Lariahas Desiderio was awarded $1,000, and Uriah Gill brought home $500 from the fourth annual Steve Bell GHS Scholarship Fund. Both are 2025 Grants High School graduates. Like Steve, Lariahas plans to pursue a career in law enforcement; and Uriah, who has had a successful high school athletic career, hopes to parlay skills learned on the court into a successful business career.
Steve Bell was an outstanding athlete who grew up in Quemado, New Mexico and relocated to Grants with his father and mother, Ed and Barbara Bell, when Ed became Police Chief in Grants. Steve passed in 2018 and is survived by his wife, Helen and three children, Darrell, Jackie, and Michelle, as well as grandchildren and great grandchildren in the area. Steve overcame many difficulties, including a battle with cancer to become the first wheelchair bound police detective in New Mexico. He served the community as a police officer for many years, also founding the Kids and Cops Rodeo and coaching girls’ basketball at GHS.
The scholarship committee believes Steve would have been very pleased to support Lariahas in her pursuit of a career with the FBI. She says she will first gain her bachelor’s degree, then work toward her ultimate goal, while continuing to help support her little sister’s basketball team. Uriah has played basketball for GHS for three years and has gleaned many of the same values Steve showed both on and off the court.
Committee member, Jonnie Head, said she and the other committee members enjoyed reading all the applications, and wish the winners the best of luck as they show their community just how far they can go.