Scholarships 

Carson Padilla - Community Impact

Carson Padilla is a first-generation college student at Nelson University, where he is actively involved in student government and competes as a member of the baseball team. Through these experiences, he has developed strong leadership skills, discipline, and a passion for serving others.

Pursuing a future in business and entrepreneurship, Carson is committed to helping others build a strong financial foundation and create new opportunities for success. He hopes to use his education and leadership experience to make a positive impact in his community while empowering others to reach their goals.

Carson envisioned Money Moves: Real Skills for Real Life, a student-led financial literacy program designed to help young people build confidence in managing money. Recognizing that many students graduate without practical financial knowledge, his initiative focuses on teaching essential skills such as budgeting, saving, credit management, and avoiding debt through interactive workshops, social media content, and easy-to-use financial tools.

Inspired by his own experiences as a first-generation college student, Carson aims to make financial education accessible, relatable, and actionable. By partnering with schools, churches, and credit unions, he hopes to empower students to make informed financial decisions, build long-term stability, and create stronger futures for themselves and their families.

Angel Garcia - Community Impact

After spending more than two decades involved in gang life in Los Angeles and serving 13 years of incarceration, this applicant transformed his life into one of service, leadership, and advocacy. Today, he is a workforce development leader and community advocate dedicated to helping underserved and underrepresented individuals overcome barriers and create new opportunities for success. 

Drawing on his lived experience, he is passionate about empowering others through education, mentorship, and economic opportunity. His work focuses on helping individuals break cycles of adversity, build financial stability, and create stronger futures for themselves and their communities.

Drawing from his own journey of overcoming significant personal challenges, this applicant developed "From Hood to Financial Healing," a community-driven financial empowerment initiative designed to help underserved youth build stronger financial futures. The program combines financial literacy education, workforce development, and peer mentorship to equip young people with practical skills such as budgeting, saving, credit building, and financial planning. 

Recognizing that many young people face barriers to financial success, he proposes using lived experience and trusted community partnerships to create accessible, relatable learning opportunities. The initiative aims to increase financial confidence, strengthen connections to ethical financial institutions, and empower participants to become leaders who help others create lasting economic change in their communities.

Ella Mier - Creativity and Innovation

Ella Mier will attend the University of New Mexico this fall as part of the Freshman Direct Entry Nursing Program. She has demonstrated a strong commitment to academic excellence, earning a 4.22 cumulative GPA at Eldorado High School. In addition to her academic achievements, she has been actively involved in the National Honor Society and the Eldorado High School Cheer Team, where she has worked to serve and uplift her community.

Inspired by her personal healthcare journey following her diagnosis with Turner’s Syndrome, Ella is passionate about helping others and pursuing a career in pediatric nursing. She hopes to provide compassionate care to children and families while making a meaningful difference in communities across New Mexico.

After being diagnosed with Turner’s Syndrome in 2022, Ella Mier developed a deeper understanding of the challenges many individuals face when navigating the healthcare system. Inspired by the compassionate care she received from nurses and healthcare professionals, she plans to pursue a career in pediatric nursing through the University of New Mexico’s Freshman Direct Entry Nursing Program.

Her proposal envisions a student-led free community medical clinic staffed by UNM nursing and medical students under the supervision of licensed healthcare professionals. The clinic would provide basic health screenings, health education, and referrals for underserved communities while also giving students valuable hands-on experience. Ella believes the program could improve access to care, strengthen community health, and help address healthcare gaps throughout New Mexico.

Gavin Francis - Creativity and Innovation

Gavin Francis recently graduated from San Juan College High School, an accelerated early college program, where he also earned an Associate’s degree in Pre-Pharmacy. This fall, he will attend the University of New Mexico and transfer directly into its PharmD program.

Growing up in San Juan County near the Navajo Nation, Gavin witnessed many of the health challenges faced by local communities. These experiences inspired his passion for healthcare and pharmacy, as he saw firsthand the positive impact medications can have on people’s lives. He is committed to using his education to help improve the health and well-being of others while making a meaningful difference in his community.

Gavin is passionate about environmental stewardship and addressing the growing issue of litter in New Mexico and beyond. Inspired by traditional Navajo values of caring for the Earth, he developed a proposal focused on reducing litter through community action, including free trash and recycling days, volunteer cleanup efforts, and environmental education programs. He believes these initiatives can protect wildlife, preserve natural landscapes, and strengthen communities by encouraging people to work together for a cleaner, more sustainable future.

Saskia Van Maanen - Vigil Bullying Prevention

Saskia was born in Luxembourg and moved to the United States at six weeks old. She grew up in Farmington, New Mexico, where she graduated from high school as a Distinguished Scholar. A competitive swimmer since the age of seven, she was a member of the Farmington High School varsity swim team throughout all four years of high school.

During high school, Saskia worked as both a lifeguard and a KidCare worker at her church. She recently completed her first year at the Florida Institute of Technology, located 1,985 miles from home, where she is pursuing a degree in Forensic Psychology with a minor in Pre-Law.

Saskia is passionate about understanding human behavior and advocating for vulnerable populations, particularly children. She is committed to making a positive impact on her community and helping create a better future for both her generation and those that follow.

Inspired by her own experiences with bullying, Saskia led a bullying prevention awareness initiative aimed at creating a more supportive and respectful school environment. She gathered feedback from students and staff, identified key problem areas, and focused her efforts on increasing awareness, encouraging bystander intervention, and improving trust in reporting concerns.

The initiative included a school-wide awareness campaign featuring the theme “See it. Say it. Support.”, classroom discussions about bullying and conflict resolution, and practical strategies students could use to support peers. Through her leadership and willingness to advocate for others, Saskia helped promote a culture of empathy, accountability, and student support. Her passion for standing up for vulnerable individuals continues to shape her educational and career goals in forensic psychology, child advocacy, and pre-law.

Lance Garcia - Vigil Bullying Prevention

Lance Andrei P. Garcia is a dedicated high school student preparing to attend the University of New Mexico in Fall 2026, where he plans to major in Biochemistry. He is actively involved in his school’s concert band and powerlifting program, experiences that have strengthened his discipline, teamwork, and perseverance.

Passionate about promoting kindness and inclusion, Lance uses his leadership skills and approachable nature to support his peers and stand against bullying. Through his academic achievements, extracurricular involvement, and commitment to helping others, he strives to make a positive and lasting impact in his school and community.

Lance launched a peer-centered bullying awareness effort focused on promoting kindness, inclusion, and respect within his school community. Using his involvement in the concert band and other school activities, he encouraged students to participate in positive, collaborative environments and modeled respectful behavior through everyday actions.

By creating opportunities for students to feel included and supported, Lance helped foster stronger peer connections and a greater sense of belonging. His initiative demonstrated how consistent acts of kindness and advocacy can create meaningful, lasting change and build a more positive school culture.