Good Vibes Only: Mesilla Valley woman transforms loss into NMSU scholarship

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico—79-year-old Ida Lopez feels right at home when she visits the campus of New Mexico State University. However, the Mesilla Valley native never actually obtained her degree from the institution.

Lopez grew up on a farm, surrounded by animals. She has a deep love for animals, especially horses.

Just two weeks before graduating from high school, Lopez's father was killed.

Her mother approached her shortly after to discuss her post-high school plans. Lopez decided she would attend NMSU.

"And so I said, yeah, let's do the university. So I did that, went through all the prerequisites and such," she explained.

Lopez would enroll and study animal husbandry as a way to pay tribute to her family’s farming roots.

On exam day for her agricultural economics class, Lopez had a tough choice to make: attend the trial or complete the final exam.

Lopez would ultimately withdraw from the university and never return as a student.

A friend helped her find a job at White Sands. She was able to work in the military hospital and finally retired from the dental clinic.

Her love for NMSU never stopped. She encouraged her son to attend, and he earned two degrees.

But Lopez wanted to honor her parents and give back to NMSU. In 2016, she decided to create an endowment scholarship in animal and range sciences. It’s funded through her estate and named after her parents.

"I wanted to do something for my parents. I just thought the world, think the world of them. And I look back at how hard they worked and to have accomplished what they did. My parents were somebody. This is what my parents showed me, what they taught me. And nobody can take that away from you. You know, you will have friends, family, whatever, but there's people in every single person's life that have influenced you. And my parents influenced me," she said.

She said this is just another way of supporting the university she so deeply loves.

"My heart is still here. That's why I've set up this scholarship for some young person that can do what I couldn't, but it's there for them. The possibilities are endless.”

Lopez just wants to give back to Aggies who share her same passion.

“I hope it’s a girl out there that does whatever I couldn't do it. And it's all, the world is all hers."

To learn more about leaving a legacy at NMSU, click here.

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