Palomas Native Brings Fresh Ideas to WNMU MEChA

After a childhood spent straddling the U.S-Mexico border, fourth-year student Valeria Adame has found a niche for herself studying Business and Marketing at Western New Mexico University.

Her choice of majors seemed a natural fit. "My family has always had different kinds of businesses," she explained.

Adame grew up in Puerto Palomas, Chihuahua and went to school in Columbus and Deming, New Mexico. "I would commute every single day," she said. Going to grade school in Columbus, her commute was fairly short, but the border crossing lengthened her days. "We wouldn't get back home sometimes until about 5:00 [p.m.]," said Adame.

In high school, with the extra distance from the border to Deming, her days were even longer. "Some students would take naps on the way to high school," she said.

Despite the long days, Adame's parents wanted her to go to school in the United States for the opportunities that were opened to her. "I have always been guided toward studying in the U.S," she said. "My parents always wanted us to go to school in the U.S., so we could learn English. But also, they never wanted to leave Palomas, so that is why we would commute."

Adame knew she wanted to attend WNMU ever since she was very young. "I came to WNMU because when I was in elementary school, they had a program here that was called Expanding Your Horizons," she said. "It was for only girls, and they were trying to get more girls to study STEM."

While she did not choose a STEM field, she did choose WNMU, which has been a good fit for her. "I really like Silver City and the hills and the weather," said Adame.

She also appreciates the diversity she has encountered among the student body. "Since my freshman year, I have been getting to know a lot of different people," Adame explained, "and I have been getting to understand how I work with different types of individuals. Meeting people from everywhere and getting to see them as not so different from me-that has been really cool."

She has also found a home in MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán), the student organization that promotes Chicano empowerment and cultural identity. This fall, Adame is running for office in the organization and has been very involved in planning activities for the group.

One activity she has promoted is hosting a Day of the Dead event. "Maybe we could do it in Graham Gym and put different altars about our family members," she suggested.

Adame also hopes to see MEChA grow beyond the members of Mariachi Plata de WNMU. This is especially important, she said, because Mariachi Plata often travels, and while the mariachis are off representing MEChA and WNMU elsewhere, there needs to still be a core group of MEChA members on campus.

"I was also thinking that being part of MEChA could help bring folklorico into the school," said Adame, noting how a folklorico dance group would be consistent with the university's identity as an Hispanic Serving Institution. "Having our own folklorico team-that would be really pretty. We have a really good mariachi, and we don't have folklorico," she observed. "If we did have a folklorico group, not only would it be easier to do events, but it would be really fun, and they could do trainings for students around here."

In addition to her coursework and involvement in MEChA, Adame has been a student worker for the university, which has been an important part of her learning. "I have learned a lot from working here, first in Student Life and now in Marketing," she said. "I have gotten to grow."

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