Las Cruces native and Arrowhead Park grad named Rhodes Scholar

Organ Mountain News report

Abrianna Morales, a Las Cruces native and 2019 Arrowhead Park Early College High School graduate, has been named a 2025 Rhodes Scholar. Morales is the first University of New Mexico student to receive the prestigious scholarship since 2001.

After graduating from Arrowhead Park, Morales attended UNM, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Criminology in 2023, graduating summa cum laude. She has been recognized for her academic achievements and research focused on justice systems and public policy. During her time at UNM, she was a Presidential Scholarship recipient, a 2022 Truman Scholar, and a researcher in both the McNair Scholars Program and the Psychology Honors Program.

“I am so honored and privileged to have been selected as a 2025 Rhodes Scholar,” said Morales. “Though I am incredibly excited to pursue studies at the University of Oxford, I most look forward to becoming a part of a global community of scholars and changemakers who are dedicated to making our world a better place.”

As a founder of Sexual Assault Youth Support Network, Morales has worked to address the needs of young sexual assault survivors by providing vital resources and support. She currently serves as a program manager with the National Organization for Victim Advocacy, where she oversees the nationwide Victim Advocacy Corps. This pilot program, funded by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, equips college students with advocacy training, credentialing, mentorship, and field placements to build the next generation of leaders in victim services.

Morales’ academic interests center on the intersection of identity development and youth service engagement. In October 2025, she will begin a two-year master’s program in Political Thought at the University of Oxford.

“As a native New Mexican, I recognize that opportunities like this are not often afforded to people in communities like ours, and I want to express how proud I am to represent and advocate for the interests and experiences of people in our state,” said Morales. “I could not have achieved this without the support and influence of my community, my friends and family, my partner, or the myriad mentors and teachers that have helped me along the way.”

Morales’ selection marks UNM’s first Rhodes Scholarship recipient since 2001.

“The Rhodes Scholarship is one of the most prestigious and competitive awards in the world, and Abrianna has joined an elite group of scholars who are shaping the future,” said Dr. Kiyoko Simmons, who coordinates nationally competitive scholarships at the UNM Honors College. “Abrianna is an exceptional individual who is always seeking ways to improve the lives of others. She has consistently demonstrated an extraordinary ability to merge intellectual rigor with meaningful action. She has shown that scholarship and service go hand in hand."

The 32 Rhodes Scholars chosen from the United States will join an international group of Scholars chosen from 25 other jurisdictions (more than 70 countries) around the world, and two Global Scholars from any country in the world without its own Scholarship. More than one hundred Rhodes Scholars will be selected worldwide this year, including several who have attended American colleges and universities but who are not U.S. citizens and who have applied through their home country. 

"Abrianna is that rare student whose commitment to her intellectual pursuits spans many worlds.  She has served the vulnerable, the resilient, and she has done so with an intellectual curiosity and authenticity that inspires everyone,” said Associate Professor of Economics and UNM Presidential Teaching Fellow Manuel-Julian R. Montoya. “This is a student who loves New Mexico and has contributed to its rich tapestry. She also represents many other students in the past 20 years that represent that same commitment to the world through UNM. The University is proud of her and what that says about our students and our state."

For more information, visit Rhodes Scholarship.