Jeremiah Wright Memorial Scholarship established at New Mexico Tech

by George Zamora

SOCORRO, N.M., February 26, 2003 -- A memorial scholarship fund has been established at New Mexico Tech in honor of a Tech student who died last September in a two-car accident that occurred on an intersection along Socorro's main thoroughfare.

The Jeremiah Wright Memorial Endowed Scholarship recently was initiated with a $2,000 donation made by Raton businessman Robert D. Harris to establish the memorial endowment through New Mexico Tech's Commitment to Excellence fundraising campaign.

Wright, who was regarded throughout the campus as a student leader and dedicated scholar and researcher, was a senior majoring in engineering mechanics at New Mexico Tech and also was the team captain of the university's rugby football club.

During its February 25 meeting, the New Mexico Tech Board of Regents posthumously awarded a bachelor of science degree in engineering mechanics to Jeremiah Wayne Wright, along with its approval of the rest of the school's December 2002 graduates.

Wright, the son of Jerry and Thayla Wright of Raton, was a 1998 graduate of Raton High School and was the valedictorian of his graduating class.

The Jeremiah Wright Memorial Scholarship has been set up at New Mexico Tech by its benefactor specifically for undergraduate students who have graduated from high schools located in Colfax County, New Mexico, and are in good academic standing at the state-supported research university.

"Once it's fully funded, the Jeremiah Wright Memorial Scholarship will provide the youth of Colfax County with an opportunity to further their higher education," said Harris, president of Title Services, Inc. of Raton. "This endowment I've established in Jeremiah's name at New Mexico Tech promises to be an ongoing partnership that will contribute to quality education and growth for both the school and its students."

For more information about the Jeremiah Wright Memorial Endowed Scholarship, call the New Mexico Tech Office for Advancement at 1-800-428-TECH, extension 4.

-NMT-