Buy books, support the Conexiones scholarship fund for UNM students.
For forty years, Conexiones has immersed University of New Mexico students in Spanish language and culture through a rigorous, faculty-led study abroad experience—and changed the trajectory of students’ lives.
Now, you can support Conexiones scholarships by ordering new Casa Urraca Press titles by the program’s co-founders, Enrique R. Lamadrid and Michael A. Thomas.
Read below for how to make a difference.
-
Hearts in Motion, Hearts in Place
Enrique R. Lamadrid explores the idea of Querencia through our friends, the birds, in this warm micro-collection—part memoir, part ethno-ornithology, part poetry.
This is a limited hardcover edition with illustrations by Jim Vogel.Publication in October 2025.
-
Sister City and Other Stories
Michael A. Thomas, the acclaimed novelist, brings together some of his finest short stories taking place in Mexico and the US Southwest, complete with his trademark humor and compassion.
This is a paperback edition available for preorder now.
Publication in Spring 2026.
How to Contribute
Each copy of Hearts in Motion and Sister City ordered by completing the following steps will result in a $5.00 contribution to the Conexiones scholarship fund. There is no limit to how many books are eligible.
Order your copies directly from the Casa Urraca Press bookstore: Hearts in Motion here, Sister City here.
Reply to your order confirmation email and include the word “Conexiones” in the text.
We will confirm your total resulting contribution to the scholarship fund.
About the Conexiones scholarship fund
From Dr. Leslie A. Donovan, Professor in the UNM Honors College: “This year marks the 40th anniversary of Conexiones, one of our most cherished and enduring programs. Since its founding, Conexiones has offered Honors students the opportunity to immerse themselves in Spanish language and culture through a rigorous, faculty-led study abroad experience. For four decades, it has opened doors to global understanding, fostered lifelong connections, and changed the trajectory of countless students’ lives.”
In commemoration of this 40th, anniversary, the UNM Honors goal for Conexiones is both urgent and clear: secure the future of the program. The hope? To raise the funds to provide full program fee scholarships ($2,700 each) for every student enrolled in the 2026 Conexiones cohort. (That’s typically 24-27 students.)
Casa Urraca supports the mission of Conexiones
We have deep roots in the UNM Honors College and programs like Conexiones.
Our founder is a graduate of Honors at the University of New Mexico. Several of our authors are faculty members, instructors, and alumni of UNM Honors. We here at Casa Urraca Press want to support educational programs and experiences that—as we state in all of our books—bring very different people closer together.
That’s why we’re contributing the lion’s share of our proceeds from these books to the Conexiones scholarship fund. We see no more fitting way to contribute support than through the sales of titles written by people integral to the history and success of the program.
We can’t get rid of printing costs and other expenses of producing New Mexican literature. But we can make a difference by contributing as much of our sales as possible to the future of students in Conexiones.
Casa Urraca Press is not officially affiliated with the Conexiones program, the University of New Mexico Honors College, or the University of New Mexico. These programs and institutions do not endorse these books or this effort; all content herein is the sole responsibility of Casa Urraca Press. Portions of book sales to be donated to the Conexiones program scholarship fund are not tax deductible for the purchaser. You may make donations directly to Conexiones by contacting the UNM Honors College.