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An image of an NNMC graduating class, focused on a black graduate with her left hand over her heart, looking skyward with intense emotion.
Apr 15, 2026 Northern New Mexico College Foundation Exceeds $1M Goal in President’s Eagle Campaign The Northern New Mexico College (NNMC) Foundation proudly announces that the President’s Eagle Campaign has surpassed its ambitious $1,000,000 goal, marking a significant milestone in advancing student success and institutional growth.
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A screenwriting class at Northern helped Hayward transform her idea into an attention-getting script ESPAÑOLA, N.M. — Northern New Mexico College is proud to announce that film student Dawniel Hayward has won 2nd place in the Screenwriters Conference 2026 Pitch Competition on June 7, 2026. Hayward’s winning pitch earned a $350 cash prize and attracted the attention of a major film producer. The first-place winner, Omar Paz Trujillo, is also a filmmaker from Española. The pitch competition was open to all participants of the Screenwriters Conference, which was organized by the Stagecoach Foundation and the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) and presented by the New Mexico Film Office. The organizers describe the conference as “a creative crucible designed to push your craft further.” Hayward was inspired by hearing advice from some of the industry’s top screenwriters, including some from her favorite shows, like “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Reservation Dogs.” She learned about the importance of the script’s first page and different pitching techniques, which she found useful in preparing her own pitch. One of the highlights for Hayward was teaming up for three hours with a group of people in a mock writers’ room. “I was pretty starstruck, honestly, by the whole event,” Hayward said. Hayward’s pitch was for a TV show titled “Bent Rails: A Punk Odyssey,” inspired by Hayward’s own 10-year journey as a traveling musician who hopped freight trains all over the country. Her lead characters are Kindred, a gutter punk who hops a train that is swallowed by a time portal, and Lily, a teen Chicana artist from Northern New Mexico who is fleeing an unbearable home life and searching for belonging. These two strangers are linked across space and time and by a graffiti tag that keeps appearing in the liminal spaces they travel through – HIRAETH, which is a Welsh word meaning a longing for a home that doesn’t exist, or that you cannot access. The written pitch closes with “This is a show with a queer heart and an anarchist pulse – honoring generations of misfits, drifters, and revolutionaries. It is a story of survival, belonging, and identity – set against a backdrop of late-stage capitalism and a country haunted by its own history. It poses the question: what if those who have been pushed to the margins of society were actually the most capable of changing our current timeline, of reshaping our future?” Hayward grabbed the judges’ attention by starting with her own story. She told them “I spent my 20s homeless, living out of a backpack, busking, hitchhiking and train-hopping around the country – and what I learned is that when you live a life untethered to society’s normal structures, and you pair that with complex PTSD and a crippling drug problem, you develop a weird relationship with time. You realize time doesn’t always move in a straight line. It buckles, it bleeds, and if you’re pushed far enough, it can break.” Giving her pitch was intimidating, but Hayward appreciated the opportunity. “It was great, because that's half of screenwriting, just being able to pitch your idea effectively, because there's a million scripts out there and nobody has time to read them all. So your pitch is your entry ticket to anyone even looking at your script,” Hayward said. “I was realIy surprised to find out that I was a finalist, and then I was pretty terrified to have to present my pitch to a huge room of people, including a bunch of screenwriters and producers in the industry. Then I was even more surprised to take second place.” Hayward’s pitch was effective. Afterward, some of the producers who heard it told her they got choked up during her presentation. “It really hit them in an emotional center, and I'm like, that's my superpower,” Hayward said. “I have this story that I really need to tell, and I just need to have faith in that.” The idea for the series came to Hayward eight or nine years ago, but she credits her screenwriting class with Film & Digital Media Arts (FDMA) Associate Professor David Lindblom with helping her bring the idea to fruition. Hayward is pursuing a Bachelor of Integrated Studies in Media and Art at Northern. “I never anticipated that just by taking a screenwriting class at college, this would happen. Honestly, I think so many people have a really good idea, but it never gets written,” Hayward said. “In the class, I had to finish things by a deadline, learn formulaic writing, and abide by industry standards. I’m used to writing prose, and being poetic and descriptive, and you can't do that in screenwriting. It's all about telling a visual story in concise language, it’s not a novel. My professor, David Lindblom, gave me the tools to transform this huge idea into a screenplay.” At the end of the conference, a major producer approached Hayward to schedule a meeting with her. “I’m actually getting the opportunity to talk directly with someone who helped produce the whole “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise and the “Avatar” franchise. I’m like, wow, that's a real producer,” Hayward said. “I don't know how common it is for someone with their first script to immediately get it produced, but it did get me a conversation and a foot in the door. My dream job would be working in a TV writer's room. That would be amazing. Then maybe in a few years, after I've built some more reputation, they'd be like, ‘Hey, I'm interested in that TV pilot you wrote a while ago.’” Hayward is still absorbing the impact of the experience and looking forward to her meeting with the producer. She said, “It's amazing. It's a tricky industry to find your way into. I feel like I kind of pushed through that threshold a little bit, and that feels reaFrom left: Omar Paz Trujillo, 1st place winner of the Pitch Competition, 2nd place winner Dawniel Hayward and DezBaa’, Northern alumna and adjunct faculty
Jun 19, 2026 NNMC student Dawniel Hayward scores 2nd in Pitch Competition Northern New Mexico College is proud to announce that film student Dawniel Hayward has won 2nd place in the Screenwriters Conference 2026 Pitch Competition on June 7, 2026. Hayward’s winning pitch earned a $350 cash prize and attracted the attention...
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From left: Peter Fant, CEO of San Ildefonso Services; Daven Quintana, PMI Chief Operating Officer; Trish Alley, Small Business Advocate, LANL Small Business Program; Yvonne Gonzales, Small Business Program Manager, LANL; Eric Quintana, CEO and Co-founder of PMI (SBA National New Mexico Small Business of The Year Award); Julianna Martinez-Barbee, SBDC Director NNMC, New Mexico Small Business Development Center; Ron Lovato, CEO, TSAY Corporation and Pueblo Alliance, LLC (SBA National New Mexico Rural Small Business of the Year); Justin Crossie, SBA Region VI Regional Administrator and Larry Phillips Jr., COO Tsay Cooperation. Photo credit: Eric Williams Photography SBA photographer
Jun 17, 2026 Pueblo Alliance LLC Honored as SBA Rural Small Business of the Year Northern New Mexico College (NNMC) is pleased to announce that Ron Lovato, President of Pueblo Alliance LLC and CEO of TSAY Corp., has been honored as New Mexico’s Rural Owned Small Business of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration...
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The Carnegie Foundation Opportunity Colleges and Universities logo
Apr 22, 2026 NNMC earns Carnegie Foundation Opportunity Colleges and Universities Classification Northern New Mexico College (NNMC) is proud to announce that it has received the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching 2025 Opportunity Colleges and Universities Classification. Northern is one of 478 institutions to earn this prestigious...
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Sep 21, 2024 Northern celebrated Hispanic Heritage Week with a series of joyous events Northern New Mexico College (NNMC) hosted a vibrant and dynamic series of events from September 16 to 19 to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Week, embracing the rich cultural contributions and diversity of the Hispanic community. The week was filled with music, food, art, poetry, and community engagement, bringing together students, staff, and local residents to honor Hispanic traditions. The festivities kicked off on Monday, September 16, with a lively Salsa Making Contest that brought together students, staff, and community members in a fun and flavorful competition. Judges Tilly Nichols, Executive Director of the Española Chamber of Commerce,...
Sep 20, 2024 CHALLENGE TOMORROW Brings Hands-On STEM Learning to Over 200 Students In a remarkable collaboration between Northern New Mexico College (NNMC) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), the CHALLENGE TOMORROW event brought an exciting, hands-on STEM experience to over 200 middle and high school students in the Española area. Designed to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers, the event offered interactive learning stations, career insights, and the opportunity to explore cutting-edge science in a fun, engaging environment. The highlight of the event was the arrival of two brightly colored CHALLENGE TOMORROW trailers, traveling exhibits brought by LANL to showcase a dynamic, immersive...
Sep 18, 2024 Chacon Park's New Gazebo is Officially Open! Northern New Mexico College (NNMC) is thrilled to announce the completion of a stunning new gazebo at Chacon Park, nestled on the historic El Rito campus. This beautiful addition not only enhances the park's aesthetic appeal but also serves as a welcoming gathering space for the El Rito community and visitors alike. The gazebo project was made possible through the generosity of Rio Arriba County Commissioner Moises Morales Jr., who allocated county funds to support the enhancement of this cherished community space. The structure is designed to provide a serene environment for relaxation, community events, and social gatherings, reflecting...
Sep 16, 2024 NNMC Hosts Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project’s 25th Anniversary Celebration Northern New Mexico College (NNMC) proudly hosted the Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project’s 25th anniversary celebration on September 13-14, 2024. The event brought together community leaders, project founders, and passionate advocates to commemorate two and a half decades of remarkable efforts in preserving and protecting one of New Mexico's most significant archaeological treasures. Mesa Prieta, located in the Española Valley, is home to an estimated 100,000 petroglyphs dating back centuries, making it one of the largest collections of its kind in North America. Since its founding in 1999, the project has been dedicated to three key goals:...
Sep 12, 2024 Española Education Leader Glorianna D. Atencio Donates $106,000 to Northern New Mexico College Scholarship Fund Northern New Mexico College (NNMC) is thrilled to announce a generous donation of $106,000 to the NNMC Scholarship Fund from Ms. Glorianna D. Atencio, President and CEO of the Española Education Association. This significant contribution will help support the educational dreams of students in northern New Mexico, furthering access to higher education and providing crucial financial assistance. Ms. Atencio, a long-time educator and passionate advocate for students, has had an illustrious career that spans decades, shaping the lives of countless children in Española. A graduate of Loretta Heights College in Denver, she began her teaching...
 
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