Phyllis E. Lucero Scholarship

Michelle Lucero has established this Endowment to honor of her mother, Phyllis E. Lucero who was taken from this world too soon at the age of 63. Phyllis Lucero was an amazing mother, grandmother, wife, and community leader and committed fully to each of these roles in her short 63 years of life. With initially only an 8th-grade education, she saw the value of education and passed that value on to her family. While raising her eleven children, Phyllis studied and passed her GED at the young age of 35. She then joined forces with her best friend Betty Jo Quintana and they decided that a college education was possible. Thus, she and Betty Jo drove to Fort Lewis College from Ignacio, Colorado {50 miles round trip), through sleet and snow for 15 years. They fit classes in at all hours of the day and weekends, and between a full-time job, raising children, giving back to the community (including service as the Town of Ignacio’s first female City Council member), and attending every sporting event her children were involved in. Phyllis was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Education in 1979 from Ft. Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. She specialized in early childhood education (with 11 children, she was well on her way!) and soon became nationally known for this expertise. Through all of this Phyllis always had time to listen to anyone who needed her advice, to cook and provide for those in need and be one of the most amazing people to have walked this wonderful Earth. Her spirit, intelligence, creativity, perseverance, compassion, selflessness, love of community, love of children, sense of humor, and beauty are what motivate the establishment of this scholarship.

Michelle’s home town is Ignacio, Colorado.