Davis New Mexico Scholars become Young Professionals with Communities In Schools of New Mexico
Sonja Thorpe Bohannon
First generation college graduates are coming back to work in their hometown of Santa Fe. Why? They want to pay it forward for others in their community - and encourage students with similar backgrounds to achieve the same.
Four Site Coordinators that work with Communities In Schools, Yesenia Bermejo, Luis Burrola, Lina Chavez De Lara and Alicia Del Aguila are Davis New Mexico Scholar graduates. Each of them had in mind that after college, they wanted to return to Santa Fe to make a difference.
The Davis New Mexico Scholarship program seeks to break the generational opportunity gap in New Mexico by supporting first-generation students before, during and after their college careers. “Once Davis New Mexico Scholars have their college diploma in their hand, our work is not done,” comments Director Sam Ritter. “Our program has built connections with employers and strives to ensure that our graduates have high-quality jobs after they earn their degrees. We want to be sure that every Davis New Mexico Scholar who wants to return to New Mexico to start their career has the opportunity to do so.”
Communities In Schools is one of those local organizations. Many Davis New Mexico Scholars have received degrees in Social Work or Education and they are ready to apply their degrees in a way that can impact youth.
Luis Burrola, a graduate from Texas Tech University and a Site Coordinator at Ortiz Middle School for six years comments, “I try to be the grown up I needed when I was their age walking through these same halls. Accountability, encouraging hard work, providing emotional support and making sure these kids know that I believe in them – these are qualities I developed being a Davis New Mexico Scholar that helped me become a first generation college graduate.”
Photo: Brandon Soder
Alicia Del Aguila, a recent graduate and Davis New Mexico Scholar was excited to become a Site Coordinator at Ramirez Thomas Elementary School in Santa Fe. “As a Davis New Mexico Scholar, I want to show my students that our dreams ARE attainable and that they don’t have to feel like completing their education is something they have to do alone. As a Site Coordinator, I have the opportunity to interact with our families and share everything I have learned throughout the years.”
Julia Bergen, Executive Director for Communities In Schools of New Mexico comments, “Our community school strategy is designed to build bridges across the community leading to academic achievement and life success. Working with Davis New Mexico Scholars and hiring local young professionals to work with our organization exemplifies our commitment to every student from Kindergarten into adulthood. These Davis New Mexico Scholar graduates have a unique perspective and understanding of our students. And with their degrees, they have the professional approach that adds incredible value to the success of our work.”
Founded in 2014, the Davis New Mexico Scholarship program was designed to ensure that more first-generation college-going New Mexican students complete a four-year degree. Since then, they have awarded more than $15 million in scholarships and supported nearly 50 students as they became the first in their families to earn a college degree.
Communities In Schools of New Mexico was founded in 2012 and aims to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. Currently this program is available to 6,000 students - half of the students enrolled in the Santa Fe school district.
“Both organizations were established in the last ten years and we didn’t realize how we would benefit one another,” comments Mr. Ritter. “Our programs feed off of one another and help each one grow - this is truly the most exciting outcome for our organizations, and for our community in Santa Fe. It demonstrates that when first-generation college students are given the opportunity to earn their degree, they use those degrees to better the communities they grew up in.”
Sonja Thorpe Bohannon is the Director of Marketing & Development at Communities In Schools New Mexico (CISNM). The mission of CISNM is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. CISNM is a state affiliate of the national Communities In Schools organization. Sonja holds an MBA from the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver.
