Our Students & Your Generosity Create a Better Community

Margaret D’Arrigo

Consistency and loyalty to our mission

Hartnell College has always been an important part of Margaret D’Arrigo’s life. Since her early years, she recalls playing tennis with her dad on its courts, having season tickets to The Western Stage, and taking classes there.

“Hartnell was there in my backyard and I had an affinity for the college,” she said.

About 22 years ago, she recalls learning about the lack of Ag programs at Hartnell and became involved with the Ag Steering Committee as one of the founding members. It was her goal to get others on board and find out the needs of the Ag industry to build programs that would benefit students and employers.

That’s when her giving began. She became a loyal volunteer, mentor, and donor. In 2004, Margaret started a scholarship program in memory of her daughter, Alexis Claire, who had passed at just a few months old the previous year. Keeping her memory alive was just one way for her to cope with the loss and help others at the same time.

“It is my goal to support those who need that extra push to get through their education, especially Latinos and Latinas who don’t always have that support at home,” she said. “I am passionate about educating here and keeping talent here.”

D’Arrigo has been a consistent donor and supporter of the Hartnell College Foundation for many years. One of her favorite programs to support is the Women’s Education & Leadership Institute (WELI). “Women’s empowerment is at the top of my list,” she said.

That love of giving was instilled in her by her parents. Margaret and her five siblings were adopted by Andrew and Phyllis D’Arrigo. She was the last to join the family. She graduated from Salinas High School, earned a bachelor’s in agricultural & managerial economics from UC Davis, and a master’s in business administration from CSU Monterey Bay.

She has held various positions in business, but what she is most proud of is her time as a board member for the Hartnell College Foundation, Trustee for Hartnell College, and Trustee for Salinas Valley Health. Currently, Margaret holds a seat as a Councilmember for the City of Salinas.

“I feel Hartnell and SVH prepared me for this role,” she said. “There is more work, time, and responsibility involved.”

In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, meeting with friends, walking, and going to the gym. But her most precious moments are those with her twins, Alex and Sterling, who are now 20. Each year they plan a big trip for the three of them.

Without question, Margaret cares about the community and her goal is to empower youth. She is on the board for Harmony At Home and Girls Inc., where she continues to advocate for “the future leaders of our community.” 

We are thrilled to honor Margaret as the Hartnell College Foundation Distinguished Honoree at National Philanthropy Day for the Central Coast this year.

National Philanthropy Day

Celebrating our own

National Philanthropy Day for the Central Coast is on November 14, 2025, at The Inn at Spanish Bay. The Harnell College Foundation will be honored with the award for Outstanding Philanthropic Foundation of the Year. 

The Foundation is proud to also announce that Hartnell student Emily Molina, 21, has been selected as the Outstanding Philanthropic Young Adult of the Year. She was nominated for her leadership and stewardship of a fundraising project. The Monterey YWCA was looking for support to fundraise for the Women’s Domestic Violence wing. They reached out to the Psychology Club at Hartnell and Emily took the lead. The Club sold succulents to raise funds for the YWCA. 

“It was a team effort,” she said. “Under the leadership of faculty member Dr. Yoshiko Matsushita-Arao, we became the big donor for this project.”

Molina graduated from Rancho San Juan High School in 2022. She is now at Hartnell as a psychology major and plans to transfer to Sacramento State University next year.

“I want to become a clinical psychologist and work with adults, especially Latinos,” she said. “There are a lot of misdiagnoses out there, and my goal is to fix that and also take away that stigma surrounding counseling.”

She shared the struggles of generational depression in her own family. “No one could talk about it, and it was my mom who broke that cycle,” she said. “My grandparents now understand too, and grandma is going to therapy to tackle some of the trauma she experienced in her early years.”

Her goal is to return to Salinas and be involved in the community. Besides having her own practice, she plans to come back to Hartnell to teach.

“Hartnell has given me so much!” she said. “I’ve had resources, scholarships, academic support and so much more – I am grateful.”

The Foundation was proud to nominate Noland, Hamerly, Etienne & Hoss (NHEH) for Outstanding Philanthropic Corporation at this year’s Philanthropy Day. The firm is well-known for community service contributions, supporting a wide array of local charitable, cultural, and educational organizations with Board service, participation in fundraising activities, hands-on volunteer work, and financial contributions. Congratulations to NHEH for being selected for this recognition.

Philanthropy Day promises to be an inspiring event honoring the good work and generosity of so many people in or community. We congratulate everyone who will be recognized at the event.

Our very best,