LANL Director Charlie McMillan chats with 2014 LANL Employees’ Scholarship recipient Nicolette Gonzales. Courtesy/LANL

LANL News:

As of July 1, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) employees pledged a record $327,000 during the recently completed 2014 Los Alamos Employees’ Scholarship Fund (LAESF) drive.

The drive encourages Laboratory employees, retirees and subcontract personnel to donate to a fund that awards college scholarships to Northern New Mexico students.

The drive encourages Laboratory employees, retirees, and subcontract personnel to donate to a fund that awards college scholarships to Northern New Mexico students. Further, more employees donated to the fund this year than in past years.

“Our employees know first-hand that education can unlock opportunity for these talented students who hold the promise to be future leaders in government, industry, or the non-profit sector,” said Los Alamos’ Environmental Programs Director Jeff Mousseau, this year’s LAESF scholarship drive champion. “This scholarship program provides an opportunity for employees, contractors and retirees to play a valuable role in helping our region’s high school and college academic stars attain their higher education goals.”

Coupled with $250,000 in matching funds from Los Alamos National Security, LLC, which manages and operates LANL, the total amount contributed in this year’s campaign is more than $577,000.

The LANL Foundation manages the scholarship program. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of grade-point average, test scores, diversity, financial need, academic rigor, leadership and community involvement. Funds pledged during this year’s drive will be used to award scholarships in 2015.

The list of 2014 scholarship recipients is on the Foundation’s website ( http://www.lanlfoundation.org/Scholarships/Recipients.html).