Community News

Members of WILL and representatives of the WNMU Foundation gathered to mark the establishment of the WILL Scholarship for Lifelong Learners, Oct. 28, 2024. Standing (L-R) are Scholarship Fund Account Manager George Turner, Executive Director of WILL Mary Odessa (MaryO) Parker, WILL Advisory Board President Patty Reed, Executive Director of the WNMU Foundation Jodi Edens-Crocker, and WILL Advisory Board Treasurer Len LambertSILVER CITY, NM—The WNMU Foundation and the Western Institute of Lifelong Learning (WILL) held a signing event on October 28, 2024 to mark the establishment of the new WILL Scholarship for Lifelong Learners.

SILVER CITY, NM – Marilyn Tafoya was not sure what she wanted to study when she first transferred to WNMU from San Juan College; she just felt the university was a good choice for her. "I wanted to pick a school with many online options, and of course, affordability was important. WNMU stood out to me as being a good option," she said.

Tafoya, who is Jicarilla Apache, Kiowa and Cheyenne and lives in northern New Mexico, at first thought she might focus on the natural sciences. "I really like the field of science, but I am a former high school drop-out," she explained, "so it was a bit challenging for me to have to learn all of that—especially in chemistry, as that felt like a whole new alien language."

When she started taking psychology classes, she knew she had found the right fit. "I would like to try to become a mental health counselor," she said. "Coming from the reservation community, I see a lot of unhealthy family dynamics, personal life dynamics and just a lot of traumatic events that have happened in families." Like many Native American peoples, the Jicarilla have experienced the generational trauma caused by colonization, relocation, broken treaties and cultural dispossession.

Grant County Cooperative Extension welcomes new consumer science agent. See announcement below

WNMU Biology majors Kiya Hamar (left) and Kiersten Hielkema look after seedlings in the greenhouse as part of an original experiment in their Plant Form, Function, and Diversity Lab, Oct. 24, 2024SILVER CITY, NM—Students in Assistant Professor of Biology Eric Casler's BIOL 2642L Plant Form, Function and Diversity Lab have an opportunity to conduct original research this semester.

The assignment, said Casler, is to come up with an original experiment on seed germination. "In teams of two, they have designed their own experiment," he said. "They challenge the seeds in different ways, and then they are going to write a scientific paper."

SILVER CITY, NM –The road that brought Edward Apodaca to higher education has been a winding one, but it has taken him to the cusp of graduating from Western New Mexico University. Apodaca plans to graduate in December with an interdisciplinary degree in Law Enforcement and Chemical Dependency.

Apodaca, who is of Jicarilla Apache, Diné, and European descent, grew up in various communities in northern New Mexico, eventually settling in Las Vegas, NM. "We lived on the outskirts [of Las Vegas, NM] towards the mountains," he said, "so I was able to hike all the way through the Pecos Wilderness. I had a really good tie with the earth."

Despite this connection to the land, Apodaca decided to uproot himself and join the Marine Corps, where he served along the Korean Demilitarized Zone. He would later understand that his time in the service gave him post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but he did not know this when he was younger. "Back then," he explained, "PTSD was not even considered as a diagnosis."

SANTA CLARA, NM – Luis Terrazas has won re-election and will serve his third term representing House District 39 –

"I am honored that the people of Grant, Hidalgo and Catron Counties have once again entrusted me to represent them in Santa Fe," said Terrazas. The time has come to put politics aside and get to work. Let's bring our community together. I promise to fight to make New Mexico more affordable, protect parental rights, and protect our mining, ranching, hunting, and fishing communities."

My district will continue to have a voice in Santa Fe and that voice is Luis Terrazas.

The 2024 Grant County Toys for Tots campaign has begun! As in the past few years, Toys for Tots has remained committed to the promise to bring each child that may be experiencing his or her own troubles the joy and hope of Christmas.

In 2023, Toys for Tots local campaigns and Marine Corps Reserve units distributed 25.5 million toys, book, and games to over 10 million children throughout the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.

Our local toy collection boxes are located at various businesses around Grant County, so please drop off a new, unwrapped toy in a box—just look for the red train! Listed below are just a few of the convenient locations throughout Grant County so be sure to look for the big white box with the red train!

Santa Fe, NM – The Territorial Trotters, a 60+ division basketball team, competed fiercely at the 2024 Senior Olympics in Santa Fe but ultimately fell short in a highly competitive field, bringing home the bronze medal. The Road Runners clinched the gold medal, with Glory Days securing silver. Despite the outcome, team members celebrated the camaraderie built through years of friendly competition and shared goals of fitness, resilience, and setting an example for active aging.

The Territorial Trotters team, comprising Mark McCormick, Mike Catozzi, Team Captain Raul Turrieta, Armando Hernandez, and Rob Bradberry, was founded by Turrieta, who assembled players from Arizona and New Mexico. Inspired by Silver City's Territorial Charter, Turrieta has continued to foster a spirit of unity and friendship among senior athletes.