BLOOMINGTON - Tension and anticipation filled Bloomington Junior High School's library recently as each of 15 Hispanic girls waited to meet a woman who might have an impact on her future. Those women were going to be their mentors. Grecia Regalado, 12, a sixth-grader who grew up in Chicago and Mexico, didn't know what to expect. She hoped her mentor would be good at math.

She, like the others, looked around the room, wondering who her mentor would be. Then she was introduced to Fanny Letona, a native of Peru who works in risk management at State Farm Insurance Cos.

Letona gave her "hermanita" - "little sister" in Spanish - a big hug. They and the other pairs of mentors and students sat at tables in the library, ate lunch and talked.

"It's a perfect match," Letona said of her pairing with Regalado.

Successful women from the community have started sharing their skills, experience and wisdom with the girls through the Hermanitas program.

Although the program has been around nationally for a couple of decades, this year it is new to Bloomington-Normal.

While there are similar mentoring programs for Twin City students, none previously has been aimed specifically at junior high Hispanic girls.

"You can make a difference at this age," said Letona, who has been a mentor before but usually for older teens. "This age is much more critical. They decide what they like."

As of Wednesday, about half the 15 mentor-student pairs have met again and gotten to know each other better. The remaining half have set get-togethers for next week, said one of the local organizers, Kathy Mundell-Bligh, an English language learner program teacher at BJHS.

"I can see nothing but good come of this program," she said.

MANA, A National Latina Organization founded Hermanitas 20 years ago as a way to empower young Hispanic women to become leaders.

Organizers say the program encourages the development of leadership qualities, cultural awareness, community involvement and personal enrichment.

The organization has been working with BJHS for about a year to get the program up and running, said local MANA members Michelle Kotte and Aida Martinez.

Seventh-grader Yessica Conde, 13, who moved from Mexico with her family when she was 6 years old, said she looks forward to working with her mentor on geography and math, and getting to know her better.

"I wanted to meet new people," she said of joining the program.

Yazmin Sanchez, 13, said she and her friends all signed up to participate.

"I hope to be a role model to others," said the eighth-grader.

For months, students had heard about Hermanitas, but they didn't know what to expect.

Finally they met their new mentors Feb. 28.

Letona speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian and has studied folk dancing. That pleased Regalado, who said she likes to dance but hasn't done it much.

Together they discussed Regalado's dreams of going to college and having a family when she grows up. Letona, a mother herself, smiled as she listened to her new little sister's hopes and dreams.

Regalado was especially happy when she heard the answer to a question she had been anxious to ask.

"Math is one my strengths," Letona said.