4 minute read
ENMU Student Latest in Long Family Tradition
Kaitlyn Hamilton, a junior digital cinema arts major from Albuquerque, has more to discuss about Eastern New Mexico University than just her class load. Being a third-generation student at ENMU, Hamilton can tell stories about her grandmother, Ruby Montgomery (maiden name Worley), enrolling in the first summer session ENMU offered in 1934 and about her mother running for homecoming queen.
Hamilton’s mother wanted one of her children to attend ENMU, and with her brother enlisted in the Navy, Hamilton got added pressure to look at Eastern to continue her education. ENMU was able to attract Hamilton even without family urging. “I went and visited UNM and was going to look at NMSU, but after I looked at the campus here, I knew this is where I wanted to be,” says Hamilton. “It’s like a storybook college town and you can actually focus more on what you’re here to do.”
The former elementary education major – whose mother and aunt graduated with education degrees – favors the smaller class size and the greater amount of attention given by her professors. Coming from a larger area, she says that some of her classes here are smaller than they were in high school.
Hamilton’s parents met while enrolled at ENMU in the late 1970s. The avid photographer reports that they competed in a battle of the bands with their band “Incognito” and won the creation of a music video by MTV “back when they played videos.” Their other band, “Nightwind,” was fairly well known, according to her mother, Sue Hamilton, and played all over for dances, homecomings, proms, at Cannon Air Force Base, clubs and other venues. Following in her parents’ footsteps, the baked-goods master has met her long-term boyfriend, Portales native, Phillip Ibarra, while advancing her educational career. (A music video is yet to be produced.)
Although none of her family are originally from the Portales area, a majority of them, including her mother, father, grandmother and aunts and uncles, received degrees from ENMU. Her father, Marvin Hamilton, worked at Worley Mills, which his future wife’s grandfather started, when he attended ENMU.
According to Hamilton, her Aunt Carolyn went to Eastern in the 60s where she met her first husband, Kay Wheeler, whose parents owned Wheeler Mortuary. Her Uncle Gene got his master’s in the late 60s. Her mother attended from 1974-79 and earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Her father attended from 19701979. Her aunts, Rossanna, Becky and Ellen, were all enrolled. Three of her cousins, Jimmy, Laura and Paula Wheeler, hold degrees from Eastern. Her mother’s cousin, Jeanette, attended Eastern and her son, Grady Pearce, is a member of the rodeo team. She has six other cousins on another side of the family who have attended ENMU, as well as several family members who have worked at Eastern. Finally, her great uncle, Victor Worley, served on the Board of Regents. The Photoshop user has other interesting stories. While leaving Health Services and feeling under the weather, she saw her mother’s name etched in the sidewalk outside of the entrance. The fine arts calendar for last year featured a photo of the production “Oklahoma” from years back and Hamilton immediately called her family to double check if the familiar woman in the photo was her aunt. Sure enough, it was her Aunt Becky.
Time has marched on and elements of the campus have changed, including programs, buildings and instructors, but Hamilton says she will whole-heartedly urge her children to attend ENMU and carry on the family tradition.
