Sunward Credit Union Awards $25,000 in 2026 Scholarships

The winning students—Maureen Ford, Victoria Shaner, Mateo Bedolla, Marisol Olivas, and Thadeus Walsh—hail from communities spanning New Mexico, California, and Colorado. These recipients were chosen from a pool of more than 170 applicants who participated in an essay contest. Contestants were required to analyze how financial literacy helps navigate life challenges while acknowledging the inherent limits of monetary knowledge alone.

Sunward President and CEO Steph Sherrodd noted that the $10,000 increase in total funding allows the credit union to support two additional students compared to previous years. The initiative aligns with the institution’s long-standing focus on cooperative financial services, with the scholarship program itself dating back to 1995. Based in Albuquerque, the credit union currently manages over $4.5 billion in assets and serves more than 175,000 members across its 16-branch network.