ALAMOSA — Dave Crews, principal of Sangre de Cristo High School, recently announced that, out of the 18 graduating seniors that make up the class of 2025, two students – Haylee Freel and Jamie Damewood - were awarded the Daniels Scholarship.  

Each year, Daniels Scholarships are awarded to select graduating high school seniors across four states, including Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. A total of 230 scholarships were awarded in 2025 to students who attended any public, charter, private or home schools. 

The Daniels Scholarship is one of the most selective and sought-after scholarships in the United States, not just because the scholarship is a “full ride”, meaning that it pays for all costs association with attending college, but also because of what it says about the recipients.  

 “It’s an honor to award 230 four-year college scholarships to young men and women who are excellent students and who demonstrated their ambition to lead successful lives of character and service,” said Hanna Skandera, Daniels Fund President & CEO. “All of us who had the pleasure of interviewing these new Daniels Scholars were inspired by this rising generation of Americans.”  

As part of the interview process, 180 top business and community leaders from the Daniels Fund’s four-state region interviewed prospective scholars. Students are selected for their strength of character, leadership potential, commitment to serving the community, academic potential and financial need. As the living legacy of Daniels Fund founder Bill Daniels, Daniels Scholars embody the values he most cherished. Daniels Scholars may use their scholarship at any accredited nonprofit college or university in the United States.  

They have their full cost of attendance covered at partner schools and up to $100,000 over four years if they choose to attend another school. At any given time, around 900 Daniels Scholars are attending approximately 200 colleges and universities throughout the United States.  

Principal Frees posted the following announcement on the Sangre de Cristo website. It read, “Haylee Freel and Jamie Damewood have been awarded the prestigious Daniels Scholarship. A heartfelt congratulations!  

“Your selection speaks volumes about your remarkable strength of character, impressive leadership potential, dedication to serving your community, strong academic achievements, well-rounded personalities, and admirable emotional maturity and stability.  

“This incredible opportunity is a testament to your hard work and all that you embody. These two Daniels Scholars are granted full cost of attendance which includes tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, as well as other miscellaneous educational expenses. Wishing you both continued success and a bright future!” 

Motivated high school seniors graduating in 2026 are encouraged to visit DanielsFund.org this September to apply online for the Daniels Scholarship Program.