Gina Pastega Smith ’96, MBA ’00

Small business owner

Ecuador 2003-05

Gina Pastega Smith ’96, MBA ’00 made use of her Santa Clara business degree in Ecuador from 2003-05, helping with a sustainable woods projects called Ecomadera. Her first year she worked mostly within this outfit, teaching bookkeeping, accounting, and marketing to the locals, and helping them open markets for products made of sustainably grown wood. During her second year she branched out beyond the Ecomadera project and started a few others, including two women’s groups, a community library, and a children’s community nursery. Gina has since gone back to her community in Ecuador, and she says she is planning on returning for more service later in life.

The OG Green

SCU Men’s golf fans set foot on the holy land of golf this summer capping off a trip of a lifetime.

Music Above All

Erin Pearson ’05 was recruited to play soccer for Santa Clara University. But her passion for music was pulling her in a different direction.

A Number’s Worth

Chuck Cantoni ’57 may be the oldest person to swim from Alcatraz to San Francisco—all to raise money for research into a potentially deadly brain condition.

Collaboration is Key

Jacqueline Whitham ’21 chose to support cross-disciplinary collaboration and research at SCU through $3.8 million from her family’s foundation.