7 minute read
OPINION
Manny Murillo spreads the wealth
BY ALLISON BROWN
West Valley View Staff Writer
The Manny Murillo Scholarship for Employed Students program at Agua Fria is more than just $500. It’s a lifelong lesson about saving money and getting a head start on adulthood.
“I’ve been a substitute at Agua Fria High School for 15 years. That’s a long time, so I knew all the students, especially the juniors and seniors,” said Murillo, who also graduated from Agua Fria in 1962. “For my scholarship program, I would tell students, ‘First of all, you need to have a parttime job. You need to be on track to graduate, and you need to have at least
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Murillo is the CEO — and only member — of his nonprofi t. He started the program in 2017 and has since given almost $30,000 in scholarship funds that come out of his own pocket. Typically, 10 to 15 students are selected for the scholarship each year, though this year there were only six. He has also made substantial fi nancial contributions to Agua Fria for upgraded computer systems, track team uniforms and the fi ne arts program.
How does he pay for it as a retired teacher?
“The answer to that is very simple: I’m a saver,” Murillo said. “My parents taught us to be savers. We were a migrant family and were very poor. When I retired 15 years ago, I started working in real estate. I’d buy old houses, fi x them up and sell them. So, I made a lot of money in the last 12 years. But I’m single, I don’t have a family or kids and I have money to give away.”
Besides giving students the $500, Murillo is teaching them the importance of saving, avoiding loans and being fi nancially responsible. His teaching seems to work, as one scholarship recipient this year had $4,000 saved for college.
This topic is so important to Murillo that he voiced it to the state Legislature. In 2019, a proposed bill would require high school students to take a fi nancial literacy class before they can graduate. The bill passed 15-1.
At 78 years old, Murillo could have easily taken his small fortune and spent retirement living lavishly, but he rec-
Manny Murillo’s nonprofi t has given almost $30,000 in scholarship funds since 2017. (Photo courtesy of the Manny Murillo Scholarship Program) ognizes that’s not what is important. “I’m a single man, I’m retired, I don’t have any children and I have a lot of money in the bank. What am I going to do with that? Sure, if I wanted to, I could go buy an expensive car, but will I? No, it’s not a priority,” Murillo said. “What’s important to me is to help the kids in the community. So, yeah, I could pack up and go anywhere in the world if I want, but I choose to be here. I love my lifestyle.” The scholarship program is exclusively for seniors at Agua Fria High School. For those interested in applying, students must submit a short essay on their fi nancial need and why they want to be part of the program, a work schedule with at least 15 hours a week and proof of a savings account. Contact Murillo at 623-882-0625.
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