Former Chief Scientific Officer for Celera, Thomas White, is one of our Leadership Council members whose dedication and generosity helped propel our SAGE Scholars through the school year and forward in their career paths. Tom became part of the SAGE Scholars community because of his firm belief that everyone should have the right to a higher education.

When Tom was first introduced to the SAGE Scholars, he was struck by the enthusiasm of the group. He observed a group of motivated, career oriented, self-starters who were overcoming challenges in their lives and taking prudence in each decision they make. SAGE Scholars represent a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds and areas of study, making this group a truly unique community.

Tom gives special recognition to Marjorie Weingrow, the Director of the SAGE Scholars Program, for her inspirational commitment that keeps the Program up and running. Marjorie is the “go-to” person for the students as well as the sponsors, and holds the principal position as the advocate for the Scholars. Tom has recently made a significant donation to the program, specifically for the Scholars who have unpaid internships working for non-profit organizations. With the economy being in the present recession, internships for SAGE Scholars have dropped more than 75%. With this donation, some of the Scholars are already seeing the benefits and are able to take the next steps towards personal and professional success. When asked what he would like to see from the program in the future, Tom stressed the importance of more financial resources and internships for the SAGE Scholars. Tom sees the program as an essential part of the education of such extraordinary and high achieving students, hoping to see more programs like the SAGE Scholars Program be available on other college campuses.