Photo: Margaret McKinney/Highlands University
Ashley Haprov, left, and Elena Martínez were two of four business students awarded Bloomberg Businessweek scholarships on May 1 for writing outstanding business case studies. Martínez was tapped for the first-place gold scholarship and Haprov won a second-place silver scholarship.
Las Vegas, N.M. — Four New Mexico Highlands University business students received scholarships from Bloomberg Businessweek for writing outstanding business case studies.
The scholarships were funded through Bloomberg Businessweek’s B-School Connection Program with a match from the Highlands University Foundation.
Elena Martínez, adual credit student from Las Vegas, won the $600 gold scholarship.
Ashley Haprov, an anthropology junior who is minoring in business, won a $400 silver scholarship in a tie.
Catharine Walker, a management and finance senior from the university’s Raton Center, won the second $400 silver scholarship.
Sherryan Gerardo, a management junior from the university’s Rio Rancho Center, won a $300 bronze scholarship.
“With this scholarship we’re encouraging excellence in business analysis and writing,” said Margaret Young, dean of the School of Business, Media and Technology. “The winners this year demonstrated a superior ability to identify business problems and solutions, and then communicate those issues effectively.”
Young worked with Bloomberg Businessweek to establish the scholarship at Highlands, now in its third year. The university’s business faculty evaluated the students’ case studies and selected the scholarship winners.
Martínez is graduating this month with both her high school diploma and two full years of college credits under her belt. The home-schooled 18-year-old will attend Westminster College in Salt Lake City and plans to major in accounting.
“The business professors at Highlands want you to succeed,” Martínez said. “They’re so good at presenting the material, and their doors are always open to answer questions.”
All four scholarship winners were in adjunct business faculty Melanie Zollner’s principles of management course this spring. Her interactive television course included students from the main campus, as well as the university’s centers in Rio Rancho, Farmington and Raton.
“I’m very proud of these four students,” Zollner said. “They’re dedicated students who persevere, and that shows in the excellence of their business writing.”