A year and five months ago, I lost one of the most important people in my life — my grandmother. She wasn’t just a grandparent; she was my biggest supporter, my role model, and the person who always believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself. I lived less than two miles away from her, so I spent nearly every day at her house after school and during my free time. Six days a week, I’d be there — whether it was helping her cook, talking about life, or just sitting with her while she told stories about our family. Her house wasn’t just a place to visit; it was my second home, filled with warmth, laughter, and the kind of love that made you feel seen and safe. My grandma gave everything she had to make sure I succeeded — not just in school, but in life. She would remind me to never take opportunities for granted and to always lead with kindness and purpose. When I doubted myself, she’d tell me, “You’re capable of more than you think.” Her faith in me is what pushed me to apply to college and keep going even when life got hard. When she passed away, the world felt quieter. There were days I didn’t want to do anything — days where the motivation I used to get from her encouragement felt out of reach. But over time, I realized that her strength didn’t disappear; it lived on in me. I started working harder than ever, knowing she would want me to keep moving forward and to make her proud. Now, as a finance student at the University of New Mexico with a 3.8 GPA, I carry her lessons with me every single day. Balancing my coursework, job, and volunteer involvement can be overwhelming at times, but I always think back to how much she sacrificed for me to have this chance. She believed that education could open doors, and I see every late-night study session and long day on campus as a way to honor that belief. There are still moments when I wish I could go back and talk to her — to tell her about a good grade I earned, a new project I worked on, or just how much I miss her. But I know, deep down, that she’s still with me. Her compassion, her selflessness, and her unwavering love are what keep me grounded and focused. Losing her taught me that grief never truly goes away, but it can become a source of strength. My grandma’s love built the foundation of who I am today. Every goal I chase, every class I pass, and every challenge I overcome is because of her belief in me. I owe my perseverance to her — and I live each day trying to be the person she always knew I could be.

My name is Sean DeTamble and I am currently in my Senior year at Los Lunas High School. My goal is to have a master's degree in the engineering field, more specifically something in Civil engineering. Since I can remember I have always strived to become an engineer. I went to engineering classes when I was in elementary school and middle school to try and figure out what kind of field of engineering I wanted to go into. I had the opportunity to attend an engineering camp at New Mexico State University where I stayed two weeks on campus learning about different fields of engineering and getting hands-on experience. Currently, I am ranked 2nd in my class of 2024. I was a part of the engineering program at my high school and won a state title in robotics in our first year of competition. We also traveled to Texas to compete in a national competition and won 7th place at a national level. I competed at the Science Olympiad competition and won 1st place in Flight as well as competing in our state Technology Student Association competition where I also won 3rd in flight. I am the President of our National Honor Society chapter at Los Lunas High School. At Los Lunas High School there is a community service club that I have been a part of for 3 years called Lending A PAW. I am a student mentor at Los Lunas High School where I work with kids in the special education program. This program has been perfect for me because I have realized the biggest goal for me is to leave my mark on the world and to make sure that I left it better than I found it. My goal after graduating high school is to attend the University of New Mexico where I plan on obtaining an internship at the Sandia National Laboratory. This has been a dream of mine since I was young to work at the labs. I am a family-orientated man and want to stay close to my family because I wouldn't have the opportunities I have been fortunate to have if it wasn't for my family supporting me. My family is a big part of who I am and they help me keep my values in line with what I aspire to be, while at the same time reminding me of my roots and where I came from. There are different ways this scholarship will help my family. My parents are both employed, however, I have two younger siblings who aspire to attend college. While we are not low-income, we are like most typical families living paycheck to paycheck. this scholarship would help me attain another goal of mine, not having to take out any student loans or put any further financial burden on my family. It would also help me by showing my younger siblings that to earn things, you have to put yourself out there and be willing to not only ask but work and show your worth to people. I think I have a lot to offer in both the educational side of me and the person that I am and hope to be.

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.

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. 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. I hope this essay gives some insight into my life and my passion for community service.

My name is Sean DeTamble and I am currently a Senior at Los Lunas High School. I grew up in the Village of Los Lunas New Mexico, about 15 minutes south of Albuquerque. I have made it a point to make sure I try to take the most advanced math classes offered within my school district. Ever since I could remember I have had a love for numbers. One of the best memories I have is in the 4th grade, our class was doing timed multiplication tables, and we made it into a huge competition within our class. We learned up to the 9's, and every night when I came home from school all I did was practice my multiplication tables. My time practicing ended up coming to fruition, and I won our in-class competition. I continued my love of numbers by taking the advanced Algebra 1 class in 8th grade. Ever since then, I have been in all the advanced classes that are offered at my high school. My favorite math subject so far has to be calculus AB. I think it is so satisfying to solve derivatives, especially the ones that deal with the product rule and chain rule. For me, I love to see a complex equation slowly become a small 2 or 3-variable equation that is easier to work with. That for me is one of the best things that I like to see when I work on an equation. I will always love math and I will always continue my passion for it when I apply it to the field of engineering. Whether it be in the classroom setting or self-study, I will continue my journey to learn more and more formulas and equation sets. Thank you in advance for reading this essay and for your consideration of this scholarship. I look forward to hearing from you.