$390K raised for youth scholarships

Lab employees and students were handed a complimentary ice cream sandwich on their way out of the Otowi cafeteria on June 16. “Contribute to the Los Alamos Employees’ Scholarship Fund (LAESF)!” encouraged Evelyn Mullen as she doled out frosty treats from a cooler to raise awareness of the scholarship deadline.

Mullen is the chair of the LAESF advisory committee that helps with fundraising, placing student interns, and outreach. “It’s a great committee to be on,” she notes. “This is one of the most personally rewarding volunteer activities I have ever been involved with because I can see the impact that we make on Northern New Mexico.” 

On June 17, the LAESF campaign was extended to June 30, allowing employees an extra 13 days to give. By the end of the month, more than 15 percent of Laboratory employees had given more than $390,000.

That money—like the $5.5 million in scholarships awarded by the LAESF since 1999—will support Northern New Mexico high school graduates who are pursuing four-year undergraduate degrees and non-traditional students returning to school after a hiatus who are seeking two-year degrees or certifications.

Employees were encouraged to donate—and enjoy free ice cream—in front of the NNSB on June 17.

“Each of our scholarship winners has their own story of hard work, commitment, passion, and sometimes incredible challenges that they have had to overcome,” says Mullen, noting that 95 students who exhibited strong leadership qualities and met the rigorous merit-based requirements received LAESF scholarships totaling $566,750 in May 2016. “Everything the scholarship committee does makes a difference in the lives of our scholarship winners, their families, and our communities. Ultimately, the LANL workforce of the future will benefit as well. We are seeing former scholarship winners becoming employees, donors, and committee members." 

As employees enjoyed free ice cream, Mullen suggested they give as little as $5 with an easy online payroll deduction pledge as they filled out their timesheets. After the June 17 event, Mullen says 240 ice cream sandwiches were consumed while the Foundation team shared information with employees.

“I was particularly impressed with one woman who stopped by right after we had given away the last ice cream sandwich,” Mullen adds. “She just started working at the Lab last week and wanted to make a donation because she had benefitted from scholarships as a student and wanted to give back. That is the spirit of our program.”

Visit Los Alamos Employees’ Scholarship Fund website for more about how to help area students afford higher education.

LAESF swag was handed out at Otowi on June 17.