Bobcat Stories

Bosque School was invited to participate in the Davis New Mexico Scholarship beginning in the 2020-2021 school year, and, including this year, nine Bosque School students have become Davis New Mexico Scholarship recipients.

The Davis New Mexico Scholarship is a college access program to support first-generation students across New Mexico in pursuing a four-year degree. It provides full cost-of-attendance scholarships through partnerships with selected colleges and local affiliate programs, helping students cover tuition, housing, and other expenses. In addition to financial support, the program emphasizes academic success, mentorship, and preparation for college life, ensuring students are equipped to graduate within four years. Since its founding, it has awarded millions of dollars in scholarships and helped hundreds of New Mexican students become the first in their families to earn a college degree. 

Davis New Mexico Scholarship recipients have the choice to attend one of the seven Davis partner schools: University of Chicago, University of Denver, University of Portland, Occidental College, Southwestern University, St. Edwards University, and Washington University (added in 2026). 

This year, Maya (‘26) was awarded the scholarship and has decided to attend Occidental College. Maya is the ninth Bosque School student to receive the scholarship, and we wish her the best of luck as she finishes her senior year and prepares for college. 

Bosque School alumni, Isabella Cortez (‘21) and Ochs (‘23), who were each awarded the Davis New Mexico Scholarship, recently gave us an update on their college experiences and how the scholarship has had a positive impact on their educations.   

Isabella “Bella” Cortez (‘21) was one of the first students at Bosque School to be awarded the Davis Scholarship. She will be graduating from the University of New Mexico with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in human services this month, and has had quite the path to get to this moment. Read her interview below:

I loved my time at DU! During my time there, I joined a program called 1GENU for first-generation college students. I felt like that program really helped me feel welcome, allowed me to make some of my best friends, and helped me find a place where I felt represented at the predominantly white institution. I also joined a multicultural sorority, Sigma Lambda Gamma, which I really enjoyed as it pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me integrate its principles into my studies and time at DU. While at DU, I began my psychology major. We had yearly Davis Scholars meetups, where I would get to see all the other scholars at DU, meet the kids that had received the scholarship that year and were visiting DU, and the directors, Sam and Alejandra. 

I ended up not staying the whole time at DU. After my second year, I transferred back home to UNM, where I’m finishing my degree. I decided to move back at that time because I had a very scary and hard pregnancy due to some health complications they thought my son was going to have. I felt I really needed my family's support. I made a promise to my parents and myself to finish school, and I’m doing it! And now my son, Mateo, gets to be part of that! 

This month I’ve been preparing for graduation! It's an amazing feeling to know that I’m so close to being done and that I pushed through everything that I went through in order to get here! I’m also preparing for my master's program and meeting with the program director, completing my graduate application, and solidifying my classes for next year! The program that I’m doing is a two-year master's program in family and child studies! 

The Davis New Mexico Scholarship added so much to my college experience, and I will always be so thankful for everyone at the scholarship, including Mr. Andrew Davis, whom I got to meet at my scholarship graduation and welcome! Sam and everyone at the Scholarship were so helpful to my family and me as we navigated my college experience. Before transferring from DU, I was also going through some major health problems, and the Scholarship was so understanding, helpful, and accommodating to me. Even after I transferred, Sam and those at the scholarship have continued to stay in touch, and have made it clear that if I ever need any help with school, they will always be there to assist in any way they can. I know that no matter what, I will always be considered a Davis New Mexico Scholar. 

Ochs (‘23) has been attending Occidental College in Los Angeles and is currently a junior, set to graduate in May 2027. Ochs took the time to give us a little update on life since graduating from Bosque and how the Davis New Mexico Scholarship and staff have supported her along the way. Read her interview below. 

 There are so many great things about being here, but if I had to pick my top four, I would say that one of the things I love is the location. Oxy is located in a section of LA called Eagle Rock, and it's absolutely beautiful. It's surrounded by neighborhoods, and you can see this just by walking on campus, because families walk their dogs or take their kids to play here. There is also a really cute street nearby with a bunch of fun stores and food spots. Second is the theater department itself. I'm a theater major, and I love the other people in my department. The professors are wonderful and so helpful, and even if you aren't majoring or minoring in theater, it's so easy to get involved. That leads to a range of different people joining the community just for fun, and I love it. Number three is the range of different events that they have on campus. I honestly can't just put one above the other, so I'm putting it all together in one category. I don't go to everything, my schedule doesn't allow it, but the ones I do go to are always so fun. We have events such as the KTigers showcase, a K-pop dance club that puts on a performance where people dance in groups to the songs they learned. Apollo Night is a talent show held by the BSA every February; POC Formal is a dance for POC on campus held at the end of the spring semester; and, lastly, Dance Pro is a showcase where groups perform dances choreographed by students. All of these events are put on by students and clubs, and I have never been bored at any of them. Lastly, I would have to say being in LA is great because I get to be near a bunch of events and go places that I wouldn't in ABQ. Since getting here, I have gone to several concerts by artists who would never stop in NM, visited several theme parks, and attended larger conventions than we get in ABQ. 

April was an exciting month! I worked on the crew for the musical Oxy put on this spring,”Head Over Heels.” I also performed in a student-directed show. All in all, theater brings me so much joy, and I'm so happy to have been involved even in such a small way this semester.

This summer, I will be working at Bosque Summer. But looking ahead to after graduation is a bit more challenging. I, of course, have the dream of maybe living in San Diego and joining a theater group there, but at the same time, I know I want to spend some time at home in Albuquerque and see where the acting scene there gets me for a while. I'm planning for as much as I can, but I do like to see where the wind will take me. Maybe by the time I graduate, I'll have it all figured out, but for now I'm thinking one summer at a time. 

One of the biggest things I would say I have gained from being a Davis New Mexico Scholar is that it has eased some of my worries. Since the scholarship pays for everything related to school, including dorm, meal plan, and a semester stipend that helps cover books, I feel less stress about many issues on campus. Not to mention, being able to text Sam and Alejandra whenever I have any issues or questions is a huge help. It lets me focus more on my studies and keeps me from being distracted by other issues that may arise. Something that did surprise me was my relationship with the other scholars in my group. As a theater major, I don't see many of my peers often, which leads to a more distant relationship with them; however, that doesn't mean we don't know each other. Even if I'm not best friends with everyone, I can still wave if I see them on campus, and we will talk if we are at the same event. On some occasions, I'll run into one of them at the airport, and we'll split an Uber back to campus. It's nice. I don't feel pressured to hang out with them all the time, but knowing there are people on campus from the same place or who are related to me in any way is comforting when I do have the opportunity to be around them. Something I look forward to is when new scholars visit the campus. When I visited, it was helpful to talk with someone in the same program. I look forward to newly admitted students visiting, because I hope I can be someone like that to them. Because my major isn't typically represented in the program, I can offer a different perspective on campus and encourage new students to check out the theater, even if they don't plan to pursue it.