Northern New Mexico partners gather to build connections, explore data, and develop strategies for stronger career readiness systems
Santa Fe, NM, December 8, 2025—After a successful June launch in Hobbs that brought together educators, business, and community leaders to tackle the economic mobility challenges that students in southern New Mexico face, Teach Plus New Mexico is bringing its Economic Mobility Summit Series to northern New Mexico on Tuesday. The full-day event tomorrow at Santa Fe Community College continues the organization’s work to align education and workforce systems so students in the state can build real careers and economic security.
“The conversations in Hobbs showed us where the opportunities are—and where the gaps remain,” said Hope Morales, Teach Plus New Mexico Executive Director. “Now we’re taking that momentum north, bringing together a new group of partners who can build the bridges our northern New Mexico students need. When educators, businesses, and community leaders work together with students at the center, we can create career pathways that lead somewhere real.”
For the summit, Teach Plus is convening educators, business leaders, policymakers, and community partners with three clear goals: build meaningful connections to foster collaboration, deepen understanding of education and workforce pathways through student experiences and postsecondary data, and collect diverse perspectives to strengthen college and career readiness systems across the state.
Just as in Hobbs, the Santa Fe summit opens with students sharing their own experiences and aspirations. The panel includes Raul Alvarado, a Capital High School junior whose team won the Congressional App Challenge and designed a robotic gunshot detection system; Kaimana Fireheart, a Santa Fe High School sophomore interested in psychology as a STEM discipline; Luis Gomez, an Academy for Technology & the Classics (ATC) senior focused on business and community involvement; Jalina Martinez, an ATC senior passionate about healthcare and supporting others; Briana Ramirez, a Capital High School senior and HOSA-Future Health Professionals working to become the first in her family to attend college; and Bella Stuckey, a Santa Fe High School sophomore intrigued by chemistry, physics, and astronomy. The student panel will be facilitated by Alisa Cooper de Uribe, a 1st grade Spanish immersion educator at New Mexico International School in Albuquerque who is the 2021 New Mexico Teacher of the Year and 2022 Teach Plus New Mexico Fellow of the Year.
“When we listen to students share their dreams and challenges, it reminds us exactly why we’re here,” said Morales. “These young people have clear aspirations—they want careers that matter, that support their families, and let them stay connected to their communities. Our job is to build the systems and partnerships that turn those aspirations into real opportunities.”
Following the student panel, the Legislative Education Study Committee will present education data and post-secondary outcomes for northern New Mexico, with special attention to STEM pathways. The New Mexico Public Education Department will share how the state’s College and Career Readiness system—including tools like NMVistas, Graduate Profiles, and LevelUp—supports student preparedness and helps schools track progress.
The afternoon will feature a cross-sector panel bringing together leaders working to build opportunities for students. Panelists include Sarah Boisvert, founder of Fab Lab Hub and member of the Northern New Mexico Local Workforce Board; Matt Montaño, Superintendent of Bernalillo Public Schools; Deborah Torres, a Native entrepreneur, co-founder of Than Povi New Mexico Foundation, and advocate for Native youth career pathways; Dr. Kersti Tyson, Director of K-12 Education Programs and a Learning Scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation (LANL); and Michael Wood, a Teach Plus New Mexico Policy Fellow and teacher at East Mountain High School. Throughout the day, participants will reflect on what they’re hearing, identify current needs, and explore partnership opportunities.
Since the Hobbs summit, Teach Plus New Mexico has deepened partnerships with organizations including LANL Foundation, Economic Forum of Albuquerque, and New Mexico Chamber of Commerce, expanding the coalition working toward student economic mobility. The Santa Fe summit is the second of four convenings Teach Plus is hosting in 2025-2026 to align education and workforce systems statewide to improve economic mobility for students.
About Teach Plus
The mission of Teach Plus is to empower excellent, experienced, and diverse teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that affect their students’ success. Since 2009, Teach Plus has developed thousands of teacher leaders across the country to exercise their leadership in shaping education policy and improving teaching and learning for students. teachplus.org/nm/
