ñ Center for Career and Technical Education instructor Mike Silva, left, prepares for a burn demonstration with students at the McKinley County Fire Office in Gallup.
A year of burn demos, holiday food, and new courses
Categories: Students Faculty Staff Community
Director of ñ’s Center for Career & Technical Education reflects on highlights of 2025
By Richard Reyes, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026
GALLUP, N.M. — As the year 2025 came to a close, the director of The University of New Mexico-Gallup Center for Career & Technical Education (CCTE) reflected on the achievements of her program’s students and instructors throughout the year.
The CCTE is a cooperative effort between ñ and area high schools aimed at providing technical courses in high-demand, high-skill occupations to prepare dual-enrollment students for the real world.
CCTE Director Karla Baldonado recently shared highlights from the 2025 fall semester.
“I wanted to showcase how CCTE is getting more involved in community partnerships,” Baldonado said. “Our students are gaining experience outside the classroom. These are the skilled trades, so you can’t learn everything in the classroom.”
Fire science students went on a couple of field trips this semester, including a visit to the McKinley County Metropolitan Dispatch Authority. Baldonado noted that field exposure provides career pathway options for students interested in becoming first responders.
Fire science students, led by their instructor Mike Silva, also participated in a simulated burn demonstration at the McKinley County Fire Office.
ñ Center for Career and Technical Education students gear up at the McKinley County Fire Office in Gallup.
“They were in their gear and got to feel how hot the fire was and how intense it was in a hands-on, face-to-face situation,” Baldonado said.
ñ Zollinger Library Director Markos Chavez accompanied the fire science students during the demo and got the chance to gear up alongside them.
“I learned that fighting fires is not just shooting water at a fire,” Chavez said. “There is a lot of thought and experience that goes into it, and when you combine that with the weight of the gear that is required to keep them safe, it becomes clear how strong mentally and physically someone has to be in this career.”
Culinary students started the 2025 fall semester with new chef hats presented to them by their instructor, Arvin Macapagong. In addition to getting an introduction in culinary arts, students learned about food safety and gained hands-on experience in food service.
Before finals week, students made a spread to welcome the holiday season, featuring a mixture of traditional Thanksgiving foods along with traditional Filipino Christmas foods.
Baldonado said culinary students gave her feedback about how much they enjoyed the experience not only because they got to learn new skills but because they were able to relax and cope with stress in a healthy way in the kitchen.
In the Students Achieving New Directions (SAND) program, students with exceptionalities gained on-the-job experience at businesses throughout the community.
Dawn Garcia, program coordinator with CCTE, said students who have an individualized education program (IEP) with Gallup-McKinley County Schools were paid for their work by the school district. For the remaining SAND students, Garcia worked with America’s Job Center New Mexico to pay students through their pre-apprenticeship occupational program.
ñ Center for Career and Technical Education culinary students pose for a photo inside the kitchen at Miyamura High School. From left: Lila Lee, Autumn Jim, Malika Jones, Lyfe Yazzie,, Kenyon Begay, Landon Tyler, Raymond Smith, Cameron Yazzie, and Hazel Antonio.
For students who did not meet the eligibility criteria for America’s Job Center, Garcia is in the process of partnering with the WIOA Youth Program to ensure students are compensated for their work.
“My goal is to have every student in the SAND program to be able to receive a stipend for job training while earning credits from the CCTE program,” Garcia said.
CCTE has also incorporated new courses in film and digital media arts as part of a curriculum change at ñ. Previously, the CCTE focused on design and digital media only, but that has now expanded to include film history, theater, and music appreciation courses.
CCTE is also taking a new approach to teaching first-year students in health careers with courses focusing on professional ethics, critical text analysis, and personal health management.
“These courses replaced medical terminology and basic body structure and function,” Baldonado said. “We feel like these courses, compared to the original ones, are a better fit for the dual-credit students.”
Professor Daniel Primozic, who teaches one of the first-year experience courses for CCTE, said he had a bit of trouble figuring out how to pitch the course to students in the beginning, but he found the appropriate language and pace after about a week.
“Then it was a good experience for all,” he said.
Baldonado recognized all the CCTE instructors who are returning in the new year for their commitment to the students in the program.
“What stands out to me is their authentic connection to the students that I felt from them this semester — in terms of not just academics but helping them balance high school and college at the same time, which can be challenging for both instructors and students,” Baldonado said. “I saw them shine. I’m so thankful for them. They’re such a great fit for CCTE, and you can really feel their dedication to the students.”
To learn more about ñ's Center for Career & Technical Education, visit gallup.unm.edu/ccte.
ñ Center for Career and Technical Education students pose for a photo with McKinley County fire personnel at the McKinley County Fire Office in Gallup.
Latest News
A year of burn demos, holiday food, and new courses
Zollinger Library January Events
ñ makes progress on new Law Enforcement Academy
Zollinger Library December Events
The University of New Mexico - Gallup
705 Gurley Ave.
Gallup, NM 87301
(505) 863-7500
