In March, New Mexico State University and the Hobbs-based J. F Maddox Foundation signed an agreement that will give finalists for the Jack Maddox Distinguished Scholarship an attractive, in-state option for their college education.
The J. F Maddox Foundation awards five scholarships annually to outstanding Lea County high school graduates. One of the awards (the Jack Maddox Distinguished Scholarship) is a full-ride scholarship to the university or college of the student's choice in the country. The other four scholarships provide $5,000 annually for each of the four finalists - Maddox Scholars - beginning with the class of 2014.
The agreement will allow Maddox Scholars to double their scholarship award, because NMSU has agreed to match, dollar for dollar, the value of the Foundation's Scholarship. The 2014 Maddox Scholars will be selected this summer. The value of this particular scholarship will be $5,000 annually from the J. F Maddox Foundation for four years, which will be matched for students attending NMSU. This means, beginning with the class of 2014, the combined value of each of these Maddox Scholar scholarships offered by the J. F Maddox Foundation and NMSU, taken together, will be up to $40,000 over four years.
Students are selected for this award during the summer between their junior year and senior year of high school, and the J. F Maddox Foundation encourages them to explore their college options as seniors. Students who receive the award this summer will be invited to NMSU for a campus visit to learn about degree programs, explore the campus, and to meet with faculty.
"We will look forward to their visit," said Bernadette Montoya, NMSU's vice president for student affairs and enrollment management. "NMSU has a lot to offer students. We have excellent academic programs and faculty who reach out to students. Las Cruces is a welcoming and vibrant community, and the Mesilla Valley is a beautiful part of New Mexico. We are very pleased to be in this wonderful partnership with the J. F Maddox Foundation and the people of Lea County."
Jennifer Grassham, vice president of grants, said, "The J. F Maddox Foundation is very pleased to have New Mexico State University join four other universities (University of New Mexico, Texas Tech University, McMurry University and the University of the Southwest) in matching the Foundation's scholarships. We believe that Maddox Scholars, who go through a rigorous selection process, involving an independent, Foundation-appointed selection committee, will benefit greatly by having another option for attending an excellent New Mexico university."
The J. F Maddox Foundation was established in 1963 by Jack and Mabel Maddox of Hobbs to serve the residents of southeastern New Mexico. Education is a Foundation priority, and the Jack Maddox Distinguished Scholarship Program is a result of this commitment to education. The Scholarship Program has been in existence since 1996, awarding four Maddox Scholarships annually to applicants who demonstrate their academic, extracurricular and civic accomplishments, and who have lived in Lea County for at least two years. More information about the Foundation and the Scholarship is available at http://www.jfmaddox.org/.