James Merino ‘98 exemplifies MOBILITY. To ensure access and inspire innovation in the classroom, Merino created 2 endowed funds at UC Riverside for students and faculty.
Sound Bites
Headlines
- Business alumnus dazzles tech world & inspires innovation at UCR
- Solving the puzzle of education access and innovation
Hooks
- Education and opportunity go hand in hand for James Merino, MBA ’98, a data engineer who has worked at some of the biggest firms in Silicon Valley. That’s why he created the Jaime J. Merino Endowed Business Scholarship for Master of Business Administration students at UC Riverside’s School of Business in 2016.
- James Merino ’98 embodies the spirit of innovation and leadership. To inspire innovation in the classroom, James Merino created the endowed James Merino Innovation Award to recognize faculty for bringing new ideas, methods, tools, and technology into the classroom.
Quotes
- “Opening the gates of opportunity is a path to give back in a meaningful way,” said Merino. Merino directed his donation to AGSM because many UCR students are the first in their families to attend college – just as Jaime Merino was.
- "[UCR’s] success in creating social mobility for students aligns with [my] grandfather’s vision. That was the sort of thing he would support — bringing in as many people as possible and making sure they get a good education,” James Merino
Narrative
Education and opportunity go hand in hand for James Merino, MBA ’98, a data engineer who has worked at some of the biggest firms in Silicon Valley. That’s why he created the Jaime J. Merino Endowed Business Scholarship for Master of Business Administration students at UC Riverside’s School of Business in 2016. The scholarship ensures that talented low-income students can afford to attend business school at UCR.
The scholarship is named after his grandfather, who immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico in 1920 at age 11. With little money, Merino’s grandfather, Jamie, worked as a farm worker in Arizona to help support his family. Jamie then went on to study engineering at UCLA and Berkley. Merino said the university’s success in creating social mobility for students aligns with his grandfather’s vision.
Merino also endowed the James Merino Innovation Award to inspire innovation in the classroom and recognize faculty for bringing new ideas, methods, tools, and technology into the classroom.
UC Riverside has been in the top 2 in the nation for social mobility for five years. Alumni like Merino who give boldly toward student success are ensuring the brilliant minds of our time can thrive, regardless of their financial situation.
Strategy
James Merino is a problem solver. For him, endowing scholarships at UCR was one way to chip away at the problem of access to education.
His story and quotes are best used in:
- Brochures
- Proposals
- Appeals – print, email, and digital
- Newsletters
- Conversations
Suggested uses:
- When building relationships with young alumni with the capacity to give, share Merino's story as an example of ways alumni can engage in ways meaningful to them.
- When discussing the lifetime impact of an education at UCR, and a donor’s capacity to create generational change, share Merino's story.
- When showcasing how a gift to UCR goes further than it might at another university, share Merino’s story.
Resources
- Photo: https://business.ucr.edu/sites/default/files/styles/article_header_l/public/James%20Merino.jpg?h=79e6ef9c&itok=xlhFmDPQ
- Photo: https://business.ucr.edu/sites/default/files/Alumni_Profile-James_Merino_profile.jpg
- Photo: https://business.ucr.edu/sites/default/files/styles/scale_225/public/james_merino.jpg?itok=HDUyAKDP
- Article: https://business.ucr.edu/news/2021/05/18/problem-solver
- Article: https://business.ucr.edu/news/2019/10/08/ucr-business-alumnus-dazzles-tech-world
- Article: https://business.ucr.edu/blog/2022/12/05/professor-li-innovation-award
- Article: https://business.ucr.edu/faculty/james-merino-innovation-award
Usage Examples
