Class of 2023: Celebrating the Graduates of Taos County and the Moreno Valley

–› I was elected class president and am pretty proud and honored that the student body elected me. This current legislative session, some of my classmates and I went to the Roundhouse to lobby for money for our school. I even got a personal phone call from Sen. Roberto “Bobby” Gonzales, and I got to talk to him about how important it is for Vista Grande High School to get money for educational purposes.

Senior year has gone by fast, and we have been busy wrapping up the school year in preparation for graduation. I have also been busy preparing for senior passages and my final senior project. My project is placing

nutrition facts on various vending machines in hopes of promoting healthy eating.

We also have prom coming up soon and my peers and I have been busy trying to raise money for that. My classmates and I also went to Chaco Canyon on a 2-day camping trip and learned about their history. We had fun as a group exploring the ruins and hanging out.

I plan on taking some time off from school to focus on working. In the future, I will take some criminal justice classes locally or outof-state. Then, hopefully, I will get into law enforcement. I am confident that my current internship has helped prepare me a little bit for what I plan on doing as a career.

As a graduating senior of Peñasco High School, my high school career is coming to an end. It was not easy, by any means, and I have taken the time to reflect on what has made my experiences memorable. This small town of Peñasco has so many memories, and I will never forget them. This is where I’ve met lifetime friends but have also learned who I am — as a person.

During my school career, I participated in many extracurricular activities. I joined 4-H when I was in the sixth grade, and I did that for one year. This year, as a senior, I also joined the student council and was elected president. I really enjoyed the kids looking up to me and helping them as well.

Additionally, I joined Envirothon with Mercella Cordova, who was my coach. She taught me so much in such little time, and I really enjoyed it. My team, Ranch’d Up, placed third overall at the state competition. My team got second in oral presentations and third in aquatics. My whole team was new to Envirothon, but we all worked together to have a good time and work on the tests.

I’ve also participated in athletics: basketball, volleyball, track and field, and baseball. I really enjoy my sports. I feel as if they define me as a person and have made me who I have become. Even though sports can be stressful, they also help you mentally. In volleyball, I was a setter, and I got All-Districts. Everyone knew me as the setter and the hard hitter. In basketball, I was a post. I loved playing with my –›

“Most people think, ‘wow: a girl playing baseball,’ but Peñasco doesn’t have softball, so I make it work. The boys hype me up when I go to bat, and I support all of them as well.”

PEÑASCO HIGH SCHOOL

McKenzie Grisham

I’ve come to realize that being a senior is one of the most bittersweet moments I will go through in life. I am on the verge of letting go of my innocence and jumping into a world I’ve never known. A world I was never exposed to.

I grew up in the beautiful mountains of Black Lake, N.M. where I enjoyed horseback riding, tree climbing, scavenger hunting and nothing short of just being that kid outside playing with rocks. My childhood was peaceful, and my community was quiet and safe.

I’ve attended school here in the valley since the very beginning, growing up with the same group of kids and watching as we’ve all changed. Most see our tiny population as a downfall in the education system; however, it is something that I’m grateful

for. These people are the same people I’ve loved my entire life, and these relationships hold more value because of it.

As graduation date is approaching, my classmates and I have spent a lot of time reminiscing on how we got here.

Something I feel that deeply contributed to the person I am today is the role I played as the Colfax County Fair and Rodeo Queen. I started competing for titles at the age of 12, and I’ve been truly blessed to have spent four years representing my county and the beauty of agriculture. That experience pushed me out of my comfort zone and really helped me develop social skills. Quite frankly, towards the end, one of my favorite parts was just the social aspect of it all. I would have conversations with anyone from the age of four to 94!

You’d be surprised the things I’ve learned through those 5-minute conversations. That experience has helped me grow and realize my full potential as a

public advocate. After high school, I wish to become a lawyer. As of now, I’m taking classes that will contribute to a bachelor’s in psychology, which I will then take with me into the criminology field.

I’ve always had a passion for using my voice. You’d never hear someone describe me as soft-spoken. Ironically, one of the things people found most annoying about me as a child will now lead me into a role that fulfills my passion — advocating for others.

I am very excited to start this journey, but I would be lying if I said that half of me didn’t just want to stay a kid. I think reality has set in that these are the last few months I will get to indulge in teenage angst and the clueless nature most of us inhabit.

With that being said, I’ve got my family to thank for their never-ending love and support. As intimidated as I am to approach this new beginning, I know I am more than ready and capable due to their kind words of inspiration pushing me every step of the way. I cannot wait to see what the future holds!

“Most see our tiny population as a downfall in the education system; however, it is something that I’m grateful for. These people are the same people I’ve loved my entire life, and these relationships hold more value because of it.”

Helping the Homeless

TAOS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL STUDENT COMMUNITY PROJECT SERVES MEN’S SHELTER

Three students from the Taos International School were at the Taos Men’s Shelter on Wednesday (April 12) to hand out backpacks as part of their International Baccalaureate community project.

Brent Padilla, 14; Kobe Lee Archuleta, 13; and Antonio Aguilar, 14, stood outside the Taos Men’s Shelter on a sunny afternoon, a bin of colorful backpacks nearby. Homeless men came by to choose from the pile of backpacks, which were each filled with a snack bag, a beanie, a pair of socks, a pair of gloves and a letter written by the three students stating the purpose of their project and their perspective on homelessness.

Students at the Taos International School must conduct a community project in preparation for the International Baccalaureate, oftentimes referred to as the "IB." Students begin thinking about their project as early as the fifth grade, but according to –›

Helping the Homeless

–› Nadine Vigil, the director of Taos International, the topics students choose morph as the years go on. As their topic solidifies, students choose a teacher to be their mentor on the project. These three boys chose Mary Lou Chavez as theirs.

“They have really done so well,” Chavez said. “At the beginning, they were real shy; they didn’t know exactly how to start. I got them together, and they started doing some research, and they did some research on the Taos Men’s Shelter and the people that help them, not just the resources.”

To raise money for the backpacks and supplies, Padilla, Archuleta and Aguilar ran a fundraiser for fellow students by selling candy apples.

“I’ve seen these kids since they were in kindergarten,” Chavez said, “and they’ve grown into good IB

citizens. I think we’re going to put out some good IB students out there in the community.”

The students conduct community-based research on their topic, even looking abroad. As an international school, educators and administrators prioritize turning students into global citizens.

“We want the kids also to do research in other countries — how do they deal with their homelessness?” Vigil said. “And then they bring it back down to our community here, so they’ve learned a lot from the different countries that they researched, and our main goal is for our kids to become global citizens, where they go further up from Taos.”

To Vigil, being a global citizen is important because it encourages students to be more aware of the world they live in, and they’ll furthermore be able to

take what they observed in their community projects and compare and contrast that with international examples.

“They are the future,” Chavez said. “These guys can go out there and help with big projects like this and continue them — not just for the eighth grade, but they can continue making a difference in people’s lives.”

Eighth-graders at the Taos International School presented their community projects to an audience of friends, family and educators on May 11.

BELOW:

Weird Science

QUESTA SCHOOLS HOSTS STUDENTS AND FAMILIES FOR A NIGHT OF SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY

Parents and students alike got hands-on at Science Night, an event hosted by the Questa Independent School District at the Alta Vista Elementary gymnasium on March 10, where students shared their experiments with their peers.

The goal of the event was to encourage Questa students to get creative with science, some booths around the venue showcasing traditional experiments, like moldy foods, bottle cap rockets and slimy goo, while others were focused on engaging participants by creating art with magnets and music with bananas. Students and families crowded the gym, learning and laughing as the night went on.

The event had its roots in the Questa Junior and Senior High School Honor Society, which chooses an event each year. This year, students decided on Science Night.

“The objective of this night was to take advantage of every opportunity to expose [students] to –› science with the hopes of them sparking a love for science and continuing to explore,” Santana Santistevan, Honor Society advisor and coordinator of the event, said in an email. “We all know that students whose families are involved in their children’s education significantly benefit in achievement and attitude towards school. Science Night gives families a chance to bond and have fun together while learning something new.” –›

Four Years of Achievement

Live to Enjoy the Memories

Don't Drink and Drive

–› The event is based around the philosophy underlying a Benjamin Franklin quote: “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." According to Santistevan, students who participated in Science Night were provided with a newfound passion for learning, noting one student who has been “working nonstop with a chemistry kit he has at home.” This same student also won an additional kit at Science Night. Participants at the event were members of the Honor Society, who outlined their experiments and identified the required materials, which Santistevan then purchased with funds provided by the LOR Foundation, a non-profit organization that assists in the organization of events in rural Southwest communities. The foundation also provided food to the many attendees.

Congratulations to my wife Shirley Mondragon on receiving a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration.

So PROUD of you!

Love, your husband, Waldy Mondragon

English Alternative

TAOS ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL STUDENTS TAKE HOME THE SEAL OF BILINGUALISM-BILITERACY

It wasn’t until the beginning of this past academic year that Warren Kelly, dean of students at Taos Academy Charter School, applied for the school to be certified to award the State Seal of Bilingualism-Biliteracy. Now, three students will be receiving their diplomas toting the seal.

The Seal of Bilingualism-Biliteracy is an award that certified charter schools and school districts can give to students who have reached a certain level of proficiency in a language that isn’t English. The seal is geared towards students in New Mexico who represent the state’s rich linguistic history and seek to perpetuate it into their careers. Taos Academy Charter School only recently joined the 26 school districts and four charter schools certified to award this seal.

Three seniors participated in the award by giving presentations on March 10 showing their personal relationship with the target language, a theme chosen by Kelly. All three students presented on their relationships with Spanish before an audience of local educators, bilingual experts and a panel of judges, who had rubrics divided into six categories and scored out of 28 points. All three participants achieved the cut score and will receive the seal at graduation.

“What we found was that we have kids that are interested in using Spanish as part of connecting back into the community, and we had more momentum and interest with Spanish to start off with,” Kelly said. “It’s a springboard for other languages, so hopefully in the future, we’ll find ways to support kids in other languages.” –›

English Alternative

–› For their presentations, each student was required to address questions regarding the language, how they expect to use it in the future and its current role within their lives, their families and their communities. The assessment was both verbal and written, as students also provided written documents in Spanish for the panelists to review. Participants in the event were sought out and chosen based on their performance in language classes.

Maye Montoya, a 17-year-old participant, comes from a bilingual household. She has had her eyes set on the seal ever since she was a freshman at Taos High School, where the seal has been available for nearly five years now. She lost sight of that goal after transferring to Taos Academy, but her ambition was revitalized when Kelly made the seal available to Academy students.

“I talked about my great-grandmother and how, when she passed away, her rosary was in Spanish,” Montoya said. “I knew the rosary in English, but I didn’t fully know it. So, hearing it in Spanish [showed] how much of a disconnect there was with Spanish with me, my brothers, my mom, and how

much Spanish isn’t used in our house, and how, essentially, when we lose our Spanish, we’re losing a piece of my great-grandmother.”

Sarae Garcia, 18, has also wanted the seal since she was a freshman. Her grandparents never taught their children how to speak Spanish, and her parents went to a school that didn’t allow them to speak it. Inevitably, she was not raised bilingually. To Garcia, getting in front of the panel and presenting her topic felt “empowering,” as she presented on her mariachi singing and the difficulty of learning Spanish after coming from a monolingual home.

“When people in school learn a second language, it’s often tailored to reading and writing because that’s more passive,” Kelly said. “We were really looking for listening, communicating, understanding, answering questions and speaking. I think the gold standard of using a second language is to use it when we speak, and sometimes that’s the last thing that students can achieve because there really isn’t as much practice as we’d like to give them.”

While the seal is not geared exclusively toward

Spanish, Kelly said, students in Taos are keener on learning Spanish, as it’s a dominant and historical language in the area. Plus, it’s easier to gather a panel to assess Spanish than other languages in Northern New Mexico, Kelly added. Before the presentations began, Kelly and the panelists became acquainted with one another, pushing their “Spanish buttons” and setting English aside.

“These panelists were supporting these kids in showing and demonstrating their bilingualism,” Kelly said, “which is something that, at least at our school, they wouldn’t have the opportunity to do in a place where Spanish was being spoken principally, instead of secondarily, where there wasn’t that place where they could fall back into English, and they felt the need to communicate in this target language.”

The presentations and their assessments will be conducted annually at Taos Academy, and the 2023 participants will go on to receive their diplomas adorned with the State Seal of Bilingualism-Biliteracy this May. Garcia and Montoya will join more than 4,300 other students across the state who have also won this award.

G old Plated

TAOS HIGH CULINARY ARTS

BRINGS THE HEAT IN ITS QUEST FOR COMPETITION GOLD

Taos High Culinary Arts cooked for the National ProStart Invitational in Washington D.C., competing against nine other teams, each representing a state or U.S. territory, a trip culinary arts teacher Adam Medina already made with one team before. This time, he had gold on his mind.

A fundraising event was held Tuesday evening (April 4) to help fund their trip to D.C. A long banquet table stretched down a hallway, populated by family, friends and relatives chatting and eating, creating plenty of noise, which Medina and other mentors hoped would mimic the cacophonous atmosphere of the impending competition.

Santiago Tafoya, 18; Alimar Espinoza-Sack, 18; Meili Brown, 16; Isaiah Gonzales, 17; and Talia Tank, 16, compose the team of five students going

to nationals. On the night of the fundraiser, they were coordinated and concentrated behind butane burners. Their station, two tables in an “L” shape, reflected the same one they’ll be using at the competition, meaning they had no electricity or running water — no room for mistakes.

“We try and do as many practices as we can where they’re uncomfortable,” Medina said. “They can do as many practices as they want perfectly and then go to state competition, and it’s a completely different setting, and they freak out. So, having practices like this — I think this is the second one we’ve had with a public audience — really helps them to build a laser focus.”

“At the competition, there’s gonna be a lot of noise,” Tom Schuch, the New Mexico state coordinator for ProStart, said. “There’ll be 10 teams

working (all at the same time); they’ll have lots of family members there cheering them on very loudly, so we wanted to create an atmosphere by inviting 50 or 60 or 70 people here tonight to watch and to talk and create noise. The whole idea is for the team to focus — to block out all distractions.”

The group didn’t just have a noisy backdrop; they also had a panel of five judges to cater to. Elijah Safford and Gabriel Farkash of ACEQ, Roger Mariana of Snakedance, Silva Popaz formerly of the Love Apple, and Ky Quintanilla of Martyrs Steakhouse judged the team — not only on the food they made, but also on their performance. At one point during the rush, one of the butane burners malfunctioned, a glitch they were able to remedy within 40 seconds. According to Schuch,

these students must know about the equipment they’re using, especially in case something fails. Unfazed by the looming judges, the streamlined cooks meticulously prepared their dishes under the pressure of time. Having to prepare two plates of a three-course meal in an hour, the team just finished wiping the plate with a cloth napkin as the clock ran down to zero, all of them holding their hands up. As the proverbial smoke cleared, six plates revealed themselves on the table, two plates for each course, each one delicately presented.

Meanwhile, the banquet hall was being served by a bustling kitchen preparing the same meals as the five culinarians at their station, just at a much larger scale. Students were coordinated by Medina and his father, Adam Medina Sr., the owner of –›

Congratulations

Class of 2023

Your dedication, passion and perseverance are inspiring to us all. We hope you are as proud of your accomplishments as we are of you. Regardless of where the next steps on your journey take you, keep seeking knowledge and wisdom—within yourself and the world around you.

Go Lobos!