Back in person for the 2022 Milken Scholars Annual Summit and Recognition Ceremonies

Published 08/30/2022 in Program Updates
Written by Torres, Evelyn | 08/30/2022

After a three-year hiatus, the Milken Scholars Annual Summit returned to its in-person format. Due to the global pandemic, the Milken Scholars Program recreated its traditional in-person events and activities to offer these in a virtual format from 2020 through 2021.  For 2022, we were happy to welcome 21 new Scholars at our Annual Summit which was hosted at UCLA from July 28-31st.  The Class of 2022 makes up the 34th cohort of the Milken Scholars Program founded in 1989 by Mike and Lori Milken.  This community which began with its first class of 16 Scholars selected from the A. Philip Randolph High School in Harlem, New York, has now grown to more than 540 Scholars representing 75 countries and 200 high schools across Los Angeles Country, New York City and Washington D.C.

112 current and Alumni Scholars came together at the 2022 Milken Scholars Summit- our annual flagship event meant to offer Scholars a space for connection, reflection and growth. Following the Milken Institute’s 2022 Global Conference theme, sessions focused on Celebrating the Power of Connection, welcoming guest speakers to engage Scholars on interesting topics for their academic, professional and personal goals: 

  The Power of Connection through Storytelling
Lisa Ling, Journalist, CNN’s This Is Life and HBOMax’s Take Out, in conversation with Francis Poon, MS ’09, Producer & Post Manager, Part2 Pictures

• The Power of Connection in Media & Entrepreneurship
Javon Frazier, CEO, Maestro Media

  Connecting your Passion to Youth Empowerment
Ashanti Branch, M.Ed, Founder and Executive Director, The Ever Forward Club

 Building Powerful Connections that Create a Healthy Sense of Belonging
Dania Matos, J.D., Vice Chancellor of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, UC Berkeley; Luke Pena, Director of Admissions & Financial Aid, Knight-Hennessy Scholars, Stanford University; Richard Sandler, Executive Vice President, Milken Family Foundation

Besides the Annual Summit, Scholars also had the opportunity to come together in person at the 2022 Recognition Ceremonies held across the country this summer.  The Milken Scholars Class of 2022 and their families were recognized for their achievements and celebrated by current and Alumni Scholars in attendance at each of these events.  Pictures from the Washington D.C. Scholars celebration can be found here for the event held on June 25th.  Pictures from the New York celebration held on July 16th can be found here.  Pictures for the Los Angeles celebration, held at the culmination of the 2022 Milken Scholars Summit, are found here.  The Milken Scholars Program is looking forward to reconnecting with Scholars across the country this Fall as we travel to their colleges for our traditional Campus Visits!