“UNM has given me so many opportunities and lifelong friendships and connections with people on campus, the friends I made when I was at UNM, many of them are still my friends, It’s part of who I am. It’s in the fiber of who I am.”

A lifelong Lobo sports fan, and frequent visitor to campus as a youth, Annette Hazen was excited to attend UNM when she was offered the University’s Presidential Scholarship.

“As a kid I remember coming to events in Popejoy Hall, or watching the Lobos on TV with my parents. My parents loved Lobo basketball. My mom was really passionate about Lobo basketball and I remember we would cheer and watch on TV, and really taking pride in the team. I think there are so many things we can be proud of.”

Hazen’s excitement about the university grew when she met professors that opened new horizons to her from semester to semester.

“(English) Prof. Cheryl Fresch, she made Shakespeare come alive. And (History) Prof. Gerald Nash taught American History, the American Southwest was his specialty. It wasn’t just memorizing dates, he explained that when one event happened it had a domino effect on other events. They both had a way of connecting with their students and relaying information in ways that were interesting, and exciting, and clever and made sense.”

Hazen graduated UNM with a degree in history, and worked with the university’s Student Recruitment and Alumni Relations Office for several years before leaving UNM to work as the Director of Marketing for Albuquerque’s Cottonwood Mall. After building her marketing career in the private sector, Hazen, like many in the UNM community, jumped at the opportunity to give back to her alma mater through the UNM Foundation.

“I thought ‘Wow! I’d like to go back to the university!’ I loved having the experience away from the university, but also felt really connected to the university. I was hired as the Director of Annual Giving, and I’ve been with the Foundation for 12 years.

“I feel lucky to be able to give back. I sponsor a Presidential Scholarship because I was afforded the opportunity to attend UNM on a Presidential Scholarship. I am able to give back and support that program. UNM really prepared me for life after college. I feel like I’ve been really blessed, and really fortunate for the opportunities that have been given to me.”