“When I got the email, I had to read it three times to make sure I wasn’t imagining it,” says Gabby Sanchez ’25. “Then I just sat there, frozen. It didn’t feel real.”
For Gabby and classmate Ari Rosner-Salazar ’25, being named UNM Regents’ Scholars is a tremendous honor; the award covers tuition and fees, room, board, and books—essentially everything—and is given to only 12 new students each year. And it comes with other perks, like individual mentorship, access to a color printer, and even special housing. It also allows them to stay close to their homes and communities.
The Academy seniors first had to apply for UNM’s Presidential Scholarship, earn a minimum 3.9 GPA, and submit a two-minute video highlighting the most essential element of their application. Their video presentations were impressive, says Dean Jacoby, who serves as college adviser for both students. “Having one, let alone two, students earn this life-changing scholarship is unheard of.”
Like many Academy students, Gabby once assumed she would leave New Mexico for college, but as she explored her options, she realized the best fit was right at home. “I always thought I’d go out of state, but then I started looking at what UNM had to offer. The research, the professors, the scholarships—it was just a really good fit. And I love New Mexico, so staying here felt right.”
Ari also considered out-of-state options before realizing that UNM had everything she needed. “I was looking at a couple of other schools that are a lot more expensive than UNM,” she says. “When I got the scholarship, it was very validating academically. And it means I can go to school without having to think about expenses.”
They are both quick to acknowledge Albuquerque Academy’s impact on them and their futures. Ari was focused on theater, specifically tech and production design, before taking an art class at the Academy that completely changed her focus. “I used to think of art as just something I loved to do. But in Advanced Ceramics III, Ms. Wright showed us how artists make a living, and that changed everything for me.” It was this class, and several that followed, that changed her perspective. “I made my application video about ceramics because of my Academy art classes—they’re why I even considered applying with my artwork.” Ari is still very interested in theater, but art is now her focus. On any given day, she can be found in the Visual Arts Building, deep into some new project.
Coming from a family of engineers, Gabby calls herself “the weird bio kid of the family,” and she has taken almost every science class that the Academy offers. The spark that first inspired her was her Genetics and Biotechnology class. “I was so fascinated—I just wanted to learn more,” Gabby says. “I started doing my own research outside of class and was enthralled by the topic. We got to do a little bit of fly lab work. And that just made me even more curious because you got to work on model organisms and see genetics firsthand, which I really enjoyed.” This led her to actively pursue the next logical step in her junior year, which was to take Advanced Research in Molecular Genetics. “Without that class, I don’t think I’d be here with the scholarship today.”
Two internships Gabby pursued at the suggestions of her Academy teachers have defined her academic journey. The first was with Dr. Victor Vigil, a cancer geneticist, when Gabby was still deciding between a medical or a research path. Although seeing the practical applications of genetics in patient care interested her, it helped her determine that she prefers a more hands-on research approach. This pivotal realization was reinforced by her internship the summer before her senior year, when she had the chance to work with Drosophila flies in Dr. Mubarak Syed’s neuroscience lab at UNM. “That summer was huge for me,” Gabby says. “I got to work on researching intermediate neural progenitor cells, and it really confirmed that I love genetics. It wasn’t just reading about it in a classroom—I was actually doing it.” That real-life experience helped her see a clearer future. “I’ve always been interested in biology, but I wasn’t sure how to turn that into a career. After that summer, I could see a path. It made me excited about what’s next.” Her work in Dr. Syed’s lab will continue into her Senior Project this spring and into the summer.
Ari also recognizes the long-lasting benefits of her Academy experience. “The Academy has prepared me for college in ways I probably don’t even realize yet,” she says. “The workload, the expectations—it all translates really well.” And the impact of Gabby’s teachers went beyond academics. “I’ve been really lucky to have teachers who cared—not just about grades, but about me as a person. They saw things in me that I didn’t always see in myself.”
When asked about their advice for underclassmen, both seniors reflected on their journeys.
“You’re interested in something for a reason—don’t ignore that,” Gabby says. “You don’t want to get stuck doing something you’re not really interested in. Once you find that spark, keep on exploring it. I know it’s very cliche, but follow your interests.”
Ari recommends “using your support group and talking to your friends and your parents and anyone who will listen to you. Talk about how you’re feeling, because the college process is difficult, and you don’t want to keep it all to yourself.”