San Miguel County Scholarship in Honor of the Former Mayor Telesfor A Benavidez
In an effort to give back to the people of San Miguel County the former Mayor Telesfor “Ted” Benavidez (aka Mayor of Redemption) and Latayah York with the Transportation Safety Foundation (TSF) have established a scholarship fund. The scholarship will provide (up to) $500 each year to 2 residents of San Miguel county to further their educational or certification program.
Mayor Benavidez who first saw a vision to give back to the community in 2018, was the first to allow DWI classes to be offered in Pecos to educate DWI offenders. These classes bring people from all over the county and allow them to obtain education on the affects of alcohol and DWI.
This scholarship provides financial assistance to a resident in San Miguel County to address the ‘gap’ in financial aid packages for both students graduating from high school and those continuing their education in a traditional collegial program or untraditional certification program. This scholarship is open to students who are just graduating from high school or current students who have already completed at least one semester of undergraduate studies. Students working on a second undergraduate or graduate degree will not be considered.
To apply for financial assistance, please submit the following: essay outlining the essay questions below, current transcript (reflecting a GPA of 2.5 or above) which must include address reflecting residency in San Miguel County, and acceptance letter to the college or trade school you will be attending.
Question: “What are your future goals and aspirations? What skills or traits have you learned that will help you reach those goals?”
The scholarship close date will be June 1, 2026.
All applications can be sent to tsf.helpdesk2@gmail.com. Any submissions after midnight on June 1st will not be considered. Recipients will need to be able to attend an award ceremony at the end of June where the funds will be provided.
Awards vary based on demonstrated need up to $500.
San Miguel County Scholarship in Honor of the Former Mayor Telesfor A Benavidez: Congratulations to Emaya Smith and Jonah Villanueva for the 2025 Scholarship Award.
Bernalillo High School Scholarship
TSF is happy to partner with BHS to offer a scholarship each year. Please check out BHS website for scholarship information.
Congratulations to our 2025 Recipients Uriel Castro and Aleah Madrid!