Education & Access

As a high school teacher and administrator in East San Jose for nearly a decade, John saw the inequitable reality that students’ families experienced on a daily basis. These inequities — poorly funded schools, a lack of affordable housing, a lack of affordable childcare, pay that didn’t allow families to meet their needs — impeded their ability to prioritize their dreams and pursue success at the post-secondary level. Through his work in this community and his relationship with his students, he became extremely passionate about providing opportunities for them to receive additional support as they navigate life after high school. In 2010, he launched the Abby Sobrato Scholarship which has since provided more than five million dollars in support to hundreds of deserving students matriculating through college. These scholarships are structured to support first-generation college persistence and immigrant students. Awarded students draw on annual financial support for up to 5 years.

Andie herself was a recipient of tuition assistance throughout her life so she, too, knows the impact of scholarships firsthand. Both Andie and John serve on educational boards — not only making sure that financial resources are deployed, but also dedicating time to help institutions achieve their desired outcomes. John serves as Chair for the Sobrato Early Academic Language organization which works throughout California to empower dual language and multilingual learners through rigorous, joyful learning. He also serves on the Board for the Foundation for Hispanic Education, the nonprofit organization which oversees the high school he worked for. Similarly, Andie serves on the Board of Castilleja High School and works to push the institution to expand access for all students.

We hold firm that education is not only a fundamental right, but also a critical pathway through which individuals can advance economically. We want our giving to help ensure that pathway is open to those who have historically been least-prioritized in our educational system.

John Matthew & Andie

In addition to resourcing a robust scholarship fund and serving on boards, they also support a variety of educational equity focused organizations and programs aimed at helping 1st generation college students. These other investments include endowing scholarships for low-income students, funding scholarships for future teachers of color, and investing in technology learning centers for Latinx youth.

Dgital NEST creates sustainable and scalable technology learning centers for Latinx youth in order to foster economic equality — providing hands-on training in graphic design, web development, marketing, and video production.

Elevate Tutoring provides training, work experience, career development, and scholarships to low-income, first-gen college students (Tutor Fellows) who, in turn, provide STEM tutoring, mentorship, and growth mindset coaching to their younger K-12 peers.

TFHE serves more than 1,000 East San Jose students through 3 charter high schools — helping eliminating opportunity gaps for historically-disadvantaged students through innovation and collaboration, preparing them for leadership and success.

The LEAD Scholars Program provides academic and vocational development opportunities, supportive advising, peer mentoring, and community building through a variety of courses, programs, and support networks for first-gen college students

PCF’s empowers first-generation / low-income college students to graduate and achieve their career goals, through scholarships & financial support as well as wraparound services — including mentors, trainings / workshops, and internships.

With a powerful research- and evidence-based approach to advancing educational outcomes, SEAL provides educators and schools tools that help dual language and multilingual learners succeed — igniting a lifelong joy for learning in the process.

STEP’s 12-month, full-time, in-person course of study strives to prepare expert teacher candidates for leadership within and beyond the classroom — integrating high-quality academics with a well-supported classroom placement.