Pedrozzi Young Scholars were all Marylin Avenue students, Donna and Art jumped in to support these students. The Program, funded by generous community donations, supports cohorts of high achieving students, selected annually from Marilyn Avenue STEAM Academy, and offers them and their families additional resources to help navigate middle and high school and college preparedness. As the program has progressed and changed, so have the families’ expectations for education and training after high school.
In 2023, the first cohort of Pedrozzi Young Scholars graduated from high school, and every student in that cohort enrolled in college. We are thrilled with the success of these Scholars and the PYS program.
To learn more about the PYS program click HERE. If you would like to join Art and Donna in sponsoring a cohort of Pedrozzi Young Scholars, please contact Carolyn Siegfried, Executive Director, at csiegfried@pedrozzi.org or 925-456-3700.
