July & August 2022 Newsletter

Can't view this email? Click to view online! Congratulations 2022-2023 Michaels Scholarship Winners! Antonella Pardo Figueroa: Antonella is entering her junior year at University of Southern California where she is majoring in biological sciences and minoring in health care studies. Pursuing a career in the medical field has always felt obvious to Antonella as she has always loved science. Additionally, the pandemic has made Antonella realize the unfortunate disparities present in the medical field for People of Color. She is confident being able to see more diversity in the medical field would greatly improve patient outcomes and trust within the community. With her degree, Antonella hopes to take the necessary steps in becoming a trauma surgeon. In this career, she will make strides as a Woman of Color in STEM and be a positive example for future generations.  James Williamson: James is a rising freshman at Texas A&M University where he is majoring in civil engineering. As a civil engineer, James will be able to live out his passion for creativity and building. This career path will allow James to explore his interests in bridges and skyscrapers while also successfully setting him up to work for an engineering firm that works on sustainable projects.  John Williamson: John is entering his senior year at Baylor University where he is studying finance and economics. John has always been interested in studying business and is confident that this degree will allow him to explore a vast majority of job opportunities upon graduation. He is particularly interested in working for Amazon as a financial analyst. He enjoys working with numbers and forecasting industry and economic conditions. RESIDENTS OF MICHAELS COMMUNITIES AWARDED $1.5 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS The 2022/2023 scholarship total represents a new record for the educational foundation! The Michaels Educational Foundation, a non-profit affiliate of The Michaels Organization, has awarded  $1,537,500 in scholarships for the 2022/2023 academic school year to residents living at affordable and military living communities owned or managed by The Michaels Organization. Click here to view the complete list of scholars and associated sites. “At Michaels, we strongly believe our mission of Lifting Lives goes beyond creating housing solutions,” said Michaels’ Chief Executive Officer John J. O’Donnell. “We believe our housing is the foundation for also creating opportunity, and it’s a privilege to offer these scholarships and to be a part of our residents’ educational journeys.” The scholarship total represents a new record for the educational foundation, which has been providing grants to residents to use towards their pursuit of higher education since 1991. With this year’s awards, the educational foundation has granted a collective $12 million to residents, benefitting thousands of Michaels Scholars over the past 30 years.  The 2022/2023 Michaels Scholars class represents over 200 residents living in Michaels affordable communities across the country, from New Jersey to Hawaii, as well as scholars who live on military bases where Michaels owns and manages the privatized family housing.  The resident scholars will be attending various community colleges and universities across the country.  Some scholars will also use their grants to participate in vocational training programs. In addition, residents of senior communities who are pursuing continuing education classes, have also received scholarships.  Many of this year’s scholars are recipients of the education foundation’s scholarships in the past, as all residents are invited and encouraged to apply for grants for every year of their undergraduate education. Isaac Beaton, a scholar from Bethlehem Townhouses in Pennsylvania plans to use his award toward completing his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering at Cornell University. Additionally, sisters Abigail and Isabell Pannell of Fort Belvoir in Virginia will use their awards to continue and complete Bachelor's Degrees in Health, Physical Education, and Exercise Science at Virginia Commonwealth University and Health Psychology at Eastern Washington University, respectively.    "The Michaels Organization Educational Foundation is very proud that for the 31st consecutive year, it will be awarding scholarships to students living in Michaels affordable and military housing across the country. The scholarships will provide impactful financial assistance to our resident students for the upcoming 2022/2023 school year,” said Michaels’ Educational Consultant, Dr. Bruce Johnson. “We congratulate each of the recipients and wish them continued success in their academic endeavors." All education foundation funds are raised through voluntary contributions by companies and private individuals throughout The Michaels Organization’s business network. All donations are then matched $2 for every $1 dollar by The Michaels Organization’s founder and chairman, Michael Levitt and his wife, Pat Levitt. “There is no better gift than the gift of an education,” said Michael Levitt, “It is the most effective investment we can make in Lifting Lives.” Friendly Reminders Self Help items are on loan for 2 days at a time onnly. If borrowing the item on Friday after 4:00 pm, at which you may keep the item(s) for the weekend.  Please bring the items back in a timely manner, there are other residents would also like to borrow them as well. Please remember to slow down for kids at play! If children are riding bikes, skate boards, scooters, and roller skates/blades must have a helmet on. The rules of the road should also be observed by all. Drivers, please watch for children at all times!  Wanna Party? Rent the Clubhouse! There have been several unauthorized parties at the small playground in recent weeks. While we understand the appeal of having a party at the playground, this is a common area and not intended to be used for events not sanctioned by our community management office. These unauthorized parties deter residents from using the fitness center and stop residents from being able to play at the playground. The fitness center restrooms are often used during these parties resulting in attendees that are under the minimum age for fitness center access entering the building unaccompanied. Most recently, a party held on June 18th resulted in large amounts of trash and debris being left behind that our office team removed. We encourage residents who would like to hold a private party to reserve the clubhouse. There is a refundable deposit and a cleaning fee to reserve, however, there are areas in the parking lot or on the right, grassy area for bounce houses or outdoor activities. Clubhouse rental also includes access to the restrooms and a full kitchen. Please contact the office at 650-965-1754 with any questions or to reserve the clubhouse. National Night Out Countdown to NNO Join the festivities at the park between Akron & Stewart streets on August 2nd from 6-8pm!   Community BBQ Resident Focus Groups Join the conversation! We want to hear from you! Meet with managers to discuss all things Shenandoah and Wescoat. Held monthly via Google Meet, we talk about upcoming projects, field suggestions, answer questions, provide updates, and more. “I really appreciate the staff for taking the time to do this focus group meeting every month. Having this regular group meeting is indeed very helpful for us, residents, to communicate our ideas to Housing. And I have definitely seen improvement in various areas. Thank you for listening!” -Olivia SIGN UP Bookmobile