Over 120 students, parents, and educators gather to explore college & career pathways
More than 120 school staff, indigenous students, and their families gathered at Buffalo Thunder Resort last week to participate in the inaugural Pathways to Success Conference, organized by GEAR UP New Mexico.
The conference marks the first time the GEAR UP program has hosted a conference focused on Native American students and families, which featured more than 25 organizations, including Tewa Women United and the American Indian Chamber of Commerce. The event also featured a college and career fair, where students and parents got to explore education and career options available in New Mexico.
GEAR UP New Mexico, a division of the New Mexico Higher Education Department, is a federally funded program aiming to increase access to resources for college and career readiness for students in grades seven through 12. GEAR UP partners with middle and high schools in eight districts across New Mexico serving high proportions of rural, low-income, and first-generation students.
"I'm incredibly proud of what we were able to achieve with the GEAR UP Pathways to Success Conference,” said Dr. Corine Frankland, director of GEAR UP New Mexico. “Bringing together teachers, counselors, students, families, and community members in a culturally responsive way to plan for the success of Native American students was truly inspiring. The collaboration among all stakeholders, along with the guidance and insight provided by our Native thought leaders in the fields of college, career, and community empowerment, was remarkable. I feel even more confident that GEAR UP can make a real difference in the lives of Native American students, ensuring that they have the resources, support, and planning they need to succeed in college and beyond. I look forward to building on the momentum of this conference to continue making a positive impact in the lives of our Native students and their families."
“The conference provided a moment where we get to recognize Native American students and families who are not only contributors to their tradition and cultures but the state of New Mexico as a whole,” said Nathan Moquino, the Tribal Liaison and Indian Education Director at the New Mexico Higher Education Department. “Everyone has higher education paths that they may be on, and this is a place where we can all come together and have some time to look at the opportunities and resources available for up-and-coming students.” Moquino gave the opening address of the conference and co-hosted a workshop on financial aid resources.
On the second day, several workshops presented the students with tools and resources to be ready for their next steps after high school, from scholarship information to hearing from indigenous artists about how they got started in their careers. Thanks to the Opportunity and Lottery Scholarships, any New Mexico resident can pursue college degrees and career training tuition-free.
“The conference was very interesting and I’m grateful for it,” said Geronimo Martinez, a student at Española Valley High School. “It opened a lot of new views, like how college is not as unattainable as I thought before, or how the debt that our parents went through is not going to be stapled to us in the same way. We have a lot of scholarship programs open to us so we don’t have to drown in debt for the rest of our lives.”
The conference also featured a track for parents and professionals, featuring a Native American youth panel and presentations designed to help adults better support students in reaching their goals.
“My favorite part was actually getting to network when we first got here with the different schools during the career fair,” said Devonna Spencer, whose daughter attends Bernalillo High School. “I also enjoyed getting to know different people from different schools and learning about their experience with this conference as well.”
Brenda Atencio, who creates award-winning hip hop music as G Precious, gave the keynote address, sharing about her time growing up and finding her path to music. She also performed a set for students and served as the event’s emcee. Atencio was raised by her grandmother on the Ohkay Owingeh reservation.
“The importance of this conference is definitely reaching our Native American students and letting them know that there is a lot more than just education,” Brenda Atencio said. “Sometimes, we leave high school, and we feel like, ‘What do I need to do with myself now?’ A lot of times we are pushing our kids — education-wise — to continue, to go to college and do something great. But a lot of times we don’t tell them about the other amazing things you can do. There are so many things that our kids can do, and it’s up to them to decide what they want to do and what they want to accomplish. The sky is the limit.”
The GEAR UP program received $31.4 million from the U.S. Department of Education in 2020 to support a seven-year grant benefitting an estimated 7,000 students and parents each year. The program looks forward to continuing the tradition of the Pathways to Success Native American College Readiness Conference and bringing additional college and career readiness opportunities to students and families.
For more information about GEAR UP, visit hed.nm.gov or follow GEAR UP New Mexico on Facebook and Instagram at @GEARUPNewMexico.