History
From Vision to Impact
From Vision to Impact
From a bold vision in 2008 to a thriving community of scholars today, Bay Scholars has been transforming lives through access to quality education.
History
From Vision to Impact
From Vision to Impact
From a bold vision in 2008 to a thriving community of scholars today, Bay Scholars has been transforming lives through access to quality education.
Our History
From Vision to Impact
From Vision to Impact
From a bold vision in 2008 to a thriving community of scholars today, Bay Scholars has been transforming lives through access to quality education.
How It Started
A long-time advocate of social justice and civic engagement, Clint Reilly has always seen education as a game changer for low-income families.
While on the Board of Directors at Catholic Charities of San Francisco, Clint began to build relationships with local Catholic elementary schools. He saw his own story in the kids from these schools. Without economic help, the best high schools were often out of reach for them, effectively closing the door to college and the future.
He recognized that a number of Bay Area Catholic high schools were successfully creating pathways to colleges and universities, tailored to underserved and low-income students. He realized that these schools knew how to get the job done. They had strong service missions, implemented rigorous core curriculum, taught discipline and values, and formed partnerships with parents. In his eyes, this wrap-around education model was the recipe for success for our low-income Bay Area youth.
The idea and mission for Bay Scholars was born: opening up a gateway to college and beyond for inner-city Bay Area students.
Together We Rise: A Timeline of Our History
Bay Scholars Milestones
A Vision is Born
Clint and Janet Reilly founded Bay Scholars with a simple but powerful idea: talent, not circumstance, should define a young person’s future. The first scholarships were awarded to a small group of promising students in San Francisco.
Becoming a 501(c)(3)
Bay Scholars is formalized as a nonprofit organization, expanding its mission to connect deserving 8th graders with Catholic college-prep high schools across the Bay Area.
300 Scholars Strong
Bay Scholars grows exponentially — supporting more than 300 Scholars and partnering with schools across San Francisco, the East Bay, and the Peninsula.
Expanding Reach
Partnerships were extended to several South Bay schools, growing our roster to 18 college-prep high schools across the entire Bay Area. At this point, the organization had awarded more than $10 million in scholarships.
Igniting Growth
In a defining moment, John A. Sobrato’s $2.5 million gift to Bay Scholars launched the Sobrato Challenge, igniting a wave of generosity that expanded the number of scholarships and accelerated growth. Mr. Sobrato’s visionary commitment inspired others to join in and another $2.5 million was raised in matching grants, marking a turning point to serve even more deserving students across the Bay Area.
Looking to the Future
Bay Scholars has given over $14 million in scholarship support to deserving Bay Scholars, providing equitable access to top-tier college-prep high schools. The challenge going forward will be to expand the Bay Scholars’ donor base, inviting more believers in educational access to invest in the futures of our Scholars and their communities.