Western New Mexico University recently welcomed dozens of seventh-grade students from the Mescalero Apache Schools for a multi-day visit that blended cultural preservation with an introduction to university life. The visit served as a gateway to the students’ annual mezcal harvest, a cornerstone of their cultural heritage, held in early May.

The long-standing partnership between Â鶹ֱ²¥ and the Mescalero Apache community aims to provide students with an early look at the opportunities afforded by higher education. Rena Nash, cultural and language director for the Mescalero Apache Schools, emphasized the importance of the trip in broadening the students’ horizons.

“We want for our children to be able to get an awareness of what it is to be in college, off the reservation, and be able to see the outside world,” Nash said. She noted that the seventh grade is a pivotal year for the students, as many are preparing for their puberty ceremonies and transitioning toward adulthood. Nash knows the visits work, her granddaughter attended Â鶹ֱ²¥ after visiting the campus during another ceremony visit years ago and then graduated in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

During their stay, students were immersed in the Â鶹ֱ²¥ experience through a series of tours and activities led by the Office of Admissions. Student ambassadors, including international and domestic students, guided the visitors through several key academic and social hubs. The comprehensive tour included stops at the Â鶹ֱ²¥ Museum, the School of Social Work and School of Education, highlighting professional career paths. They also visited the J. Cloyd Miller Library and the Â鶹ֱ²¥ bookstore.

To provide a true sense of “student life,” the visitors enjoyed dinner at the Â鶹ֱ²¥ dining hall and participated in outdoor games and activities on the campus grounds. These interactions allowed the younger students to ask questions about the college experience in a relaxed, peer-to-peer environment.

Following their time on campus, the students traveled to Freeport-McMoRan mine property for the annual mezcal harvest. This tradition is essential to the Mescalero Apache identity, focusing on the harvest of the mezcal plant, which has historically served as a vital food source and a multi-purpose resource.

Zachary Flowers, Eugene Kleinkole, and Percy Platta, members of the Mescalero Schools operations and maintenance staff, among others from the school, accompanied the students to ensure the tradition continues through the generations. Platta and Kleinkole are also members of the tribe. “We use it for food, and it’s like aloe vera for healing,” they shared, noting the plant’s deep cultural and practical significance.

The harvest itself culminated in a closed blessing and ceremony on Wednesday morning. For many students, such as seventh-grader Janay E., the event is a significant rite of passage. “I’ve been one other time and I love it, Janay E. said. “I’m excited to participate for the first time,” fellow student Lacey M. said, noting that she has heard about this vital cultural event through family and tribal communications her entire life.

By hosting the students before they head to the harvest, Â鶹ֱ²¥ remains committed to fostering a supportive environment where Indigenous traditions and academic aspirations can thrive together.

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The event was hosted by Â鶹ֱ²¥ admissions and student affairs. “This is one of my favorite campus events,” said Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Recruitment Andrew Lunt, MBA, MSHRM. “The weather was great, our faculty and staff were supportive, and students, guardians, and educators were highly receptive,” Lunt said.

Joined by Admissions Recruiter James Lee, who oversaw event logistics, the day began at Old James Stadium, where attendees checked in and received color-coded bracelets for their academic interests. This system helped faculty and staff quickly connect with students, providing targeted guidance as participants explored their academic options. “We are grateful to the Â鶹ֱ²¥ faculty, staff, and students. Their time and efforts make this event possible,” said Lee.

Among the diverse crowd were several standout student groups, including delegations from Cesar Chavez High School and the New Mexico Military Institute. Two students from Deming have already mapped out their path to entrepreneurship. They plan to become Â鶹ֱ²¥ business majors immediately after finishing cosmetology school, citing the university’s reputation as their primary draw.

“We’re here because we want to own our own businesses,” one student shared. Her peer added, “Cosmetology is the start, but we know a business degree is critical to that success. Western has a strong program and completing that major is what will allow us to thrive.”

As the morning progressed, students toured the university grounds. They took in the unique architecture and the region’s scenic views. Popular stops included Regents Row for photo opportunities and a chance to meet Rawhide, the official Â鶹ֱ²¥ mascot. Attendees also enjoyed refreshments from Discovery Day sponsor Coca-Cola, a free lunch from local vendors, and conversations with current students about the Mustang experience.

“One thing that stood out to me was how clean and well maintained the campus was. After visiting, I can definitely see myself being a student,� shared one high school student who traveled from Las Cruces to attend.

Numerous faculty members from various departments were stationed throughout the campus to engage with visitors and answer detailed questions about the extensive educational offerings by Â鶹ֱ²¥.

Mock classroom sessions, the day’s highlight, gave prospective students a hands-on look at disciplines such as chemistry, business, nursing and kinesiology, applied technology and sciences, humanities, and early childhood education.

“Discovery Day is about more than just showing off our facilities; it’s about showing these students that they belong here,” said Lunt. “They may be coming from just down the road, across the state, or even from across the world. We want them to see a direct path from our classrooms to their future success.”

For those unable to attend, Â鶹ֱ²¥ remains committed to supporting prospective students through personalized tours and virtual sessions year-round.

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“The immediate focus is on ensuring students have access to meals, especially over the approaching holiday break when campus resources and support networks often become scarce,� said Student Services Coordinator/ Center for Student Success, Kimberly Woodard.

Internal university metrics paint an escalating picture of challenges and hardships students may face. The Â鶹ֱ²¥ One Stop support services—which encompass the campus pantry, mobile distributions, and other critical aid—now manage approximately 650 student visits per month, a number that is continuously increasing. Data from the 2023 UNM Basic Needs Project, a state-wide survey, suggests that as much as 75% of Â鶹ֱ²¥ students may be food insecure.

“Our priority is to ensure students can focus on their education, not on securing their next meal. Last year, One Stop was able to distribute 98,000 pounds of food from Roadrunner Food Bank alone, but even Roadrunner is experiencing significant strain,” said Woodard.

“Additionally, the ECMC Project Success funding that Â鶹ֱ²¥ used to rely on to obtain hygiene products, storage, and other common day-to-day needs was discontinued, as was the grant funding for the emergency aid the provided free workshops, financial aid repayment. “We don’t use institutional funding or student fees, so we will have to work much harder to fund raise to provide these items as well as supplement food donations,â€� Woodard explained.

• Reduced Food Supply:While Roadrunner Food Bank has worked diligently to maintain a consistent supply to partners like Â鶹ֱ²¥, the regional food bank network is becoming much more dependent on local donations due to substantial federal funding cuts, meaning Â鶹ֱ²¥ must raise significantly more to maintain the same level of food assistance.
• Loss of Non-Food Aid Grants:Crucial funding from the ECMC Project Success grant, which provided essential hygiene products, storage, and emergency financial aid, has been discontinued, with ongoing support ending in September 2025. As Â鶹ֱ²¥ does not use institutional funding or student fees for these essential items, a significant fundraising gap exists for non-food essentials.
• Decreased Partner Donations:Long-time supporters, including local schools, the Child Development Center, The Commons Culinary Club, and the Gospel Mission, are also seeing a significant reduction in their own funding and donation capabilities, further straining the ability of Â鶹ֱ²¥ to stock its pantry.

While the news is concerning, Round Up for Hunger offers many easy ways the community can help.

Monetary and In-Kind Donation Options:

• Â鶹ֱ²¥ Bookstore In-Store “Round Up” for Hunger:This popular option allows patrons to easily round their purchase up to the nearest dollar as a donation on cash sales at the Â鶹ֱ²¥ Bookstore, athletic games, and various other on-campus locations.
• Game Day Discount:To incentivize food donations, attendees who drop off non-perishable, non-expired food items at a Â鶹ֱ²¥ athletic game will receive a 20% discount on their ticket.
• Direct Monetary Donation:Look for the QR code on the Round Up poster that directs potential donors straight to the Â鶹ֱ²¥ Foundation’s one-stop designation webpage, streamlining the contribution process. Funds donated through this page are instantly available to address critical student needs.
• For In-Kind Food Donations, Â鶹ֱ²¥ needs more:
  • Non-perishable, non-expired items
  • Canned vegetables and canned goods with protein
  • Canned meats (tuna, chicken salad, etc.)
  • Hygiene products(a top-priority need due to the loss of grant funding).

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These essential wilderness medical courses are open to the public and offer specialized training designed to equip outdoor enthusiasts, professionals, and students with the critical skills needed to provide medical care in remote and challenging environments. Advanced registration is required, and spaces are expected to fill quickly.

Three Courses to Meet Diverse Needs

Â鶹ֱ²¥ Outdoor Programs is offering three distinct courses tailored to different levels of expertise and trip risk profiles: the Wilderness First Aid (WFA), the Wilderness First Responder (WFR), and a WFR/WEMT Re-certification Course. All courses will be held on the Â鶹ֱ²¥ campus in Silver City, New Mexico, combining theoretical knowledge with crucial hands-on practice.

Wilderness First Aid (WFA): The Essential Primer

The Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course is ideal for outdoor enthusiasts who typically undertake half- or full-day trips in areas with reliable cell service and access to advanced medical care within a three-hour window. This course serves as an introduction to wilderness medicine, covering general concepts, basic anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, assessment, and treatment.

Dates: February 27, 28, and March 1, 2026.

Time: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Full attendance is mandatory for certification.

Cost: Public: $350. Discounts are available for Public Service Professionals/Western Institute of Lifelong Learning members ($300), Â鶹ֱ²¥ Faculty/Staff ($250), and Â鶹ֱ²¥ Students ($150).

Note: The WFA course can no longer be used for WFR re-certification. Current WFRs should register for the dedicated re-certification course.

Wilderness First Responder (WFR): Professional-Grade Training

The flagship Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course is intended for outdoor professionals, individuals working in high-risk environments like wild land fire or trail crews, and those engaging in multi-day extended trips where communication is unreliable and emergency care is limited or non-existent. This intensive, 80+ hour hybrid course includes certification in CPR, AED, and Epinephrine Injection.

The course format involves 30-plus hours of asynchronous online learning modules, followed by 50-plus hours of mandatory in-person sessions spread across two weekends:

In-Person Dates: February 13-15 and February 21-22, 2026 (8 a.m. – 5 p.m.).

Registration Deadline: January 2, 2026.

Cost: Public: $850. Discounts are offered to Public Service Providers/Western Institute for Lifelong Learning members ($800), Â鶹ֱ²¥ Faculty/Staff ($725), and full-time Â鶹ֱ²¥ Students ($350).

WFR/WEMT Re-certification: Keeping Skills Sharp

Current Wilderness First Responder (WFR) and Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (WEMT)practitioners can maintain their certification through the dedicated WFR/WEMT Re-certification Course. This program focuses on patient assessment, evacuation techniques, content updates, and a refresher of original material, primarily conducted through hands-on skill labs and case-study reviews.

Eligibility: Open only to current WFR/WEMS practitioners or those in their grace period from an approved provider. WEMS practitioners must hold a national registry certification or state license.

Dates: February 7, and 8, 2026.

Cost: All non-student groups (Public, Public Service Provider, Â鶹ֱ²¥ Faculty/Staff, Western Institute for Lifelong Learning member): $300. Students: $200.

Those interested in taking a course for academic credit or with any additional questions, contact the Â鶹ֱ²¥ Outdoor Programs Director at 575-538-6253 or via email at outdoors@wnmu.edu.

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Learn more about ¡Fiesta Latina! and the important role this event plays in celebrating the university’s designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and its ongoing commitment to diversity and community, .

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The Trout Fire began June 12. NM National Guard personnel were deployed to Grant County after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham declared an emergency due to the fire.

Henry said that helping communities face emergencies is a personal matter for those serving. “This is a team effort,� he stated. “Whenever we have a wildfire or flood here in the state, it becomes very personal. Your communities are being affected, but we are from the community. Whether it is here or your outlying areas, we have airmen and soldiers that are part of the community.�

Chief Master Sgt. Anthony Sandoval, who also attended the meeting, said that wildfire response is a common deployment for the NM National Guard. “We do this a lot. It is unfortunate that every year, we are going through this fire season,� he stated. “But the support is truly felt on our side.�

Henry praised Director of Housing and Residence Life Jason Quimby for his unhesitating response offering housing assistance when the National Guard reached out. “We had our folks hours away,� he explained. “They were doing this complex logistical machination to try and get folks here, and then we got here on your campus safe, secure and closer to the fight.�

As a token of thanks, Henry presented the university with a framed lithograph depicting some of the aircraft that the NM Air National Guard has flown over the years as well as patches and pins commemorating the 75^th anniversary of the organization.

Crocker said that the university community was proud to be able to partner with the National Guard. “We see that as part of our responsibility because we are a community asset as well as a publicly funded institution,� he said.

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The Trout Fire, which began June 12, 2025, on the Gila National Forest, has burned over 47,000 acres as of June 26.

New Mexico State Police have been working with local law enforcement agencies to identify evacuation zones and to evacuate residents.

New Mexico National Guard personnel are currently supporting four checkpoints to areas that have been evacuated.  They are prepared to monitor return traffic if active zones are upgraded to “Green� status, allowing residents to return to their homes.

Because flash flooding is a possibility due to the rain expected in the region this week, NMNG personnel have already delivered 60 pallets of filled sandbags.  Monday, NMNG personnel picked up an additional 1,600 filled sandbags from the Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility in Las Cruces for continued distribution.

The NMNG also has a swift water rescue team from their Community Emergency Response Team on standby, according to a spokesperson.

Â鶹ֱ²¥ Provost and Acting President Dr. Jack Crocker said that the university community was grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the ongoing efforts. “Â鶹ֱ²¥ is extremely glad to be able to provide support and housing for our students, faculty, and staff displaced by the fires, and especially for the police and military members engaged in protecting the region and combating the spreading destruction,â€� he said. “We are proud to join in the comprehensive community, town, county, and state efforts of support.â€�

Brig. Gen. Pia Romero, the NMNG Director of the Joint Staff, stated that the NMNG was grateful for the support of Â鶹ֱ²¥.  “We are always impressed by how quickly and meaningfully New Mexicans and institutions like Â鶹ֱ²¥ band together and step up to protect our fellow New Mexicans during emergencies,â€� said Romero. “We offer our deepest thanks to the staff of Western New Mexico University for their help when it matters most.â€�

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The university has held the event since 2017. This year, ¡Fiesta Latina! welcomed 3,734 visitors.

At the center of the festival was a juried artisan mercado featuring the handmade work of more than 30 highly skilled traditional artisans from across Mexico. The mercado represented a wide range of different artistic traditions, including metal working, ceramics, textiles, embellished shoes, leather, woodwork, alebrije (colorfully painted carved figures), mask-making and lacquerware.

One of the artists, Erika Ludmila Hernandez, explained that she and her husband Salvador make modern jewelry that often incorporates Mata Ortiz pottery. Mata Ortiz is a contemporary ceramic tradition that draws from the patterns of Mogollon ceramics found around the archeological site of Casas Grande (Paquimé) in Chihuahua. “My husband and I buy Mata Ortiz pots and purposely break them to create the jewelry,� she explained. Their work is truly collaborative, she said, pointing to a bracelet that featured a ceramic medallion framed by a delicately beaded strap. “My husband decorated the pottery, and I loomed the strap,� she said.

The Hernandez family were not the only collaborative artists at the mercado. One booth represented the work of Artemali Ojoxal, an artist collective of Indigenous women from Puebla. They use dried pine needles to fashion household objects, such as baskets, tortilla warmers and magazine racks.

Outside the artisan mercado, ¡Fiesta Latina! also featured a lineup of music and dance on Regents Square. Friday night showcased mariachi music, with the university’s own Mariachi Plata de Â鶹ֱ²¥ opening for Mariachi Estrella de México. Other musical acts included Luciane Dom, Maruja Limón, Las Cafeteras, Los Texmaniacs and K-Paz de la Sierra. There was a dance performance by Danza Azteca Unión y Conquista and a trick-roping demonstration by Charros.

Other activities at this year’s fiesta included a fashion show, artist demonstrations, and screening of the film Voces de Latinidad. The Silver City Museum hosted make-and-take craft sessions for children.

Visitors to the fiesta enjoyed the lively atmosphere and summer weather. “The music looks really good this year,� said Lisa Lucero, speaking on the second day of the festival. Lucero, from Tucson, said that she has attended ¡Fiesta Latina! before. “I love coming to Silver City in the summer,� she added. “The weather is hot this weekend but not as hot as Arizona.�

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Organizing the conference was a group effort, involving not only Â鶹ֱ²¥ music faculty and staff, but also the members of the university’s mariachi group, Mariachi Plata de Â鶹ֱ²¥. One member of Mariachi Plata de Â鶹ֱ²¥, Alejandro Salinas, who plays guitarrón, said that Plata members had helped with a wide variety of tasks, from setting up tables to helping the high school students get where they needed to be.

Fellow Mariachi Plata de Â鶹ֱ²¥ member Anais Orantez Middleton added that the team worked especially well this year to organize the conference. “We are blessed to have a really like-minded team this year. We are all working toward the same goal, and it motivates us to work harder,â€� she said.

One of the benefits of helping to organize the conference is that the members of Mariachi Plata get to learn from the maestros alongside the high school students, said Laisha Vargas Garcia. The maestros are members of Mariachi Estrella de Mexico from Guadalajaro, Jalisco, and they teach both individual and group sessions over the three days of the conference.

“We have learned so much from them,� said Vargas Garcia, “like how to put our whole bodies into mariachi. The performance is not just about … sound.�

Director of Mariachi Plata Bryant Chaffino, who has organized El Son de la Gila for the past three years, said that the biggest challenge this year was a lack of funding. This lack of funding meant that he was not even sure for a time that the conference would go forward. However, the community stepped up to support the conference, Chaffino said. “Last night’s dinner was provided by LULAC,� he stated on the first full day of the conference, referring to the local arm of the League of United Latin American Citizens. “They put on a beautiful, delicious spread.�

Despite the challenges of this year’s event, El Son de la Gila drew in over 80 students from across the region.

Carolina Romero, who leads the music program at Atrisco Heritage Academy High School in Albuquerque, said that she would never miss an opportunity to bring her students to the conference.

Romero stated that she first became aware of Mariachi Plata de Â鶹ֱ²¥ when she saw them perform at Mariachi Spectacular de Albuquerque several years ago. At that event, she met Chaffino, and they have worked together since. “That was the start of our collaboration,â€� Romero explained. “We have been working on how to unify our state on mariachi education.â€�

Since that time, she has brought her students regularly to the conference, and many of them have gone on to matriculate at Â鶹ֱ²¥. Several of the current members of Mariachi Plata de Â鶹ֱ²¥ are Atrisco Heritage alumni who first learned about the university through El Son de la Gila.

“We come to show these students what they can do after high school and to see how great these college kids are—how they are thriving,� said Romero. “It is just inspirational for everybody.�

Romero added that the collaboration between her high school and Â鶹ֱ²¥ has been outstanding. “We are building a bridge between high school and college that is so important for these kids,â€� she said.

Tamarah Lucero, who directs youth mariachis with both Albuquerque High School and the Santa Fe Symphony, said that she has been bringing students to El Son de la Gila since the conference began. “We like to go to all the conferences that we can, so the students can learn from the different maestros,� she explained. “Conferences bring in maestros from out of state and out of country, so students can learn as much as the can.�

Lucero said that one of the most important things students gain from El Son de la Gila is a sense of camaraderie with students from other schools. “They get to see each other in these different settings and, of course, learn from the maestros,� she added.

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