Alum provides funds for summer STEM, Arts scholarships

Lawrence Maligaya, a 2005 Mundelein High School graduate, decided to “give back” to the high school by donating funds to cover STEM and Arts scholarships for current MHS students.

“MHS provided me with opportunities to be able to attend MIT and pursue a fulfilling career in engineering and technology,” Maligaya said. He lives in the San Francisco Bay area and works for a global automotive supplier for next-gen electric and autonomous vehicles.

Last year, Maligaya was able to support four students who attended a coding camp, a Purdue Seminar for top engineering prospects, an aerospace camp and robotics, coding and CAD experiences.

This summer five MHS students benefitted from Maligaya’s generosity. Three students took part in summer STEM camps: Emily Bauman, Sahil Patel and Hailey Negley, while Rebecca Panos participated in an Arts Explorer Scholarship.

Negley was part of the Focus on Biomedical Engineering Camp at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. During the camp she built her own EKG from scratch, used a TENS unit to make an EEG and built and programmed a robotic arm. She participated in a number of other activities while there and worked closely with summer program assistants and professors.

“I am thankful for this opportunity. While at camp I was taught by a variety of professors and real life engineers,” she explained. “Together, they showed me what it is like to be a biomedical engineer today. This camp has affirmed that biomedical engineering is the major for me with the goal of becoming a prosthetist which means I will make artificial limbs,” she said.

Maligaya plans to continue his benevolence in working with current MHS students. He coordinated his giving with College Counselor Andrea Rusk and MHS Foundation President, Steve Figved.

“Your gift will help more students attend a vocational or college program and promote innovative ideas for education excellence,” Figved explained.