About Pay It Forward

Tim McCarthy helped to expand the Pay It Forward Scholarship and Mentoring Program, beginning in the Spring of 2008, serving both as a Mentor and chair of its Scholarship Committee. Tim's mentoring expertise has been refined as an attorney for 35 years, now retired from the Salinas law firm he helped found in 1982 -- Caballero, Matcham & McCarthy. Tim served as a high school track and field coach, and is currently the League Commissioner for three separate high school athletic leagues in the Monterey Bay area. Tim directs substantive mentoring enabling Pay It Forward scholarship recipients to become successful citizens.

Executives-in-Residence's Pay It Forward Scholarship and Mentoring Program instills the spirit of hope and generosity in the next generation by demonstrating that giving back can truly be the greatest gift of all, especially for the giver. The name and idea of the Scholarship, Pay It Forward, are adopted from the book written by Catherine Ryan Hyde in which the prominent theme is showcasing how helping others can create a cascading chain of goodwill and good works.

The Pay It Forward program goes beyond the traditional arms-length transaction of providing deserving students with financial assistance for higher education by fostering an ongoing, mutually accountable relationship between recipients and leader-mentors. Students are not merely asked for something in return for the support they receive. They are required to "pay it forward" by providing their own service to youngsters through partnerships with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Monterey County and the First Tee of Monterey County. The goal is to develop confident and enthusiastic young people who gain both the means to complete their education and the tools to make their own contribution to others while simultaneously growing immeasurably as individuals.

Each student chosen to participate in Pay It Forward receives up to $5,000 per year for no more than four years to attend California State University, Monterey Bay, distributed in a way that encourages financial responsibility. Mentors and counselors from Executives-in-Residence continue to serve as a safety net for participating students. Throughout their college years, at least once a month, Pay It Forward students meet with Executives-in-Residence mentors to gain ongoing reassurance, inspiration and practical advice. These relationships can yield lifelong dividends for both parties.

The Pay It Forward program, initiated with the 2008-2009 school year, had its first graduate in May 2010. The third group of recipients entered CSUMB in the Autumn of 2010. Each Pay It Forward recipient is required to be on track for graduation within four years and to maintain a Grade Point Average of at least 2.5. Pay It Forward is designed as an “ON RAMP” for these students to excel in school and in life. 

Get involved with Pay It Forward.