June 9 – Los Alamos students receive a university-sponsored scholarship
Two Los Alamos High School students – Shiv Antar Khalsa and Andres Iturregui – are among the nearly 3,000 students in the U.S. receiving National Merit Scholarships funded by colleges and universities.
The awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually to students for up to four years of undergraduate study.
Khalsa received a scholarship from Carleton College, a private university near Minneapolis, and plans to pursue a degree in biological sciences. Iturregui, who hopes to pursue a career in aerospace engineering, has been awarded a scholarship from Texas A&M University.
Leger Fernández reintroduces the Financial Fitness Act
U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández has reintroduced the Financial Fitness Act, which would create a personal financial education portal on the U.S. Department of Education’s website.
The portal would provide students and families with more information on important personal finance concepts such as student loans, budgeting, saving and investing.
“Students and families face substantial and difficult financial decisions when they choose to pursue higher education. Students of color and low-income students often bear the heaviest burden when it comes to paying for college,” Leger Fernández said in a news release. “We must give students and families the tools to make the best financial decisions possible.”
Los Alamos Public Schools nurse named NM School Nurse of the Year
The New Mexico School Nurses Association selected Michele Wright, school nurse at Chamisa Elementary School in White Rock, as the state school nurse of the year.
“I am honored to be named New Mexico School Nurse of the Year,” Wright said in a press release announcing her win. “Los Alamos Public School District is fortunate to have a full-time nurse at each school. We have an amazing nursing team that truly cares for our students, families and staff.”
Wright has been a school nurse at Chamisa Elementary for 18 years – and her work goes far beyond applying bandages and handing out ice packs. She also handles emergencies, manages chronic medical issues and serves as the school’s safety director.
Principal Craig Washnok described Wright as a “dedicated professional” whose “dedication to her students and community is second to none.”
SFCC, the center for higher education, will close in June
Santa Fe Community College and the Santa Fe Higher Education Center will be closed June 19 in observance of Juneteenth. There will be no classes or student services, including the college’s early childhood center and fitness center.
All facilities will reopen and services will resume on June 20.
