43 Years Later, St Aloysius High School Classmates Reunite to Create a Sustainable Rs 65 Lakh Scholarship Endowment
Mangaluru: Forty-three years after leaving the classrooms of the prestigious St Aloysius High School, members of the Class X batch of 1983 returned to their alma mater with a lasting gift by launching a self-sustaining scholarship endowment with an initial corpus of Rs 65 lakh.
Believed to be the 146-year-old institution’s first class-driven scholarship endowment of its kind in both vision and structure, the initiative aims to recognise students with outstanding academic potential while promoting the Aloysian values of excellence and service. Unlike conventional scholarships, the endowment has been professionally structured to grow over time and support an increasing number of students in the years ahead.
The inaugural St Aloysius Class of 1983 Scholarship Awards were presented on June 20 during the annual feast of St Aloysius Gonzaga, the patron saint of youth and students. Scholarships were awarded to Ashwini Shettigar, M.A. Abdul Azaz Shayan, and Sharon D’Costa. The fourth recipient, Snithik Churya, who was unable to attend the function, received the scholarship later at the Headmaster’s office on July 7.
The occasion also featured the felicitation of former High School Assistant Headmaster Mr. Shambu Shetty and former Primary School teachers Miss. Lidwin D’Souza and Mrs. Celine Rego, in recognition of their lasting influence on the Class of 1983. Headmaster Fr. Johnson Pinto and Assistant Headmaster Mr. Lancy D’Souza were present. Representing the Class of 1983 were Anil Pinto, Dr. Rohan Mascarenhas, P. Sudhir, and Mahesh Nayak.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Shambu Shetty said, “It is easy to plant a seed. The real challenge is to nurture it and help it grow.” He urged the younger generation to carry the initiative forward and strengthen its legacy.
Fr. Johnson Pinto said that St. Aloysius Gonzaga symbolised selfless service and that the scholarship reflected his message of serving others.
A Permanent, Self-Sustaining Endowment
The idea for the scholarship was conceived in 2024, when more than 70 classmates from India and abroad reconnected through social media after more than four decades. What began as a nostalgic reunion soon evolved into a shared vision, followed by months of planning in collaboration with the institution. The endowment was formally established in April 2025 under the guidance of the then Rector, the late Fr. Melwyn Pinto.
The endowment combines alumni generosity with professional investment management. In addition to contributing financially, classmates pooled their expertise in finance, administration, and management to design the structure of the fund. The Rs 65 lakh corpus has been invested in carefully selected financial market instruments under the guidance of classmates with expertise in finance.
Only the annual investment earnings are used to fund scholarships, while the corpus remains intact and continues to grow through investment returns and future contributions. As the endowment expands, it is expected to benefit an increasing number of students from Class X to II PUC, with the long-term goal of supporting 12 students every year.
The endowment is jointly administered by the alumni and the Institutional Development Office (IDO) of St Aloysius Institutions.
Dedicated to the Alma Mater
The endowment is dedicated to the alma mater, its teachers, and the memory of departed classmates. It reflects the enduring bonds forged in the classrooms of St. Aloysius over four decades ago.
Inspired by the Aloysian motto, Lucet et Ardet (“Shine to Enkindle”), the initiative seeks to inspire similar alumni-led scholarship endowments at St. Aloysius and other educational institutions.
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