Graduation Day
More than 300 graduate from university branch

Racheal Sloan tickles her son with her tassel during commencement ceremonies for University of New Mexico-Gallup students at Red Rock State Park on Thursday. About 300 students graduated.— © 2009 Gallup Independent / Brian Leddy

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Bill Donovan
Staff writer

GALLUP — While these may be taxing times for young people who are graduating from college who are job hunting for the first time, that’s not the case for most of those who received diplomas and certificates from the University of New Mexico–Gallup Thursday.

UNM-Gallup held its annual graduation ceremonies at Red Rock Park during which more than 300 people received diplomas and certificates.

And while tribal and university officials were concerned about the affect the current economic downturn would have on local graduates, it appears that most of those who went through the ceremonies Thursday won’t be worrying about job prospects — at least not at the present time.

Take Celena Kahn-Hunter, from Prewitt, for example.

She received an associate of arts degree in prebusiness administration.

“I’m blessed,” she said as she was entering the park to get her degree.

Like many others who received degrees Thursday, the AA degree is only a stepping stone and she said she’s planning to go ahead and get her bachelor’s degree.

Terry Eustace, from Gallup, received a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education and she has already been teaching in the county school district so she hopes to be able to get a permanent job with the district for the next school term.

Many already have jobs locally and are using the degrees and certificates to get promotions or do better in their jobs.

Wyatt Hoy, who got a Middle College High School Degree, said it will be several years before he has to worry about a job and even if the economy hasn’t turned around by then, “I’ll have plenty of options.”

The reason is that he plans to be a veterinarian and that’s a field that has not been affected by the downturn.

The key to handling this downturn may be simple — get degrees in fields where there is a great need — such as in nursing and teaching.

A total of 42 people received nursing degrees and will begin working in a field that nationwide — and locally — is paying bonuses to new employees to get staffing levels filled.

More than 60 people received some form of degree in education, which should please both the tribe and local schools who have been trying to get more Native teachers hired on and near the reservation.

Still, tribal officials estimate that as many at 4,500 Navajos enter the work force each year for the first time, many of them fresh from graduating high school or college.

Marc Nigliazzo, who is head of branch operations for UNM, said he knows a lot of UNM students who plan to go into the job market are concerned about their chances at this time.

Just how concerned students are depend on what fields they are studying.

Health fields continue to have plenty of openings. Those studying journalism, however, may find the going rough as many newspapers, hit by the Internet and dwindling ad sales, are laying off instead of hiring.

But jobs are available, Nigliazzo said, but students have to be “aggressive” in seeking jobs in their fields.

Navajo Vice President Ben Shelley, who also attended Thursday’s ceremonies, agreed, urging Navajo students entering the job market to be “persistent.”

“Don’t give up,” he said, adding that the reservation’s biggest employer, the Navajo Nation, will continue to be looking for new employees because “a lot of our tribal employees will be retiring in the next few years.”