Go Aggies!

The college experience

By Taeya M. Padilla

When people ask me where I go to school, I cannot help but feel a deep sense of pride to call myself a New Mexico State University Aggie. To say “guns up!” is more than just a phrase, it’s a feeling of accomplishment. The endless possibilities NMSU provides made me into the person I am today.

I am a senior at NMSU, double majoring in communication studies and journalism with minors in sports marketing, marketing, advertising, and strategic communication. During my time at NMSU, I have been able to dabble in different fields, attend workshops, gain valuable experience in public relations, and build close relationships.

As a freshman, I had the opportunity to live in Piñon Hall. Although the feeling of leaving home was terrifying, it was the start of a new chapter. When my parents dropped me off, I remember sitting on my bed thinking, what now? But as I met new people and fell in love with the Organ Mountains, I started to think of Las Cruces as home.

My first semester, I was a double major in fashion merchandising and design and business. I learned everything from making clothes to economics and accounting. NMSU provided me with weekly tutoring in accounting—and provides that for all degree paths. Toward the end of the semester, I decided to switch my major to communication studies because fashion was not my passion. I had no idea what I wanted a career in.

The next semester, I was captivated by communications. I found another home within the department of communication studies. Greg Armfield, department head and professor, welcomed me with open arms and had a huge influence on my academics and career. The small class sizes helped me develop meaningful relationships with my professors and make lifelong friends. Assistant professor Gabriella Morales gave me the opportunity to lead hour-long facilitations and treated all her students with an enviable kindness. The professors and students in the department make you excited to get up and go to class.

A class that really stood out to me in the department was Communication and Culture. It taught me the importance of knowing how diverse cultures communicate and helped me apply communication theories to my own life. Family and interpersonal communication also helped me to become more self-aware. I realized how my communication style was impacting my life and how I could break negative communication patterns.

As a sophomore, I was getting paid to go to school. My scholarships were covering full tuition, and I received money for my living expenses. I added sports marketing and journalism minors and interned with NMSU Athletics as a media relations intern for an academic year. I took pictures for multiple sporting events, posted on social media platforms, wrote press releases and was highly involved with Aggie Athletics. Having a press pass and sitting on the basketball court filming Instagram highlights were unique experiences that not many college students have. Feeling the wins and losses from the Aggie perspective helped me build a connection to NMSU’s fan base, the NMSU Athletics Department and athletes I was covering.

Toward the end of my sophomore year, my parents found out they were expanding our family and having a baby. Although unconventional, I was able to take all of my courses online for my junior fall semester, help my family and stay on track to graduate. One of the greatest qualities NMSU has is its community-oriented culture. The faculty and staff at NMSU are student-centered and care for the well-being of their students. They do everything in their power to accommodate students.

In my junior spring semester, I added marketing and advertising minors and was hired by the NMSU Marketing and Communications office as its student news writer. This office is great at taking care of its student employees and helping them reach their goals. My position as a student news writer mainly included writing news releases for the NMSU Newsroom. With this job came the responsibility of interviewing professors and faculty, sending professional emails and sometimes taking pictures for the NMSU News social media accounts. I was given the opportunity to write stories for NMSU’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences magazine and the College of Business annual report. NMSU offers student jobs in different departments to help students advance their careers and reach their goals.

In addition to my job at NMSU, Armfield recommended me for an internship with the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico. The Foundation is a nonprofit organization and serves 12 counties across southern New Mexico. They hold 300 endowments, offer more than 40 scholarships and nine annual grant cycles. I worked as the social media and special events intern for two semesters. When representing CFSNM at meetings, events or conferences, I was able to confidently answer questions and offer my perspective because of the public speaking skills I gained at NMSU.

My senior year, I added a journalism major with a minor in strategic communication and joined the American Marketing Association. I attended two workshops in my senior fall semester with the support of two professors.

Richard Coltharp, long-time journalist and adjunct professor, encouraged me to apply for the New Mexico Press Association College Journalism Workshop during NMPA’s annual convention. This was a great opportunity where I was able to network with journalists from across the state and publish three articles in the Shop Talk newspaper and on NMPA’s website. My experience was similar to a day in the life of a journalist. I interviewed Old Town Albuquerque business owners and visitors, learned how to take outdoor photographs and wrote stories on tight deadlines.

Erin Baca Blaugrund, AMA faculty adviser and marketing professor, coordinated the Teaching Business Ethics Workshop Case Competition and invited me to attend. The workshop focused on analyzing an ethical dilemma. With a group of six people from schools across New Mexico and Colorado, we were tasked with analyzing the case and presenting our decision to a panel of judges, faculty and the other teams. My team and I took third place, which was a big accomplishment for me.

Not only does NMSU go above and beyond in academics, but NMSU excels in extracurriculars and student engagement. My four years at NMSU have been the best years of my life. I attended morning yoga at the activity center, football tailgates, career fairs, sporting events, activity fairs and an alumni dinner. My favorite memories are doing my homework and having picnics in the grass, fishing in the Alumni Pond, joining AMA, working with my best friends, hiking the Organs, admiring the Las Cruces sunsets, living with my best friend in the dorms and late-night frozen custard runs. I couldn’t think of a better place to attend college. NMSU has truly captured my heart.

Taeya M. Padilla is a senior at New Mexico State University. A Belen native, she will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies and journalism in May 2025.