Scholarship here to stay

by Paul Caccamise

Daily Lobo

Sen. Michael Sanchez admits someone helped him

conceive the Lottery Success Scholarship.

"I would love to say that I was the sole reason that

that bill was introduced and that I came up with the

idea by myself," Sanchez said. "But I have to tell you

that it was me and my wife who sat around talking

one night."

In conjunction with the 10th anniversary of the Lottery

Scholarship, members of the New Mexico Senate

and House held a news conference Wednesday at the

SUB to discuss the scholarship.

The room was packed with camera crews, reporters,

a handful of college hopefuls and a few UNM students.

Ten years ago, Sanchez and his wife brainstormed

how to get more New Mexico students into college.

Since its induction, the Lottery Success Scholarship

has benefited more than 16,000 UNM students. Statewide,

nearly 38,000 students have utilized the scholarship.

The scholarship's popularity has improved since its

introduction, he said.

"I think we or I should have gone out, and gone out

more, and gone out to the different school districts

around the state of New Mexico and emphasized this

scholarship," he said. "For the first five to six years, I

will tell you honestly that people didn't know that it

existed."

Once the idea was introduced, it was not immediately

accepted, Sanchez said.

"I met a lot of skepticism and maybe that's from

things that happened in the past with the New Mexico

Legislature," he said.

Sanchez said the Legislature has a history of breaking

promises. "That's why when I use the

word 'promise,' the word 'promise'

means something to me," he said.

Sanchez thanked other senators

and state representatives for the

scholarship's success and longevity.

UNM junior Matthew Zamora

shared his experiences about the

scholarship.

"This scholarship has been a

blessing," Zamora said. "I see the

lottery as a motivation to finish

within four or five years. It's been

a motivation to get good grades.

I've always struggled hard with

getting grades. But this has been

a motivation, and I've been able to

get the best grades I have ever had

throughout my whole academic

career."

Zamora said the scholarship

would help the middle and high

school students he tutors.

"It's nice to be able to let them

know that they have an opportunity

to go onto college," he said.

Sen. Tim Jennings said it is important

for students to help one

another maintain the 2.5 GPA for

the scholarship, especially during

the adventurous first semester of

college.

"It's very important that people

never lose this scholarship," Jennings

said. "Every friend you know,

and you know in this school, from

wherever they might be from in

New Mexico, help them maintain

this scholarship."

Jennings said many members

of the Legislature have tried to

change the standards of the scholarship

by making its availability

more exclusive.

"The only mistake I would say

that we did with this lottery was we

didn't name it after the Legislature,"

he said. "Because if we had called

it the Legislature Success Scholarship,

we would have never let anyone

come close to touching it."

Senate Minority Leader Stuart

Ingle said he and Sanchez don't

always agree, but despite their arguments,

he was a strong advocate

for the scholarship.

"This is a real bonus to being a

citizen of the state of New Mexico,"

Ingle said. "This is something that

we have done for our children. Our

economic development and the

growth of this state is going to be

absolutely paid back."

Despite the scholarship's immense

success, there are still some

obstacles in the future, Sanchez

said. The rise in tuition across the

state may cause the state to dip

into its $58 million surplus, but

there are hopeful alternatives, he

said.

"There is a thought that maybe we

should use those reserves more prudently

or put them into some kind of

investment account that generates a

higher percentage," he said.

Sanchez said he does not want to

go back on his promise for 100 percent

tuition paid for New Mexico

students with the adequate GPA.

"It is our promise to these students

and future generation to

make sure that this Lottery Scholarship

stays the way it is," he said.