Frustrated by watching talented Salinas Valley students fail to complete college because of a lack of money, a group of business women has joined together to create "Hermana" ("Sisterhood"), an organization which raises scholarship funds to assist California State University, Monterey Bay, students from Monterey County.

They made their first award for this academic year to Luis Magdaleno of Greenfield.

A graduate of Greenfield High School, Luis is the first in his family to go to college.

When it arrived in Greenfield in 1992 from Mexico, no one in the family of seven spoke English.

"My family is really proud of me," Magdaleno said. "I'm the first one to graduate high school in our family, let alone go to college."

When Magdaleno submitted his general application to the university, he was approached for the scholarship by Hermana.

"I was invited to have dinner with a bunch of women," Magdaleno said. "I was intimidated; I didn't know what to expect."

And it is quite a "bunch of women." Hermana's advisory board includes Magna Barcelo of Monterey; Terry Espinoza Baumgart, coordinator at Alisal Family Resource Center; Salinas Mayor Anna Caballero; Jeanette Cisneros of Salinas; Salinas City Councilwoman Maria Giuriato; Salinas attorney Susan Matcham; Angelita Partido of the Monterey County Health Department; Claudia Pizarro, executive director of the Monterey County Health Consortium; Carmen Ponce, human resources vice president for Tanimura & Antle; Kim Smith and Alicia Ventura-Lopez.

Hermana took shape in 2002 in Salinas. Its goal is to raise $20,000 for the long-term fund to secure the future of the scholarship, as well as raising an additional $1,000 to be awarded each year to a deserving student. In just two years, the women have raised $10,000.

Scholarships are awarded to Salinas Valley students who have overcome significant obstacles, including language barriers and family and work obligations, to be able to attend college.

Kristine Edmonds, an Hermana donor and CSUMB director of development, recalls the dinner with Luis. "He seemed comfortable being the center of attention among all the women," she said. "He told us he was used to being around a lot of females."

"We thought that we would only get female applicants for Hermana, but, boy, were we surprised," said Kim Smith, a public health nurse. "It was hard to pick just one recipient."

Magdaleno stays on campus at CSUMB during the week and goes home to Greenfield on the weekends. Getting around can be tricky, since he doesn't have a car, but "I study a lot," he said and "stay out of trouble."

"I'm well supported with grant money. I'm lucky," he said.

Magdaleno is "undeclared" in his major, but is interested in education and counseling.

Asked how far he wants to go, he sayss he takes life step-by-step. "I do whatever I can do to get to the next step; and I see where that takes me."