NNMC News:
ESPAÑOLA — Two Northern New Mexico College (NNMC) students have received generous $5,000 scholarships from Longenecker & Associates: A Geosyntec Company (L&A).
Maxine Chacon and Mariah Vasquez are recipients of the 2026 scholarships, which are awarded to students pursuing a career in a field that supports L&A’s missions at Los Alamos and Sandia National laboratories, such as project management, business and support functions.
Both recipients are pursuing Business Administration degrees.
“I know how critical scholarships can be to those pursuing their dreams of higher education. Given the significance of the Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories to the success of the vital national missions in national security, science, energy and environmental remediation, we are pleased to continue our partnership with NNMC to allow its students to prepare for careers in fields that are so critical to our nation,” said John Longenecker, founder of L&A: A Geosyntec Company.
Maxine Chacon
Maxine Chacon, who graduated from high school in 2013, has found returning to school to pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting challenging. That struggle makes this scholarship all the more meaningful for Chacon.
“It’s just an honor for me, because it feels like everything that I’ve been doing is actually being seen and recognized,” Chacon said. “I feel like the late nights, all the tears, practically the bloodshed, it’s all worth it. I’m actually doing really good.”
This scholarship will alleviate one major struggle Chacon has faced: it has allowed her to purchase her own laptop. During her three years at Northern she has been making frequent trips to El Paso, Texas, to borrow her mother’s and brother’s laptops so she could complete her coursework.
Chacon’s dream is to get her master’s degree, become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and eventually own her own online accounting firm, with an eye to serving her community. “It would be very beneficial for a lot of people, especially since I live in a small town,” Chacon said. “A lot of people travel really far to get their taxes done. It would be really nice for them to have someone here locally they can meet with or, if they’re far away, they can do it online.”
Mariah Vasquez
Mariah Vasquez also dreams of earning her CPA, opening her own accounting firm and supporting small business in Northern New Mexico. Vasquez is graduating with an Associate of Arts in Business Administration in Spring 2026. She will continue working toward a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting, with a goal of completing that degree in Fall 2027. Vasquez is currently employed as an intern at Avanyu LLC General Contracting through Future Focused Education.
Receiving this scholarship will relieve Vasquez’ financial burdens. “It’s definitely a big support,” Vasquez said. “It takes a lot of weight off my shoulders and the worry of being able to afford finishing college. I’m incredibly, incredibly grateful for that.”
The scholarship will help Vasquez afford expenses like tuition, books and transportation. Although the Business Administration program is online, there are still classes Vasquez must be on campus for. She lives in Peñasco and has a 45-minute drive to campus, which has been a challenge financially.
L&A has supported scholarships to Northern New Mexico College students since 2021, awarding $5,000 each to nine students since that time.