In a ceremony set for Saturday at Santa Fe Preparatory School, the Davis New Mexico Scholarship will honor 50 New Mexican first-generation college students and award full-ride college scholarships to them.

Mary Jensen of Springer will be among the recipients.

“This program has prepared me by giving me an open mind," Jensen told New Mexico Sun. "I did not think I would ever attend college out of state before ROCA NM  (Rural Opportunities for College Access New Mexico) and Davis New Mexico Scholarship. “In the past year, I have had opportunities to see colleges out of state in person. I have been reassured about going out of state by talking to other students who are already Davis Scholars.”

Philanthropist Andrew Davis founded the Davis New Mexico Scholarship to provide pathways to higher education for first-generation students in order to help mitigate the negative effects and stigmas of generational opportunity gaps in education.

“We set out to prove that with the right resources and support, dedicated students from New Mexico can compete with their peers nationwide,” Davis said on the scholarship program’s website. “Giving New Mexican students the opportunity to grow and learn alongside students from around the country will ultimately benefit every New Mexican.”

In December 2020, Davis announced that up to $60 million had been provided to support the program. It has awarded $5 million in scholarships and another $1 million in grants, according to its website.

“The scholarship program also includes academic and support outside of the classroom for students throughout their four-year college journey,” according to a release. “With this support, nine out of 10 students who receive the Davis New Mexico Scholarship receive a bachelor’s degree in four years."

Davis New Mexico Scholarship Director Sam Ritter said this program, founded in 2014, is making a major difference in many lives.

“Andrew Davis’ transformational generosity is having a tremendous impact on college access across northern New Mexico,” Ritter said in the release. “His enduring commitment to providing a pathway to and through college for first-generation college students from New Mexico is evidence of his deep commitment to the future of our state.”

Jensen, 18, is the youngest of six children in her family. There are only 13 seniors in her graduating class.

“I heard about the Davis New Mexico Scholarship when I went to the ROCA NM program last summer,” she said. 

She called the program “a great opportunity,” and urges other students to pursue it.

She added, however, that students must be “really driven” and willing to accept the challenge. The scholarship was a pivotal moment for her as she plans for her future.

“I’m going to the University of Portland Oregon," she said. "I plan on majoring in political science. After college I want to go to law school or work in Washington, D.C. My goals are to focus on my studies, make new friends, and help other rural students get to college.”

According to a Davis New Mexico news release, students who will be included in this year’s ceremony come from 23 different high schools across the state. The ceremony also will include the first class of students from the Rural Opportunities for College Access (ROCA) program, which serves first-generation college-bound students living in rural areas who are interested in exploring college options outside New Mexico.

Davis New Mexico has developed special partnerships with several universities across the West and Midwest that provide exceptional support for first-generation college students.

The ceremony Saturday, will mark the addition of Occidental College in Los Angeles as a new partner college. Occidental joins existing Davis New Mexico partner schools that include Lawrence University (Appleton, Wisconsin), Southwestern University (Georgetown, Texas), St. Edward’s University (Austin, Texas), the University of Denver and the University of Portland in Oregon.

Davis is president of Davis Selected Advisers and portfolio manager for the Davis Real Estate Fund, according to a 2019 online biography.

“It is through this lens that he views problems and evaluates ways that he might use philanthropy to further solutions,” the biography says.