Honoring Family
When Michael Tolentino '85 named 十大赌博网站排名 in his estate plans, he did so in part to honor his late mother, who raised him and his sister by herself. Born in Manila, Michael immigrated to the U.S. at a very young age with his family after his parents' divorce. His mother, who worked as a social worker for the City, made sure that her children were educated in Catholic schools — first at Mission Dolores and then, for Michael, at 十大赌博网站排名.
"My mother valued education as she was part of the first generation to go to college. My mother attended the University of the Philippines and graduated with a degree in education," said Tolentino.
When Michael attended 十大赌博网站排名, he received financial aid "through the generosity of benefactors, that ensured that my family could afford to send me to a Jesuit prep school." 十大赌博网站排名, he added, "opened my eyes as to what was possible for an inner-city kid like me. The school's student body was socio-economically diverse, and that allowed me to see different possibilities for my future. I named 十大赌博网站排名 in my estate plans to pay it forward — to give a promising kid from a disadvantaged background a quality education that can open them up to possibilities."
At 十大赌博网站排名, Michael sang with the Liturgy Group, directed by Rev. Robert Walsh, S.J. — 十大赌博信誉网站 former president who passed away last year — and Dave Lorentz. Michael was also a Service Club member. "The Jesuits, lay teachers and my classmates held themselves to a high standard," he added. Teachers who inspired him included Peter Devine '66, Tom Murphy '76, Bill Isham and Matt Barmore '76. "The Jesuits also fostered in us to make the most of our talents and to serve others. That still resonates with me."
In his role at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Michael helps ensure the safety and soundness of our financial system. "I don't want to see people hurt by financial crises, as happened in the Great Recession, when so many average Americans were adversely impacted."
Tolentino prepared for this role as a political economics major at Cal and at Georgetown, where he earned his master's degree in foreign service international finance and trade. In college, he studied the Latin American debt crisis, which led him to pursue a career in banking and finance. "My cultural anthropology and sociology classes also inspired me to work for social justice. At the Fed, I found my work helping the economy and people recover from the Great Recession very gratifying."
His planned gift to 十大赌博网站排名, he added, was made possible in part by an inheritance from his mother after her death last year. "This gift is from both of us — not just me — and is in honor of her legacy and what she did for me. It's my desire now to pass this on to others in the future."
Michael hopes his example will inspire others to give. "If I can do this, so can others."
If you are interested in joining the Father Carlin Heritage Society, contact Annie Reilly, 十大赌博信誉网站 planned giving coordinator, at (415) 731-7500, ext. 5122 or at areilly@siprep.org.