In 2013, Hardin established the Stephen Hardin Endowed International Travel scholarship, an award that supports one or more students in support of international business travel or study abroad experience approved by the College of Business. This came after her family established the Stephen Hardin Memorial Endowed Scholarship in 2011, which supports undergraduate or graduate students with a declared major in civil engineering or engineering technology-civil. (Courtesy photo)
Source: NMSU News Release
DATE: August 7, 2024
WRITER: Tatiana Favela, tfavela5@nmsu.edu, 575-646-7953
For over a decade, College of Business alumna Margaret Hardin has kept her family’s tradition of giving back to NMSU students by broadening their horizons to pursue opportunities around the globe.
In 2013, she established the Stephen Hardin Endowed International Travel scholarship, an award that supports one or more students in support of international business travel or study abroad experience approved by the College of Business. This came after her family established the Stephen Hardin Memorial Endowed Scholarship in 2011, which supports undergraduate or graduate students with a declared major in civil engineering or engineering technology-civil.
“My mother created a scholarship in memory of my father, who graduated from the College of Engineering. Then, I created a scholarship inside the College of Business to help students pursue international opportunities,” Hardin said. “At the start of COVID, I was looking how to continue giving to the University and simultaneously started learning about transformative philanthropy via the Center for Effective Philanthropy. The main insight was that non-restrictive giving could be used by the University to achieve their most important goals. My current pledge is non-restricted funds to the College of Business to help the dean support students as they look for internships and full-time job opportunities.”
Hardin earned her bachelor’s degree in economics and business computer systems at NMSU in 1994. During her academic journey, she shared that she had the privilege of being a student grader for Sherry Mills, a former professor of accounting, which transformed her career path. However, Mills wasn’t the only one who helped pave Hardin’s way.
“Dr. Mills was one of several professors who were key advocates and mentors for me and helped set me on my career path,” Hardin shared. “Dr. Wayne Headrick helped me get an internship at IBM. Dr. James Peach in the economics department taught my absolutely favorite course: macro-economics. Realizing how much I enjoyed economics is what set me in motion to attend the Chicago Booth School of Business, which ultimately led to a career at Procter & Gamble, followed by executive roles at Munchkin and Ergobaby.”
“For me, seeing positive outcomes is incredibly rewarding,” Hardin shared. “When the NMSU Foundation and the colleges started sending letters from the students receiving scholarships, that increased the connection my family felt to the university. In addition, a true moment of joy and gratitude happened recently when I attended the 1888 Society Luncheon and the featured speaker was Nayla Salinas, a student from the College of Engineering. Nayla is a recipient of one of our family scholarships and her speech brought the room to their feet. To be a very small part of her journey is a dream.”
Hardin is a member of the College’s Business Advisory Council and is a native of Las Cruces. She currently resides in Los Angeles and serves as a board director and advisor for public and private companies. She shared that it’s important for her to support College of Business students as it fully aligns with her philanthropic values of creating transformational opportunities for under-served people.
“NMSU is an incredible university with a strong mission of supporting first-generation college admits as well as a diverse population,” she said. “It’s an easy yes.”
She highly encourages alumni to start giving back as early as possible in any amount possible, so that the money can be put to use today to help NMSU and its students.
A version of this story first published in the latest issue of the College of Business Annual Report. Read the issue here.
