Lauren Bailey, 2020-2021 Raymond E. Plotkin Scholarship Recipient
The 11th annual recipient of the Raymond E. Plotkin Scholarship in the UNM School of Engineering is Lauren Bailey. She is currently a Freshman student in Engineering and a graduate from Rich Point High School in Missouri City, Texas. Lauren is pursuing a degree in Nuclear Engineering. She dreams of working at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the area of Nuclear Waste Management. Lauren is the youngest of three siblings, one of them will soon be graduating with a Bachelor’s from UNM and pursuing a Master’s afterward. Lauren was attracted to UNM because of its Nuclear Engineering program as well as the smaller class sizes. Her favorite thing about New Mexico is the food and the mountains, where she can go hiking all the time.
The Raymond E. Plotkin Scholarship was created by the parents, extended family, friends, and fellow peers of Raymond Evan Plotkin to honor his life, his very positive relationship with the University of New Mexico and his potential interest in pursuing a career related to Nuclear Engineering. Raymond was a graduate from Westbury High School in Houston, Texas. Upon arrival at UNM as an incoming freshman, he became a member of the Hispanic Engineering and Science Organization (HESO) and the Hillel at the University of New Mexico. Sadly, Raymond passed away in the fall of 2009, during his first semester due to complications resulting from the H1N1-Swine Flu.
The Raymond E. Plotkin Scholarship is endowed; only the interest on the fund is awarded each year so that the scholarship can be awarded in perpetuity. Future donations to the fund will be added to the principle and increase the amount awarded each year. Donations to the fund should be made payable to the UNM Foundation (memo: Raymond Plotkin Scholarship in the School of Engineering). The annual deadline for the Raymond E. Plotkin Scholarship is September 15. For further information about the scholarship or how to apply, contact the UNM School of Engineering Scholarship Administrator Elsa Castillo at elsac@unm.edu, call (505) 277-5064 or visit the SOE Scholarship website: Incoming Freshman Scholarships.
In addition to the scholarship, Raymond’s family established through the UNM Student Health and Counseling Center (SHAC) the “Take One for Raymond” initiative, to encourage everyone to get their flu shots. For information, call the SHAC Immunization Clinic at 277-7925.
