2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the Milken Scholars Program!

Published 10/08/2019 in Program Updates
Written by Cheng, Joyce | 10/08/2019

2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the Milken Scholars Program! Founded in 1989 by Mike and Lori Milken, the Milken Scholars Program has grown from the 16 Scholars selected from A. Philip Randolph High School in New York to a thriving community of more than 450 Scholars representing 67 countries and over 200 high schools across Los Angeles County, New York City, and Washington, DC.

This year, we welcomed 27 new Scholars who embody our pillars of scholarship, leadership, community service, and the ability to overcome obstacles. The 2019 Scholars joined the ranks of the current Scholars and select Alumni Scholars at the 2019 Milken Scholars Summit- our annual flagship event that brings Scholars together for a weekend of reflection and growth. The theme for this year’s Summit, Driving Shared Prosperity, was fitting as we reflect on the success of these past 30 years and look ahead to how Scholars can continue to be, “Lifelong Leaders for a Better World.”

107 Scholars were in attendance, engaging with each other and with guest speakers at the top of their respective fields. Attendees not only had the opportunity to hear from the program’s Co-Founder, Mike Milken, but also had the chance to engage in thought-provoking sessions including:

  • Genomics, Ethics, and Hope: Shared Prosperity in the World of the Future
    Dr. Christopher Mason, Director WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction
  • Shared Prosperity and World-Changing Innovations
    Dr. Jyotika Virmani, Executive Director, XPRIZE

  • Driving Shared Prosperity
    Ken Lombard, Executive Vice President & COO, Seritage Growth Properties
  • Leadership Toward Shared Prosperity Panel
    Cindy Montanez, CEO, TreePeople; Trina Spear, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, FIGS; Richard Sandler, Executive Vice President, Milken Family Foundation

After a weekend of personal and professional development, the 2019 Milken Scholars Summit culminated with the Los Angeles Recognition Dinner in celebration of the 16 Scholars selected from Los Angeles County this year. With this final joyful, inspirational evening, we bid a fond farewell to our Scholars until October when we travel to college campuses across the country to see our Scholars in action!