Members of the Class X batch of 1983 of St. Aloysius High School, who have set up a ₹65 lakh corpus to award scholarships to students, felicitate their former teachers (from left) Lidwin D’Souza, Shambhu Shetty and Celine Rego during the inaugural scholarship programme in Mangaluru recently.
\| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The Class X batch of 1983 of St. Aloysius High School, Mangaluru, recently returned to their alma mater with a unique gift in the form of a self-sustaining scholarship endowment with an initial corpus of ₹65 lakh.

The endowment is said to be the first-ever batch-led scholarship endowment of its kind in the 146-year-old institution, according to a release. The endowment seeks to recognise students with outstanding academic promise while promoting the institute’s values of excellence and service.

The inaugural St. Aloysius Class of 1983 Scholarship Awards were recently held during the annual feast of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, the patron saint of youth and students. Scholarships were presented to Ashwini Shettigar, M.A. Abdul Azaz Shayan, Sharon D’Costa, and Snithik Churya.

On the occasion, retired assistant headmaster Shambu Shetty and retired primary school teachers Lidwin D’Souza and Celine Rego were felicitated for their lasting influence on the Class of 1983. Headmaster Fr. Johnson Pinto and Assistant Headmaster Lancy D’Souza were present. The Class of 1983 was represented by Anil Pinto, Rohan Mascarenhas, P. Sudhir, and Mahesh Nayak.

Mr. Shetty said, “It is easy to plant seeds. 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.

Self-sustaining endowment

The idea to award a scholarship was born in 2024, when over 70 classmates reunited through social media. What began as a nostalgic reunion soon grew into a shared vision. Months of planning with the institution followed. The endowment was formally established in April 2025 under the guidance of the then rector, late Fr. Melwyn Pinto.

The ₹65 lakh corpus is invested in carefully selected financial 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 market returns and future contributions. The endowment is expected to benefit an increasing number of students from Class X to II PUC in the coming years. It is administered jointly by the alumni and the Institutional Development Office of St. Aloysius Institutions. Eom

Published - July 20, 2026 07:35 pm IST