00 days
00 hr
00 min
00 sec
Nov 9 - Dec 31, 2023

Hartnell College Foundation

Mission

The mission of Hartnell College Foundation is to cultivate resources to champion student success.

The Big Idea

The WELI (Women’s Education and Leadership Institute) and MILE (Men’s Institute for Leadership and Education) programs will provide $222,100 in scholarships and program support for students in the 2023-2024 academic year. WELI and MILE are more than scholarship programs. WELI and MILE scholars receive a scholarship, are paired with a mentor, and are part of a student support group to help them achieve leadership potential and attain personal, academic, and professional success. These programs increase college completion and transfer rates among students in the Salinas Valley by almost 20%. The scholars involved in this program reflect our current student population, 56% of whom are the first in their families to attend college and 85% of whom come from low-income households. Funding these programs will help students with tuition, class materials, and possible housing, food, childcare, and transportation expenses.

“Applying for WELI was one of the best decisions I made. As a first-generation student and a woman of color, I seldomly see other women who look like me in leadership positions. WELI was the first leadership program that exposed me not only to professionals, but to other students with the same passion as mine; a passion for leadership development. The mentoring and guidance provided by WELI catepooled my determination to strive for previously unimaginable goals. Being empowered by other women gave me the confidence to make space in places where community college students are rarely acknowledged. Currently, I am the first and only Latina woman who has transferred from Hartnell Community College to Stanford University; however, with WELI and the powerful effect it has on empowering women, I am confident that many more will come.”

- Jane Hernandez