SOCORRO, N.M. – Ten New Mexico Tech students in the Mineral Engineering Department recently received scholarships from Women’s Auxiliary to the American Institute of Mining Engineers, (WAAIME), a division of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME). Eight graduate students and two undergraduate students, of which nine are international students,  received between $1,000 and $4,000 each, with a total of $30,000 in scholarships from WAAIME, according to Navid Mojtabai, Ph.D., professor of mineral engineering.

WAAIME was created on February 20, 1917 to do philanthropic work in local mining communities where members lived, providing service to the country, to the community, and to provide scholarships. Each year,  the SME  Foundation offers $1.6 million in scholarships to SME student members. Students who demonstrate academic success and a desire to pursue a career in the minerals industry are selected for the scholarships.

“This means a lot to the students,” Dr. Mojtabai said. “It helps some of them not to take an extra part-time job so they can focus on their studies or don’t owe any money when they graduate.”

Nine of the students come from other countries – Angola, Burkina Faso, Colombia, Ghana, Kenya, Mexico – to study mineral engineering at New Mexico Tech. One student, Thomas Weaver, an undergraduate, is originally from Farmington, New Mexico. Mariam Koanda, from Burkina Faso in West Africa, said she is honored to be a scholarship recipient.

“By awarding me with the WAAIME Scholarship, I will be able to concentrate on what is important to me, which is education,” she said.

Eurico Madureira, a graduate student from Luanda, Angola, said he’s thankful for the financial assistance at a critical time in his academic career.

“I am very grateful for the scholarship because during the past few months the cost of living has really increased,” he said. “And for an international student like me whose family is overseas, this scholarship has basically taken care of all my needs – needs that otherwise I would probably not be able to afford.”