Winter Torres: December 2007, Young Alumni Spotlight

Submitted by: Helen Maestas

I am pleased to have this opportunity to bring to your attention the accomplishments of my best friend Winter Torres. Winter hails from Silver City, New Mexico. She attended UNM on a full scholarship (Regents Scholar) and graduated in 2001 with a BA in Political Science and General Honors. This past May, after taking several years to explore various employment opportunities, Winter graduated from Cornell Law School.

Those who know her, will agree that Winter is nothing if not driven and passionate. I met Winter in 1997 when we were both undergraduates at UNM and utilizing the services of El Centro de la Raza. Even then she was concerned with the plight of America's working poor as well as that of immigrants who come to this country looking for a better life. In the ten years since I've known her, Winter has taken her concerns and in many very real ways tried to do something about them.

She worked for a time in the office of then Minority Whip in the U.S. House of Representatives, David Bonior (D-MI), on immigration issues, and later for California Representative Hilda Solis on immigration and labor. In both positions Winter would meet with top labor leaders and immigration advocates and work with her boss' to draft and push legislation and amendments to legislation for the benefit of working families and immigrants.

In 2005, Winter spent the summer working for the Office of the General Counsel of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). In 2006 she clerked with the law firm of Holland and Hart; and interned with U.S. district judge Phillip S. Figa in Denver. This past spring, Winter spent her last semester at Cornell Law School as an extern with the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Immigration Project run by Catholic Charities of Central New Mexico. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) established a procedure to assist immigrant victims of domestic violence and provides funding for domestic violence programs.

Now that she has completed her law degree, Winter will clerk for Robert C. Brack, U.S. district judge for the District of New Mexico. In 2006, Judge Brack ranked among the top ten judges in the nation for the largest number of new immigration crime case filings.

For her professional and academic accomplishments, as well as for her passion and dedication to serving the needs of America's working poor and immigrant families, I commend to you my dear friend Winter Torres for recognition by the UNM Young Alumni Association.

Sincerely,

Helen Maestas
BA Political Science & Communication ('00)

How's that for an affidavit! Congratulations, Winter, you're guilty of being our Young Alumni Spotlight for December 2007!

Magdalena "Maggie" Sharpe: August 2007, Young Alumni Spotlight

Submitted by: Maria Elena Alvarez

Magdalena "Maggie" Sharpe has joined The New York Times as a news clerk on the foreign desk. This remarkable UNM graduate is now working in a profession that not only includes her mother, Maria Elena Alvarez - Publisher of Prime Time Monthly News, but her father Thomas Sharpe a reporter for the Santa Fe New Mexican but many of her ancestors on both sides of her family. Most notable is the former Governor of New Mexico, Ezequiel C de Baca who was an editor for the Spanish language newspaper La Voz de Pueblo in San Miguel County and Antonio Martinez a political columnist for the Spanish language version of the Santa Fe New Mexican.

Maggie graduated in 2006 with a degree in Political Science and Religious Studies intent on becoming an advocate for human rights. She quickly learned during her first three months in the Big Apple that she did not have the administrative skills needed to break into the human rights field.

Fortunately the ink in her blood opened a door for her at the New York Times and her impressive resume of papers published while studying at UNM landed her a spot in a much coveted position for young professionals.

Nothing could make a mom more proud than to have her child join a profession so close to home.

All your I's have been dotted and your T's crossed, Maggie. Now you're our August 2007 Young Alumni Spotlight!

Kristina Kie: July 2007, Young Alumni Spotlight

Submitted by: Will Kie

Kristina is my wife, a mother, and a 1994 grad of UNM. She was 23 at that time. Since graduation, Kristina has worked for UNM Teen Centers, the University of Oklahoma, the Pueblo of Laguna – Partners for success and currently, the Laguna Probation Dept.

She got her degree in psychology and is respected Alcohol/Substance abuse counselor – Trainer. She gets invited to reservations and cities across the country with requests to train future counselors.

Kristina currently oversees an Adult probation officer and two juvenile officers in addition to handling a full case load herself. In a MAN'S world of dealing with the criminals, Kristina is changing the face of the probation at Laguna Pueblo and getting more people off probation and turned around.

She also helped me graduate from UNM in 2006 with a Journalism degree. We have an 18 y.o. son who just graduated from Laguna-Acoma. We are both 36 and former teen parents. We are going on our 11th year of marriage, and our 20th year as a couple. We started dating in the fall of 1987 when we were seniors in high school.

We also have UNM tattoos, two paws on our wrists and a wolf on one leg. Kristina has the old–school Lobo on her shoulder and a smaller Lobo on her ankle that she got a week before graduation. I find her to be an amazing woman and she commands respect wherever she goes and she is a proud UNM alumnae.

Congratulation, Kristina, for being our July 2007 Young Alumni Spotlight!

Audrey S. Autrey: June 2007, Young Alumni Spotlight

After graduating with my Master's degree in counseling summer '05, I was invited to become an Epilepsy Advocate. I went to the training in September 2006 and we will be doing our first local program here in Albuquerque on June 12 at the Embassy Suites Hotel at 6:00pm. I was told way back in high school that I would not even be able to go to college because of my epilepsy, yet not only did I go to college, but went all the way through my Master's program despite having seizures. The Epilepsy Advocacy program is a chance for people to meet others with epilepsy and to ask questions of a neurologist as well as myself and to help people see that having epilepsy doesn't have to be a barrier to living life.

In addition to being an Epilepsy Advocate, I am now a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a Nationally Certified Counselor working at the Counseling and Psychotherapy Institute here in Albuquerque and current run one epilepsy specific support group as well as a weekly disabilities support group.

Congratulations, Audrey, for being our June 2007 Young Alumni Spotlight!

You can contact Audrey at epilepsy6@hotmail.com for more information about the Epilepsy Advocate program or the Counseling and Psychotherapy Institute.

Matthew Wade: May 2007, Young Alumni Spotlight

Submitted by: Margaret Montoya

Recently Matthew Wade contacted me to inform me that information on the Cherry & Silver Society (C&SS) website (cherrysilver.unm.edu) was incomplete. I am the C&SS Coordinator and member. This email turned into an exchange of emails between Matthew and me. (Matthew is a current C&SS member as well).

In his email I found out Matthew is currently attending law school in San Antonio, TX. He stated that he will be starting a Land of Enchantment Legal Association to encourage those who are from New Mexico, and those that are interested in our great state, to have a venue. Matthew really seems to have found a UNM home away from home as he is attending law school with quite a few UNM alums.

His love for staying involved as a proud and involved alumnus is very apparent. He stated that the Cherry & Silver Society is "a great society that will indeed create a distinct pride in all of the UNM alumnus' collective past, and and hopefully create a feeling of pride in the current student body as they are well on their way to become members of important societies such as the Cherry & Silver Society." I think Matthew's ties to UNM and New Mexico are very strong. I believe Matthew Wade should be applauded for his efforts to start the Land of Enchantment Legal Association.

We think so too, Margaret.

Congratulations, Matthew, for being the Alumni Association's May 2007 Young Alumni Spotlight!

To learn more about the Land of Enchantment Legal Association, contact Matthew at mwade1@stmarytx.edu