Editor’s Note: This article was submitted for publication Fall 2018. This is a late upload.
By: Christian Gruis
Leadership, mentorship, dedication and perseverance are just a few of the skills Thalia Pantoja took away from Eastern New Mexico University. This is just one of the many cases in which greyhound grads have fond memories of their attendance.
Pantoja graduated ENMU in the spring of 2018. She began attending ENMU in the fall of 2015 and majored in communication with an emphasis in broadcast production.
“I loved my time at ENMU, the learning environment was stimulating and I worked alongside a diverse group of my peers,” said Pantoja. “I was a part of ASENMU, the news station, a Dawg Days counselor and captain, and a member of Zeta Tau Alpha. Besides that, I worked in the financial aid office where I learned customer service skills and the importance of learning at a fast pace,” said Pantoja.
Pantoja is now working for her fraternity, (it was founded before the word sorority came about) as a leadership consultant. Pantoja travels the country consulting and assisting chapters with their operations. She is thankful for being given this opportunity through her hard work at ENMU.
“I would have never been a Zeta without Eastern and the positive role models and encouragement I found in Portales,” said Pantoja.
”Taylor Hill graduated ENMU in 2017, he didn’t know what exactly to expect upon first attending the university. However, his experience was more than he had originally anticipated.
“My favorite part about the school was that I was able to share my ideas. I’ve always been someone who is a talker and being able to share my opinions with others was a good time,” said Hill. He obtained his undergrad in political science through his interest in politics. Hill went on to say, “Although it isn’t an extremely popular major, I loved it. I loved the fact that ENMU is a tight community where it is easy to approach people and have conversations with them.”
Hill now works for the ENMU police department and is pursuing a master’s degree in communication. He is also creating a political podcast named Over the Hill. Taylor credits ENMU with giving him a personalized education that he enjoyed every step of the way.
These are just two of the many graduates who have had a great and personal experience at ENMU. The university’s mission is to strive for student success and the accounts of these graduates ideally reflect this.
