John Visentin Scholarship Fund A champion for the transformative power of education and innovation

In 2022, we lost our dear friend John Visentin, a strong supporter of A Better Chance and the former Vice Chairman & CEO of Xerox. John was a true believer in and champion of the transformative power of education and innovation.

To help ensure John’s passion for education lives on, we have created an endowment, the John Visentin Scholarship Fund, to award scholarships annually to deserving A Better Chance Scholars who are interested in pursuing studies and careers in science, technology, engineering, or math.

Last year we raised over $400,000 for this fund and awarded the first recipients in 2022.

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2024 John Visentin Scholarship Fund Award Winners

Arianna Nelson

Arianna Nelson Headshot

The Maderia School

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Arianna is a senior at the Madeira School where she plays violin, runs Track & Field, and serves as the Head of Boarding. Passionate about robotics, artificial intelligence, and algorithmic bias research, Arianna has participated in the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s iRobotics program and served as the Capstone Project Leader at the National Youth Leadership Engineering Forum at UC Berkeley. Arianna strives to use her interest in technology to benefit society and is currently developing a medical device to monitor symptoms of Lupus. Tracking levels of fatigue, heart rate, and UV exposure, Arianna hopes that this device will improve everyday life for her mom and the millions of others diagnosed with Lupus. Looking ahead, Arianna plans to major in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence and minor in International Relations

Chloe Hayden

Chloe Hayden

The Archer Schools for Girls

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Chloe is an exemplary student with a commitment to using her passion for technology to make a positive impact on her community. A senior at the Archer School for Girls, Chloe is co-leader of the Robotics Club and co-founded Archer’s first Girls Who Code chapter. As a leader of her school’s InvenTeam, Chloe collaborated on the development of an automatic infrared sprinkler system to address the issue of wildfires in her community. The team was awarded the Lemelson-MIT grant for their device and presented the code at MIT’s EurekaFest. Chloe is committed to service and activism, having received the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Service Awards from her school. She will attend the University of Chicago and major in Computer Science or Chemistry on a pre-med Track and seeks to craft more equitable opportunities for collective human growth.

2023 John Visentin Scholarship Fund Award Winners

Skylar Maier

Skylar Maier Headshot

The Hockaday School

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Skylar is an exceptional student dedicated to community service. She founded the Discovering Beauty Club, aiming to redefine beauty standards and promote self-love, earning the Sudie Duncan Award for her dedication to her school community. Skylar has 240 hours of community service, tutoring at Anne Frank Elementary and volunteering at an animal shelter. She participated in a research program at the Marine Biological Laboratory, studying aquatic invertebrates for human stem cell research. Skylar founded the Detroit Menstrual Project, providing menstrual products to Detroit students. She earned notable awards such as the Silver Medal in the National Spanish Exam and the Bronze Medal in the Presidential Service Award. Skylar will attend Bowdoin College in the fall, studying Oceanographic Studies and will row, a sport she has competed in for seven seasons. With her impressive achievements and commitment to service, Skylar has the potential to create a meaningful impact on the world.

Colby Wilson

Visentin Scholar Award Recipient

The Hockaday School

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Meet Colby Wilson As a poet, athlete, and scholar Colby has always been passionate about medicine and science.  She is equally passionate about humanities - how the arts and movement can augment her scientific career. She plans to major in Africana studies while following the Pre-med track because she believes empathy and understanding are fostered through broad knowledge. The healthcare industry needs diversification in the foundational aspects of the treatment of minorities. Multifaceted, real-world issues require a layered approach matching the problem’s complexity. She hopes to layer her education with the sciences' analytical nature and humanities' creative outlook. By educating herself on the histories of many different cultural experiences, she seeks to provide holistic care to all patients. She will step away from the traditional medical gaze- a narrow focus on disease- and cultivate awareness of the patient's life story. A patient's unique health journey will factor into her diagnosis and treatment plan. 

2022 John Visentin Scholarship Fund Award Winners

Gabriela Espiritu

Gabriela Espiritu Headshot
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Gabriela is a freshman at Union College, majoring in Computer Science. When she is not studying, she enjoys playing the piano and bakings. Originally from Ohio and a graduate of Laurel School.

Baron Walker

Visentin Scholar Award Receipient
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Baron is a freshman majoring in Computer Science with a focus on software development at Boston University. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, and graduated from The Galloway School.

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