Photo: Emily Lucero.

By Karyl Ann Armbruster

How does the Caldera National Preserve relate to the Stoddard Scholarship? Steve Stoddard, a member of the original trustees of the Valles Caldera who attended many meetings to decide the fate of the Caldera, was given a per diem stipend.

Rather than spend that money on his family, he placed it in an account.

By the time all was settled with the Valles Caldera, there was a significant amount of money set aside. Steve and his wife Barbara realized that what they both valued was the work that teachers and nurses do for our community and state. 

With that thought in mind, they generously decided to fund a yearly $1,000 scholarship for a student in each area.

This year the winner of the education scholarship is Emily Lucero. She will attend New Mexico State University and plans to major in secondary math.

Lucero’s outstanding grade point average and ACT scores, and her positive letters of recommendation from several teachers made her an excellent candidate. 

The essay she wrote to the Stoddard Scholarship selection committee explaining why she chose education as her career was what tipped the scales in her favor. 

In her essay, Lucero indicated that chose education because of “her love of children” and because she “believes that teachers are one of the most important tools to an individual’s success in education.”

Kamille Chavez, who is majoring in nursing will receive an additional $1,000 for her sophomore year.

Steve and Barbara Stoddard encourage current recipients, who maintain high academic standards, to apply for a second year as they progress through college towards their goal of becoming a teacher or a nurse. 

The Stoddard Scholarships are administered by the Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation and the application is part of the local scholarship packet made available to Los Alamos High School seniors in the early spring of each school year.