The LCPS community is invited to the 4th Annual Dr. Karen M. Trujillo Poetry Contest Reading and Awards Ceremony. The event will take place on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center at Organ Mountain High School.
This special evening will celebrate the winning student poets from Las Cruces Public Schools, who will share their original work in front of a live audience. The event is free and open to the public.
The ceremony will be emceed by Tim Staley, LCPS educator, area poet, and administrator of the contest. Ben Trujillo, husband of the late Dr. Karen M. Trujillo, will introduce the student readers on behalf of the Dr. Karen M. Trujillo Memorial Foundation, joined by family and community supporters.
The program will also feature remarks from distinguished guests, including Howie Morales, Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico, and Rico Gonzales, Regional Vice President – New Mexico at El Paso Electric Company, who also serves on the New Mexico State University Board of Regents and is a board member of the Dr. Karen M. Trujillo Memorial Foundation.
The poetry contest was established in 2022 to honor the legacy of Dr. Karen M. Trujillo, a lifelong educator and accomplished poet. Open to all high school students in LCPS, the contest awards cash prizes to student winners, recognizing excellence in creative writing and celebrating youth voice.
Since its founding, the Dr. Karen M. Trujillo Memorial Foundation has secured over $600,000 in endowed scholarships to support aspiring teachers attending New Mexico’s public universities, including:
• Eastern New Mexico University
• New Mexico Highlands University
• New Mexico State University
• Northern New Mexico College
• The University of New Mexico
• University of the Southwest
• Western New Mexico University
• Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico
For more information about the contest or the Foundation, please visit: beakarennm.org
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