Chronicle The CNM
Volume 19 | Issue 22
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Student struggles and succeeds By Stacie Armijo Staff Reporter
Liberal Arts major, Lupe Fuentes, loves CNM so much, that even after graduating with a degree in Integrated Studies, she is staying on to get a second degree in Liberal Arts, and was recently hired as a full-time administrative tech in the Facilities and Planning Department, she said. “I love coming to CNM for the sense of community,” she said. Although Fuentes has been taught math, science, and English, what she really learned in college is the strength within herself, she said. Fuentes admitted when she first came to college she was terrified, but with the help of the faculty and staff she found the confidence she needed, she said. “I got the courage and confidence I needed to pursue my dream,” she said. Once she finishes her Liberal Arts degree, Fuentes plans on attending UNM to obtain a bachelor’s degree in studio art with a minor in art management, she said. Fuentes has taken several art classes here at CNM and found a passion for it, despite the fact that she was not very experienced with art before, she said. “I am not a natural born artist. I am not the kind of person that can
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go in and draw a beautiful picture,” she said Eventually, Fuentes learned the techniques she needed to know, and now she can draw and paint because of the patience of her art instructors, she said. “The instructors here bring out the best of you,” she said. Fuentes credits her teachers for inspiring her to get involved with school, she said. Among those teachers are Peggy Brock, Jack Ehn, and Rebecca Aronson, she said. “They made school interesting, and are near and dear to my heart,” she said. Fuentes is a nontraditional student, because she came back to school after all of her children had grown, and had some problems with classes when she first came back, she said. But Sally Moore from CNM Connect helped Fuentes get in touch with a one-on-one tutor, so Fuentes could move ahead academically, she said. “She recognized that I didn’t learn the traditional way and needed a little extra help,” she said. Fuentes said that the tutors at ACE are all great when you need general help, but some students like herself just need a little help from one consistent person. For Fuentes, that see
STUDENT on page 3
PHOTO BY STACIE ARMIJO
Lupe Fuentes working full-time as an administrative tech in the Facilities and Planning Department.
Halloween Aftershock
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November 5, 2013
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Beyond conversation ESOL tears down language barriers
PHOTO BY DANIEL MONTAÑO
Beth Giebus-Chavez specializes in teaching academic english and writing to those whose first language is not english.
of an eastern Turkish accent could be heard explaining English verb Managing Editor tenses to a lush, vowel Every Tuesday and rich Jordonian cadence Thursday, a symphony of that sang understanding, twangs, inflections and which was interrupted by accents come together in a quick-syllabled Mexican harmony in Beth Giebus- inflection asking for Chavez’s classroom, she said. clarification. Because she is the Last Thursday, the long, thick syllables only full-time English for
By Daniel Montaño
Speakers of Other Languages Instructor at CNM, those sounds are typical in any of Giebus-Chavez’s classrooms, she said. “It’s great! It’s wonderful! It makes for a really interesting class when you have people from all over, and they’re all speaking English but learning about the world from each other,” she said.
ESOL courses differ from traditional English as a second language (ESL) classes because they focus on academic English, Giebus-Chavez said. While ESL classes teach students general conversational English for
see
ESOL on page 3
Local judge credits schooling for her success July 18, she said that without her interaction with CNM she would not have achieved the same amount of success that she has now. “CNM propelled me forward. I can say with conviction that I would not be where I am today if it were not for CNM,” Parks said in her speech. She considers everything she received from her experience to be indispensable, she said, from the support, encouragement, and care shown by her instrucPICTURE COURTESY OF WILLOW MISTY PARKS tors to the value of perAlumna Willow Parks started down the road to sistence she discovered success at CNM. while working towards her associate degree. believes that CNM has played By Nick Stern In 2011, Parks was a large part in getting her to Staff Reporter elected as a Probate judge where she is now, Parks said. and now handles informal Judge Willow Misty In a speech she probates, which involves Parks is Bernalillo County’s wrote for the Donors’ the handling of estates only probate judge and she Appreciation Dinner on after someone passes away,
whether there is a will or not, Parks said. She appoints personal representatives who are legally qualified to manage and settle the deceased’s affairs, according to Parks and the Bernalillo county website. The personal representatives distribute the assets to the rightful recipients which could be heirs, devisees named in a will, or even creditors, according to the website. As a Probate judge, Parks can also perform marriages within Bernalillo county, which she especially enjoys doing, she said. She loves her job and agrees that it was initially see
JUDGE on page 3