Student Profile

History of Presidential Golf Tournament

Dorella Molina
1999
 

Dorella Molina is a New Mexico Tech sophomore majoring in management at the state-supported university. She serves as a prime example of Tech students who have benefited from the Tech President’s Tuition Assistance Fund.

At the end of her first semester at Tech, Molina, a native of Magdalena, had done exceptionally well at her studies, earning a 3.5 grade point average (GPA). Things didn’t run as smoothly the following semester, however, as Molina’s young daughter, Tionne, became ill and required more of her mother’s care and attention than she had the first semester.

“It became apparent that I would soon have to withdraw from most of my classes because of my daughter’s illness and other related circumstances,” Molina explains. “And, when my status changed to part-time, I no longer was eligible for financial aid.”

The staff members at Tech’s Financial Aid Office realized that Molina’s situation was due to extraordinary circumstances and required extraordinary measures.

They referred her to Herb Fernandez, Tech’s vice president for institutional development, who further suggested that Molina talk directly with Tech President Daniel López about the predicament she was facing.

After evaluating Molina’s situation, Dr. López granted her much-needed financial assistance through the Tech President’s Tuition Assistance Fund.

“Because I wasn’t able to get any other type of financial aid that semester, the money I did get from the President’s Office helped me out a lot,” Molina points out. “I was really thankful for the financial assistance coming when it did; otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have been able to finish up the semester…New Mexico Tech really bends over backwards to help out students.

“The President’s Tuition Assistance Fund is a great back-up for Tech students who aren’t able to get financial aid from the state,” Molina continues. “It allows students who are in tough situations to stay in school…and other colleges, as far as I know, don’t have this type of financial assistance program available for their students.”