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NMSU alumni receive prestigious education awards
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The awards program provides public recognition and financial awards to elementary and secondary school teachers, principals and other educational professionals who are furthering excellence in education. In June, Basden-Choneska, Hale and Stewart were guests of the foundation in Los Angeles for the annual Milken Family Foundation National Education Conference. They accepted their awards and for three days shared ideas with other educators.
Basden-Choneska, who received her master's degree in geography from NMSU, is a teacher at Gadsden Middle School in Anthony, N.M.
"I've heard that the Milken Foundation is fond of teachers who work on technology and community-based projects," Basden-Choneska said. "My students do a lot of work on river restoration and I have no doubt that project helped me receive this honor."
The Milken Educator Awards program began in 1987 and has since honored 1,170 educators across 35 states. Criteria for selection include exceptional educational talent and promise, and distinguished achievement in developing innovative educational curricula, programs or teaching methods. Many Milken recipients are also distinguished by their exemplary and innovative use of education technology in teaching and learning.
"I am extremely appreciative of receiving this honor and, to be honest, I feel kind of guilty," said Hale, principal and athletic director at Grants High School. "I feel guilty because there are so many teachers in many different schools who are deserving of this kind of award."
Hale received a bachelor's degree in elementary education and a master's degree in educational administration.
At Grants High School, Hale started the Future Teachers Association, which identifies potential future teachers and awards college scholarships to them. Hale hopes to use some of her $25,000 award to further the development of the association.
Stewart, principal at Artesia High School since 1996, received his bachelor's degrees in government and economics from NMSU.
"I am very honored," Stewart said of receiving the Milken award. "I am very fortunate to work in a school system that is very progressive."
Part of Stewart's accomplishments include working on a gang-prevention task force and developing innovative ways to keep kids from dropping out of school.
As for the $25,000 award he receives from the Milken Foundation, Stewart plans to invest the money for the future educational needs of his children, 11-year-old Analisia and 12- year-old Paul. "My wife (the former Judith Gonzalez, '81,) and I will split the money and send Analisia and Paul to NMSU in about eight years," he said. "NMSU prepared me very well, and Artesia High School sends a lot of students there, so why not send our own kids there?"
Dan Trujillo, '92
State superintendent aims to involve communities
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When Michael Davis, '74, was tapped to be New Mexico's state
superintendent of public instruction last August, he came to the job in
Santa Fe well-prepared.
Much of that preparation, he said, came from his education at NMSU. "It's an incredible honor to have this job after 24 very happy |
Davis said his top priority and over-arching goal is to get communities more involved in the educational process. He said communities where high expectations for the schools are supplemented with high levels of support offer the best opportunity for educators and school children to perform at their highest, most consistent levels.
At the state level, Davis said, he sees his job as coordinating resources and technical expertise in such a way that each district can focus on accountability within the community in which it operates. In a community "engaged in and excited by" the schools, Davis said, accountability is directed locally, which is where he believes it should be.
And as national debate centers around the issue of standardized testing, Davis offers no apology for his endorsement, saying that standardized tests add a beneficial layer of assessment to the classroom by which individual students can be compared, classes can be compared, districts can be compared and systems can be compared.
"Teachers and schools," he said, "need to know how they're doing with their students, and policy makers must also be satisfied."
Davis said his job-related travels have convinced him that New Mexico has good schools and that the public debate over education is not as distracted or divisive as it is in other areas of the country.
"There's a lot to do in this job," he said. "It's an incredibly busy job with a wide range of responsibilities, but I've really enjoyed it. The dialogue about education is very civil in New Mexico, compared to other places. I'm glad I'm in New Mexico, where diversity is the norm."
Jess Williams, '85, '97
Leupold promoted to newsroom boss
After 19 years with The Daily Times of Farmington, N.M., Wayne Leupold, '76, was named the newspaper's managing editor in February.
Leupold, a Deming, N.M., native who received his bachelor's degree in journalism from NMSU, spent 12 years with The Daily Times as sports editor. He then was the newspaper's business editor for three and a half years until taking over the responsibilities of city editor in January.
At NMSU, Leupold was a sports writer for three years with the Round Up. Immediately after graduating he moved to Deming where he spent two and a half years with the Deming Headlight and Graphic.
"My first love in the newspaper business is sports," Leupold said. "But I've done pretty much everything with newspapers, from being a photographer to sports editor to city editor. I guess this is just a natural progression for me to be a managing editor."
Leupold keeps his love of sports alive by coaching three Farmington youth soccer teams each year. Last year he was named United States Soccer western states Regional Coach of the Year.
"I learned how to play soccer at NMSU, and in my last semester before graduating I learned how to type," Leupold said. "Going to NMSU was fun. It gave me a chance to grow up, and I made a lot of friends there."
Leupold's wife, Mary Frances (formerly Pacheco), received her bachelor's degree in physical education at NMSU in 1977.
 | Journalist Wayne Leupold, '76, has been with The Daily Times of Farmington for two decades. |
| Photo courtesy The Daily Times |
Dan Trujillo, '92