Opinion: Legacies that inspire and nurture generations

Lin-Manuel Miranda is probably best known for creating the script, music, and lyrics for Hamilton, the Broadway musical in which he starred that garnered a Pulitzer Prize and 11 Tony awards.

He personally has received three Tony Awards, two Emmy Awards, five Grammy Awards, along with nominations for two Academy Awards, among other honors. This 46-year-old man will be remembered well beyond his years for his record achievements.

But, what Lin-Manuel Miranda thinks about legacy is quite different:

“It’s planting seeds in the garden you won’t get to see,” an apt metaphor for folks who are concerned with soil and water conservation for the benefit of present and future generations.

For 39 years, Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District (Valencia SWCD) has provided scholarships to generations of youth in the District who care about the environment.

During this four-decade period, over 50 students have earned awards ranging from $500 to $1,500 each because of the vision of one man — Dan Goodman.

Mr. Goodman was a longtime member of the Board of Supervisors of Valencia SWCD until his death in 1987. When he died, he bequeathed a trust to the District to create the Dan Goodman Soil and Water Conservation and Environmental Improvement Award.

The 2026 Dan Goodman Scholarship is now open for applications from high school students (grades 9-12) residing in the district who have demonstrated a high regard for conservation and the environment.

The objective of the scholarship program is to stimulate activities, teaching and learning in these areas and to reward youth who have been active in conservation.

In this manner, the late Dan Goodman continues to plant the seeds of conservation in the minds and hearts of students in their formative years.

High school students living within the district boundaries — from northern Socorro County, Valencia County, the Pueblo of Isleta and the Pueblo of Laguna — may apply for the Dan Goodman award, if they are active in conservation or environmental improvement.

Students who may have applied in the past but were not selected are encouraged to reapply.

Home-schooled students and students who are educated outside of the district may also apply, if they reside in the district.

For example, a high school student who lives in the Laguna Pueblo but who attends Laguna-Acoma High School in Acoma may apply, as can students living in the Pueblo of Isleta or in Valencia County but who study in Albuquerque.

Also, any current high school student who received the award in the past may reapply, for a maximum of two awards per applicant allowed over the course of the student’s high school years.

To determine if a student resides in the district, the district map is included on page 6 of the application. The deadline to apply is 5:00 p.m. on May 1, 2026.

To apply, students must submit a complete application. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Application forms for the 2026 Dan Goodman Award may be obtained in a variety of ways.

Students can access the application on Valencia SWCD’s website: valenciaswcd-nm.gov. The application may also be picked up from the District office at Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area, 2424 State Highway 47 in Belen.

In addition, an application can be requested by emailing chair@valenciaswcd-nm.gov. High school counselors and student services advisors generally have copies of the application, as well.

Applications must be submitted to Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District by email (chair@valenciaswcd-nm.gov); by U.S mail to Valencia SWCD, attention Vice Chair Pam Cordova, P.O. Box 170, Belen, 87002; or by personal delivery to the District at Whitfield.

The application must be submitted with a one-page personal statement, a minimum of 1 letter of recommendation, and three references. Parents and teachers who may be reading this article are asked to encourage their children and students to apply for the Dan Goodman Award.

In the past, District youth have received awards for understanding the fragmentation of wildlife habitat, focusing on clean and accessible water and its distribution, reactive carbon in soils, and more.

Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District is grateful for Dan Goodman’s vision to award youth who excel in their understanding and commitment to natural resource conservation and environmental improvement. May his legacy continue.

While on the topic of education, recently, on February 17, Valencia SWCD’s Environmental Education Program Manager, Jeff Sanders, presented information to the Los Lunas School Board about the District’s hands-on outdoor science learning at Whitfield.

Teachers are encouraged to schedule their field trips to Whitfield during the remaining of the school year.

The field trips are underwritten by the Friends of Whitfield and do not impact school budgets. For more information, contact jeffsanders@valenciaswcd-nm.gov.

Teresa Smith de Cherif, a national Soil Health Champion, is Board Chair of the Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District.