The SWE Central New Mexico (SWE-CNM) Legacy Scholarship was established in spring 2022 by long-standing members of SWE-CNM and further funded by donations from the section with the intention of honoring all the women who founded and contributed to the success of the section from its inception to present. Initially meeting as early as 1986, the SWE-CNM Section officially began as a subset to a Southwest Section in Phoenix. SWE members living and working in the area took the initiative and decided to pursue the creation of a new SWE Section in central New Mexico. SWE-CNM received its charter on December 5, 1988. The first officers were elected, and the charter banquet was held in January 1989. To acknowledge and celebrate that occasion, January 28, 1989 was declared “Society of Women Engineers Day” by the Albuquerque Mayor’s office. More about SWE-CNM’s history can be found on our website:
https://centralnewmexico.swe.org/about-us/
Starting in 2020, key funding was provided by Fran Stuart (who provided over $10,000 in matching funds), Jan Williams, and Kat Grady. Collectively, the founders (or “Old Gals” as they refer to themselves) reached out to initiate a scholarship that would have a substantial impact for a student in NM that has financial need. Throughout the scholarship endowment process, it was evident that the Legacy members are passionate about education, engineering, and inclusion. Together, the SWE-CNM Section and Legacy members were able to allocate donated funds in a record 2 years to fully fund an endowed scholarship. This is now the fourth endowed scholarship that SWE-CNM has established.
“Old Gals” include many of the first elected officers: President – Margie Whipple (Tatro), Vice President – Deborah McIver, Secretary – Debbie Brunt, Treasurer – Shirley Bryant (Mondy), Section Representative – Jan Williams
Photograph 1 – Section Officers and SWE President; Margie Whipple (now Tatro), Jan Williams, Suzanne Jenniches, Shirley Mondy, and Debbie Brunt (1988)
