Community briefs: Atherton Police Activities League scholarships, new M-A soccer coach hired and more

Portola Valley Horse Fair

About 500 people attend’s the Portola Valley Trails & Paths Committee’s interactive Horse Fair on May 20 at Town Center.

There were carriage rides, miniature horses, face painting, the chance to listen to a horse’s heartbeat, a petting zoo with chickens and goats, and roping skills, along with lunch from the Los Tolucas food truck.

The event was on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic and because of an outbreak of the equine herpesvirus.

Atherton Police Activities League announces $30K in scholarships

The Atherton Police Activities League (PAL) has awarded six high school seniors $5,000 each, for a total of $30,000, for college this fall, according to a press release.

Recipients are:

• Aiden Deffner of Menlo School. He plans to attend Johns Hopkins University majoring in computer science and plans to continue with graduate school with a degree in security informatics.

• Rycklon Stephens Jr. of Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton. He plans to attend University of California at Berkeley and continue his football career with hopes of going into the NFL. He plans to major in economics and own his own business.

• Siana Barker of Menlo-Atherton High School. She plans to attend Louisiana State University where she would like to create a clothing brand that uses more sustainable materials to decrease the issue of over-consumption in the fashion industry.

• Ada Yi Jue Cai of Menlo-Atherton High School. She plans to attend New York University to pursue a career in either international relations or international business and a minor in journalism.

• Mohammed Amir Khabaza of Menlo-Atherton High School. He plans to attend University of California at Merced to study computer science and work in underserved communities providing technology to children without access.

• Helena Warner of Menlo-Atherton High School. She plans to attend University of California at Berkeley and study art history. She strives to pursue a career as a storyboard artist or a museum curator to spread her love and appreciation of art to wider audiences spanning generations.

The league is a nonprofit that partners with the community, youth, and the police to support scholarships, recreational activities and outreach programs. The PAL works in partnership with the Atherton Police Department each year to identify local students who attend one of the three high schools in Atherton and are eligible to apply for the scholarships.

To date, PAL has given out over $270,000 in scholarships over the years.

For information on PAL Scholarships, contact Jennifer Frew, Atherton Police Dept. PAL Coordinator, at jfrew@ci.atherton.ca.us.

M-A hires Brian Mansell as head coach of varsity boys soccer

Menlo-Atherton High School Athletic Directors Paul Snow and Steven Kryger have hired Brian Mansell to be the new head coach of the varsity boys soccer team, according to a press release.

“I’m honored to be a part of such a great school and program in a community and area that I had the privilege of working and coaching in,” he said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to help mentor and lead the program to success both on and off the field.”

Mansell joins the M-A soccer program from his previous head coaching role with the South San Francisco girls varsity soccer team, leading them to consecutive CCS Finals in 2020 and 2021, winning CCS in 2021. He has also spent time coaching boys varsity soccer at Hillsdale High, Archbishop Riordan High School and Sacred Heart Cathedral in San Francisco.

Mansell grew up in Newark, where he played soccer. He is the founder and executive director of local youth soccer club, San Mateo County FC, where he is also the head coach of the club’s U17 Boys Program. He has been involved in youth soccer in the area for more than 25 years.

Before beginning his coaching career, Mansell was an All-Conference goalkeeper at De Anza College in Cupertino and played on the 1994 unbeaten state championship team. He finished his collegiate career at San Francisco State University after short professional trials in Switzerland and France.

He played four years in the United States International Soccer League from 1992-95.

By Angela Swartz

By Angela Swartz

By Angela Swartz