Newcomb High School senior Jordin Holyan will be attending the University of Portland this fall with every dollar of her college education covered after receiving the Davis New Mexico Scholarship.
The Davis New Mexico Scholarship is a full cost of attendance award open to students across the state who will be the first in their families to earn a college degree
Holyan, class salutatorian and a National Honor Society member, is the third student in the school’s history to receive the scholarship.
Recipients choose from seven partner universities and join a cohort of Davis Scholars on campus. Holyan qualified for the award through her participation in the Rural Opportunities for College Access summer program, where her college adviser first told her she was eligible.
“I heard about ROCA from Guila Curley, and after she recommended me, we went to the program,” Holyan said. “Our college adviser told us we qualified for the Davis scholarship – and we heard that it paid for everything.”
From the moment she learned about the award, Holyan had her sights set on one school. The University of Portland stood out for its strong nursing program and its school colors.
Her path to nursing is rooted in something deeper than career planning. Holyan transferred to NHS in her sophomore year and quickly felt connected to the community around her.
“Ever since I came to Newcomb, I always saw this community as kind of lively,” she said. “I always wanted to contribute to it and make it a more lively place. Nursing – I want to help people, actually help them and make them feel better, make them feel supported even in a really bad state of life.”
Hours after a conversation with her college adviser about financial contingencies if the award did not come through, Holyan received the email that changed everything.
“I literally screamed,” she said. “I was so happy I started crying. I told Guila and she started crying too.”
For Holyan’s family, the scholarship carries weight that goes beyond finances. She is the first in her immediate family to go directly to a four-year university, and she credits her mother as the driving force behind her academic ambitions.
“My mom has been crying – even a few days after I received the scholarship – saying she’s so happy that I don’t have to worry about finances, especially for a tough and expensive program at Portland,” Holyan said. “Ever since I was younger, I always dreamed of being the best. My mom was the biggest motivator for me to be at the top of my class.”