Jared Ethan Trueba Memorial Scholarship

My name is Blazen Trails McPhaul. McPhaul is Scottish, Mc refers to belonging to a clan, so I am of the clan of the Phauls. I take pride in my roots, my ancestral roots from Scotland are part of that but more importantly, my roots here in New Mexico are. I will be a sixth-generation New Mexican, the red chili runs thick in my blood. Still, all the roots in the world do no good if there is not a tree that sprouts and grows from them. So let me tell you about my tree. From a young age, I have been pushed to make something of myself so I strived forward, branching off into many different activities such as sports, clubs, and service groups. As I grew I played as many sports as I could, soccer, baseball, football, and wrestling to name a few. However, as I reached High School I decided to dedicate myself to one. It is as Bruce Lee said "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times" Because of this decision I made leaps and bounds of progress in basketball, because of it I made the varsity team. Even so, this senior year I have gone against the decision and decided to run cross-country. This was because over the summer I gave my word to a friend that I would run it with him, I keep my word. Sports were a large branch in the tree of my life, but they weren't the only ones. I dedicated myself to many different clubs and extracurricular activities. I helped to start a student-led bible club. I helped start the mock trial club at our school. I participated in FFA Judging where I made it to nationals in pasture and range and won fourth in the state horse judging contest. These are a handful of the clubs I have participated in. I have loved all of these clubs and they have had such a positive effect on me and the community. I have grown skills and grown as a person from participating in these clubs. Many times these clubs will do service events to help the community. Such as doing a town clean-up or serving a meal at the county fair. My tree's branch of clubs has caught a lot of water for me. A tree always has new growth, something it is striving for and too. I know for me that means learning how to play the bagpipes. It means finding a loving wife and raising a family centered around Christ. In the foreseeable future, it would mean going to college and pursuing a Higher Education. From what I know of Jared Ethan Trueba I think we would be friends, I think that we would talked about maybe heading to NMSU after graduating, I think he definitely would have convinced me to start learning the bagpipes, after trying to get me to play trombone of course. We would have spent long lunch minutes discussing different thoughts and ideas about a scripture story or about what our favorite movie characters were. Most of all I think we would work together to help those in need and grow our community at school or otherwise. I think that I am an embodiment of what Jared Ethan Trueba stood for as well as the type of person this scholarship seeks. My roots are deep, my trunk tall, and my branches long enough to cast shade over a mountain top.

Making a Positive Impact on My School and Community Throughout my time in high school, I have actively sought out opportunities to contribute to both my school and the larger community, aiming to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. From tutoring younger students to working for a lawn care company and engaging in community service projects with my basketball team, I have consistently worked to positively impact those around me and contribute to the overall well-being of my school and community. One of the most rewarding ways I have made a difference is by working as a tutor for elementary students at my school. Employed by the school, I assist younger students in their academic pursuits, offering extra help in subjects like math, reading, and science. By providing individualized attention, I am able to identify their specific challenges and help them improve in areas where they struggle. I take pride in seeing the progress they make, whether it's mastering a difficult concept or gaining more confidence in their abilities. The opportunity to tutor allows me to not only give back to my school but also develop my own skills in communication, patience, and leadership. It is incredibly fulfilling to witness these young students’ growth and know that I played a part in helping them succeed academically. In addition to tutoring, I also gained valuable work experience by working for a local lawn care company. This job not only taught me the importance of hard work and responsibility but also helped me contribute to my community in a practical way. By maintaining lawns, trimming bushes, and ensuring that public spaces looked neat and well-kept, I helped enhance the aesthetics of the neighborhood and contributed to a cleaner, more welcoming environment for everyone. My work with the lawn care company also gave me a sense of responsibility and pride in my work, as I knew that the efforts I put in directly benefited the people in my community. Maintaining these green spaces created a sense of unity and pride, as well-kept public areas improve the overall quality of life for residents and visitors alike. Another significant way I’ve positively impacted my community is through my involvement with the freshman basketball team. As part of the team, we actively participated in several community service projects, including cleaning up the community garden. This initiative was especially meaningful, as the garden serves as a shared space for local residents to grow plants, vegetables, and flowers. By participating in the clean-up, we helped maintain a space that fosters community engagement, beautifies the neighborhood, and promotes sustainable practices. Additionally, the basketball team’s involvement in these projects allowed us to work together toward a common goal while giving back to the people who support us. Our efforts created a stronger bond between the school and the surrounding community, fostering a sense of pride and collective responsibility. Each of these experiences—tutoring, working in lawn care, and contributing to community service through my basketball team—has helped me understand the importance of giving back to both my school and my community. Whether it’s helping students succeed academically, ensuring that public spaces are clean and inviting, or participating in team-based volunteer work, I have always strived to make a positive impact. These experiences have not only shaped me into a more responsible and engaged individual but also reinforced my belief in the importance of working together for the greater good. As I continue to grow, I remain committed to finding new ways to contribute and make a lasting, positive impact on the world around me.

I hope to whom ever this may concern, this essay is finding you well. I am currently a senior at Cibola High School. I participate in clubs such as KeyClub, MESA, National Honor Society, Senate ( student government), Automotive club, Best Buddies and Peer Helpers. I currently am a powerlifter but have also played football and track and field. When I am not participating in school activities you can find me in my local youth group, hanging out with friends and family, studying for school or sewing my handmade zipper pouches. I have a very strong passion for mental health and the well being of my peers. In the first semester of my junior year a student at Cibola, Jason Berry, committed suicide. I had a full day of classes but I didn't find out about the incident until my last period of the day. It was there and then I realized the true stigma around mental health and suicide prevention at Cibola. After expressing this to my teacher she saw how frustrated I was about the situation and encouraged me to send a email to admin requesting change. I had sent a email to the new principal, Dr. Finke by the end of the period where I was able to lay out my thoughts and the changes I wanted to see. Within the week of sending that email we had a meeting to discuss what changes could be made. From there we created a Mental Health Round table to start making changes. I started by presenting the ideas of doing things such as encouraging note on the mirrors and getting prevention hotlines posted around school. After over a year we have jump started our first school wide project. This up coming April I will be hosting Cibola's first mental health fair where organizations like Transgender resource center, Planned ParentHood, Keep NM Alive, APD, and The Grief Center ( which are just a few of the 40 organizations) will attend. I am hoping that Cibola Students will have the chance to be given resources that could potentially change and/or even save their life. We are hoping to continue this fair in the following years since we have already seen a positive impact. I have personally struggled with anxiety, depression and suicidal tendencies myself. All of these struggles have truly changed my life and have inspired me to help others. Helping others learn that they are not alone and that there are resources and groups out there that are willing to help is something I want to carry on through-out college and into my future career as a nurse. No one deserves to feel hopeless, no matter the situation.

From a very young age, I have always been driven to help people in my community. Growing up my mom has always taught me that helping wherever and however I can is how to become a good person. In my town, we have a 4th of July parade down the main street of Los Lunas, New Mexico. The local Veterans of Foreign War chapter have volunteered themselves to carry a 30x60 foot American flag along this 3-mile road in the hot 4th of July heat in New Mexico. These men are elderly; being veterans of wars like World War II, The Vietnam War and others before; they often need help from community members to complete this task. I have walked with these men since I was in the 3rd grade and have grown up with them, if not for just this one day a year that we are together. Being a great-grandson of veterans on both my mom's and dad's side of the family, walking beside these men is close to my heart as I never was fortunate enough to meet either of my Great-Grandfathers. To listen to their stories, spend time with them and just get to know them as both Veterans and surrogate family members is an honor not many people my age get to experience in their lifetime and it's not something I take for granted. This opportunity with the Veterans is honestly the stepping stone and opened doors into my community service. As family is the base on which I build my values, I have continued my pursuit of giving back to my community by joining community service clubs at Los Lunas High School. Lending a Paw is a community service-based club that I have been fortunate to be a part of. This afterschool club has helped me give back to my community in so many ways. We have created a thrift store within the high school and can provide students access to free clothes for those who can't afford them. I am a part of the National Honors Society at my high school as well as President of the chapter. The biggest project I have done in my presidency is running a canned food drive that the whole school participates in. We give these caned goods back to the community and try to help anyone we can. My senior year I am proud to be a student mentor. I am a mentor to a special education student here at school. The friendship I have built with this student, as well as other special needs students in the class is something I will not only cherish the rest of my life but has taught me more life lessons than I ever expected. I plan on continuing my passion for community service by getting my degree in Civil Engineering. I want to make sure that my community is built to the best of my ability to provide the safety of those in the community. I want to change my community for the better for everyone who is to come after we are gone.

In the words of jazz musician Herbie Hancock, “music happens to be an art that transcends language”. Throughout the journey of my life, this has proved especially true. Music is my way of impacting the people around me and sharing a small part of myself with the world. During my time at Cibola High School, I have been given the privilege of representing the band and creating a positive impact on younger students. In 2021, I served as color guard captain, and this most recent season, I have had the great honor of serving as drum major. While in these positions of leadership, I’ve learned more about myself and have experienced more personal growth than I have at any other time in my life. As drum major, I helped facilitate a healthy working relationship between peers and between students and teachers, made sure that everyone had the tools they needed to be successful, and interfaced with leaders from other schools. My leadership philosophy is one of collaboration and mutual respect, which helps create a welcoming and caring environment that is both comfortable and productive for students, leaders, and instructors alike. Outside of my leadership within music, I have also witnessed the deep emotional impact that music has on the people around us. Participating in the Albuquerque Youth Symphony, playing in honor groups, and playing in other solo settings, I have seen the profound experience that music evokes in listeners. A moment that I will never forget is when I had the opportunity to perform at an APS board meeting, and the board president was moved to tears. I was the first student musician to perform since COVID, and what I thought was a small playing opportunity deeply touched the people who experienced my music. Another great privilege that I have had was playing the world premiere of a piece dedicated to the late director of bands at UNM. I had an extensive oboe melody, and the impact this piece had on the community, his colleagues, and his family is unmatched. In addition to my musical endeavors, I have also used my passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) to serve younger members of the community. Over the Summer of 2020, I was a volunteer junior docent at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. Because this program was virtual, our primary focus was creating an online presence for the museum and increasing community outreach and involvement with the sciences. I chose to be a part of a group of volunteers that created videos of guided at-home experiments that could be performed by younger children. Becoming a part of New Mexico’s scientific community and sharing my love and curiosity about the universe with younger generations has been fulfilling, and has sparked my passion even further. Using my skills and passions to create a lasting impact on my community is something that brings me great joy and fulfillment. I intend to continue with both music and science throughout the rest of my life and hope to keep making an impact, however small it may seem at the time.

During my junior and senior years, I was very involved in my community and had several opportunities to be a leader. I am a section leader for the school marching band, a supervisor at work, and the cross-country team captain. These positions had drastically different expectations, yet I acted the same. I always strived to be likable, determined, and motivating. I loved being a section leader. I directed weekly flute section rehearsals and corrected the section's posture and marching formations. I am a determined leader, so I always showed up early, with my part prepared, and settled for nothing less than my best. I led by example and tried my hardest to motivate my peers. I encouraged other members to participate. To be well-liked, I always cracked jokes, told stories, and choreographed dances for the drum cadences at games. I have made a good mark on my section and regularly get asked to return as a freshman with a fake identity so we can continue the fun. After a year of working for the City of Albuquerque Parks and Recreation Department, I moved from teaching to a supervising position. As a supervisor, I give a speech at the beginning of each week explaining expectations to children and parents. Even though I am a musician and rarely get stage fright, constructing comprehensible sentences in front of dozens of people was terrifying. I butchered my first one and dropped my binder, said kids' names wrong, and explained poorly where each court was. However, as a determined leader, I didn't let this get me down and did much better the second time. In this position, I assigned courts for instructors. I considered who worked well together and what people liked to teach. I had to balance instructors' wants against what the students needed. As the cross-country team captain, there weren't any expectations from my coach. However, I organized runs during the pre-season so that we could prepare for the official season. I compiled everyone's numbers and made an accessible group chat for all of the girls to use. Additionally, I regularly set up days where the team would meet at a local boba tea place to get drinks and play card games for team bonding. Outside of this, I advised the younger girls and pushed myself in races for them. If I thought I couldn't do something, I reminded myself they counted on me. We inspired each other to do our bests. In ninth grade, a senior took me under her wing and helped me find my love for cross country. To repay this favor, I talk to any underclassmen I see during warmups. I'm shy, but I've gotten better at having conversations. The team is the closest we have ever been, and I'm happy to leave behind such a tight group of girls. I always strive to be the best person I can be. While I liked to take charge, my involvement was meaningful because of my connections with the people I was around. With these meaningful connections, I hope I motivated someone else to be their best, continue with the activities I led, and maybe even become a future leader.

During my senior year, I decided to run for Senior Class officer. I was honored to win the position of Senior Class Vice President of Cibola High School, which was awesome. This position in Cibola's Senate and Student Body came with a lot of leadership and responsibilities. It came with hours of service, leadership, and dedication toward the community and Cibola. As Senior Vice President, I helped out the community in several ways. I worked with Seed2Need, cleaned parks and helped with a blood drive. Seed2Need is a place in Corrales, NM that grows crops and donates them to homeless shelters in need. I have attended all of the Seed2Needs projects that have been offered at Cibola for the past four years. During these projects, I helped prepare the soil for harvesting; planted tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants; and later in the year, harvested those fruits and vegetables. This had a huge impact on the community because we helped the farmers, who in turn helped those in need. Also in Senate, we cleaned the parks as a service project organized by the class officers. It was simply going around neighborhoods and picking up trash to keep the parks clean. Lastly, Cibola holds a blood drive every year to collect blood to donate to hospitals. This year I had the pleasure of helping run the blood drive at Cibola. I helped set up the stations and recruited students to donate. As Senior Vice President, I have also worked on several projects for my high school. I have been in charge of school assemblies, planned homecoming, planned spirit weeks, and also worked on "dude be nice" week. During the school assemblies, the class officers are in charge of creating a unique introduction geared towards the theme of the assembly, conducting spirit checks to create a fun-spirited and competitive environment between the four classes, and keeping the students involved by having them participate in fun class games. Another fun project the officers plan is Homecoming. We work on all aspects of the planning process from picking a theme, ordering the decorations, creating a reveal to announce the theme to the student body, and spending many hours decorating for the dance. I enjoy planning spirit weeks for the school. It involves a lot of preparation such as picking themes for each day, making posters to hang for each day, and getting the student body excited to participate in the week, My favorite project is the "dude be nice" week. The officers and senators work hard to organize fun and creative ways to make everyone around the school feel special for the day. We organize days for the student body to help clean up around the school, make cards for teachers and staff, and write thoughtful letter-grams for classmates. The officers also plan a breakfast bar for the student body and school staff. Being an officer for the school has given me so many opportunities to create a positive impact on the students, staff, and community. I am very glad I decided to run because it has given me the chance to create positive experiences for everyone at Cibola and the community surrounding the school. I am very thankful and proud of what I have accomplished this year as Senior Vice President and I hope it has created a very fun and positive outcome for the students and staff at Cibola High School.

My name is Patrick Burns. I am a senior at Cibola High School and I plan to graduate on May 9, 2022. My time at Cibola have been huge in my development as a person, a student, an athlete, and a friend. My four years at Cibola featured so many amazing opportunities, including maintaining a 4.0 or higher GPA throughout my time there, as well as, being a member and two time captain of the Cibola boys soccer team. In the classroom I take a balanced approach that allows me to enjoy class, while also being able to turn in quality work and continue to expand my knowledge and education. I have received multiple academic honors awards and letters. I am very proud of my academic accomplishments and look forward to continuing my academic growth at the University of New Mexico. I will attend UNM beginning in the fall of 2022 and hope to become a sports medicine doctor. I took sports medicine as an elective during my sophomore year at Cibola and it was my favorite class! Sports medicine really interested me and I feel really became my calling because it combines my love for sports with my passion for helping others. Sports have always been a huge part of my life. I played soccer for 14 years, including my four years with the Cibola soccer team. When I was younger, I played baseball and basketball, but nothing grabbed my attention like soccer. Through soccer I have met some amazing people, built some of the strongest bonds I have today, and given the opportunity to grow and develop as a leader. I won't lie I'm not the most talented soccer player ever, however, I have a true love for the game and a true passion for connecting with people through it. Whether that be the friendships I've made over my fourteen years of playing, the teams I've been lucky enough to be voted captain on, or the teams I've coached, I couldn't be more thankful and appreciative of the opportunities I've had. Since this scholarship is the Jared Ethan Trueba Memorial Scholarship, I think its fitting that I mention I played with Jared on the Cibola soccer team. We played on the same team every year, C-team our freshman year, JV our sophomore year, and Varsity our Junior and Senior years. I played goalkeeper and Jared was a defender. Naturally, that means we were right next to each other all the time, so we built a pretty strong bond. I always felt way more comfortable having Jared in front of me because I knew that I could count on him. It was an honor and privilege to play along side such an outstanding player and more importantly an outstanding person. I thank Jared and all my teammates, coaches, friends, and family members for all the overwhelming support both inside and outside the classroom, as a student, athlete, friend, and person.

Growing up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I have always had an extraordinary example of community. I've always felt welcomed and inspired to grow, especially being involved in the art and live music scene. For the past year, I've constantly been active as an art vendor at the Albuquerque Art Walk and local cafes and events. At these events, other artists and community members have been motivating, genuinely pushing me to pursue a career in the arts and follow my passion. Experiencing this locality has driven me to provide this experience to others, especially the youth within my school. If I know anything about art or artists, I know that community is vital for success. I have been a part of the "National Art Honor Society" (NAHS) at Cibola High School for the past four years. I've held the leadership positions of Secretary, Vice President, and President this year. Through my time, commitment and passion, I have created a community-based outlet for the members of NAHS. National Art Honor Society is centered around community service and bringing art to the community. The other officers and I have set up numerous activities for the members, such as murals for our school, creating sets for the drama program, painting mirrors in the piano room, and creating decorations for school dances and spirit weeks. I have also set up other community outreach opportunities such as food, laundry drives, and creating first responder "thank you" cards. It is imperative to get involved within the community at a young age because we are the future as youths. We will be the ones to watch our communities change as we grow up into adulthood. We will be the ones to help save it and make changes for the better. By adding small artistic touches and pops of color throughout the school, I hope to create a place where kids want to learn. The reality is that the school can be bleak for many individuals. That is why I attempt to expose the community and the club members to the power both art and community hold. I believe that being involved within one's community should be the most accessible and inclusive activity. When the club is not executing community service projects, I create activities that focus on empowerment and teamwork. I feel proud that I have made a safe space that welcomes students of any background or artistic ability.

Being involved is one of my favorite parts of high school! I have tried to be active with a variety of organizations to meet and help different people. Through my years at Cibola, I have been a part of athletic teams, academic clubs, and community service groups on campus. I feel it is important to be involved in helping different organizations as well because there are not enough people volunteering and giving back in our society. I have been a member of the Student Senate at Cibola High School for four years. Cibola Senate is a leadership group that focuses on community service, school spirit, staff appreciation, and leadership skills. I was elected Student Body Secretary in 2021. I love being in a leadership role and planning events and activities. Senate provides community service for many organizations like the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, TriCore Medical Labs, and Seed to Need. I feel that our work through Senate has made a positive impact on others. In Cibola’s senate we have also worked to help advocate for kindness to students, staff, and our community through a week called dude be nice week. On each day a different group is honored, for example this year was dude be nice to self, dude be nice to staff, dude be nice to community, dude be nice to each other, and dude be nice and spirited. In addition to the Senate, I am a member of the National Honor Society. This organization is also involved in community service and as a member I volunteer to tutor underclassmen and sponsor a variety of food drives. I am also the president for Operation Smile for Cibola High School and have been a member of the organization for 4 years. Operation Smile is a non-profit organization whose volunteers repair childhood facial deformities while building public and private partnerships that advocate for sustainable healthcare systems for children and families throughout the world. Students at Cibola in Operation Smile work to raise funds to pay for these life changing surgeries and create awareness about the organization in the community My athletic involvement at Cibola was through the volleyball team. I played varsity despite undergoing five surgeries. My ability to persevere and work hard to play again after surgery and physical therapy each time was something I learned about myself from this experience. I did not realize how strong I was. I am happy to say that I will be playing volleyball at Pacific University in the fall, majoring in kinesiology and hopefully going on later to attend medical school, and I hope to continue to volunteer and be involved on campus. Outside of school, I have really enjoyed volunteering at athletic events like Ironman Arizona, All Out Call Out, and The Terrain Race. I love supporting athletes who are pushing themselves and often are raising money for other organizations in the process. I have also had the opportunity to volunteer at animal rescue organizations, volleyball clubs, and for elementary schools. All of these opportunities were important, but I feel my efforts through Cibola have had the largest impact. Helping students by creating connections, taking the time to thank and appreciate others, supporting small organizations by volunteering time and effort, providing food for those in need, and raising money for others are simple gestures that have a big impact. Creating a lifestyle which includes supporting and helping others is important. What a wonderful world it would be if people could adopt the mentality of “how can I help others” instead of “why should I help others”.

My name is Marcos Cordova, I am a senior at Cibola High School. I have been an active member of the Cibola Band Program as well as National Honor Society and National Art Honor Society. I have been part of the Cibola Band Program since Freshman Year, and I have been given the opportunity and honor of being Woodwind Captain, Clarinet Section Leader, and Publicist. While being in the program I have met some of the most inspirational and motivated people in my life. I have learned from many people in the program including Ronald Thurman, Dillon Hauke, Ashley Copeland, Lily Rich, and Jared Trueba. These people have taught me what it means to be a good leader and an even better person. I use what they taught me to teach and inspire younger classmen, in the program and outside the program. I’ve learned that everybody deserves someone who will listen to them and not judge them. This is one of the many skills I have worked on and shown by being a member of our band program. Nobody is alone in what they are going through. We all deserve to be heard, and just have someone listen to us no matter if we think it’s dumb or stupid. I always make sure that my fellow members and friends are doing fine, and if they need to talk I am here. That’s a skill that I think everybody needs. Especially this year, I’ve learned that it’s important to check up on each other and talk. Even just a simple smile or hello can help. If I notice someone is uncomfortable in a situation and needs some time alone, I check in on them. This only just happened recently where I pulled out one of my fellow Clarinet players from the group to check in on them and talk. She really needed space away from the crowd and someone to talk to and I was there for her. When it was time for our new leadership to be chosen in band, I went for the position of publicist as well as my other leadership positions. I wanted to show the world what our program is made of. I wanted to show who our amazing students are and showcase every accomplishment that they experienced. I did this by giving our band Instagram a new life. I posted almost everyday during band camp. I gave shout-outs to sections for having spirit. I made sure our community knew when we had a competition or performance. I also made sure to show everyone our accomplishments that we experienced during our season. This program is made up of some of the most determined kids in our community and I wanted to make sure that everyone saw what they can do.

My name is Brianna Rene Gatewood. I am from Cibola High School and will be graduating this 2022 school year. I play marimba, piano, drums, and very rarely flute. I am the pit captain in Cibola Marching Band and I was currently enrolled in the Cibola national honor society. A positive impact I have made in my community comes from my participation in NHS activities. Some positive impacts I have made through NHS is donating to food banks, supporting school events, helping out parks in the area, and other such activities. By doing some of these activities, I have seen impact it has made such as how it feeds people, and made the community around us look much more beautiful. One activity that I still continue to do outside of NHS without the attempt for service credit, is blood donations. As I do these I am always reminded that I am helping people around the world who need my blood and it is a one wonderful experience every single time. By being in the Cibola marching band, I have been able to help out not only my band director with major events and responsibilities to ensure that everything runs correctly, but also by helping out the new students in the band and helping them learn their way into marching band and improving themselves. Some of these activities or responsibilities that I helped out with are running the packing process for performances, making sure everything was accounted for any major event or performance, directing students on how to act during certain events, and getting items necessary to help run the activities and help the students feel more comfortable while performing. When helping the students coming into marching band, I helped them especially by teaching them music skills, teaching them the tricks to marching band, and directing them in a positive way to help them have the best experience possible. I believe these impacts have helped everyone around me. NHS not only helped people in need in my community but it also helped ease the the work for the people in need of help around me. I believe that my participation especially in the band has helped the band Director run a more smooth band year, and for the students around me to feel comfortable and confident in their work towards the band. I also believe that my impact in these activities will help inspire others after me to do the same.