Local couple honors past with their gift for the future

Greg and Lisa Finley have deep roots in our community. Since the 1960s, four generations of their family have called Saratoga and Los Gatos home. Now, with an incredibly generous gift to establish a new scholarship endowment at West Valley College, Greg and Lisa hope to empower future generations of students to learn and thrive in this special place.  

Lisa first heard West Valley College President Dr. Taylor-Mendoza speak at the Saratoga Foothill Club last year. When President Taylor-Mendoza outlined the college’s current efforts to support students and expand opportunity, Lisa was struck by the many initiatives at West Valley designed to help its students overcome obstacles and thrive. A few months later, Lisa attended West Valley’s Scholarship Celebration, where she met scholarship recipients, joined in conversations facilitated by an administrator at her lunch table, and once again listened to remarks from Dr. Taylor-Mendoza. She left the event truly inspired. Lisa recalls,  

“I was overwhelmed in every way by what I saw and witnessed at that luncheon.  I was especially touched by the care culture I felt on display and by the students themselves.  Their pride in their school and their positivity about themselves and their futures had an impact on me.  I came home and told  Greg  about the amazing and outstanding efforts underway right here in our own backyard.   Greg  immediately said that we should get involved and try to do our part to help.” 

Honoring a long community legacy 

For Greg and Lisa, the gift to establish the Finley Family Scholarship Endowment is both a response to the awe‑inspiring work they witnessed on campus and an expression of gratitude for the community that has shaped their lives. They have witnessed the valley's transformation from fruit orchards to computer start-ups. The Finleys treasure the orchard-turned-tech towns and communities that offered so many opportunities. As the family shared,  "We feel truly blessed that we have been given much and would like to support the next generation.” 

The Finley Family Scholarship Endowment is dedicated to empowering future generations of West Valley College students to learn and thrive, while also encouraging them to take pride in the region’s heritage and the people who built it. By supporting students who will live, work, and lead in Saratoga, Los Gatos, and beyond, Greg and Lisa hope their scholarship will honor the legacy of those who came before them and help ensure that the valley remains a unique, endearing, and opportunity‑filled community for many years to come.