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It’s a Lobo Family Affair
he University of New Mexico – Gallup campus is a spot where students are encouraged to start and finish short-term certificate or degree programs, or perhaps transfer on to other institutions of higher education to finish a bachelor’s or master’s degree. The support they receive while at UNM-Gallup often comes from faculty, student affairs experts, staff, and administrators. In most cases, this support also comes from family members, friends, and other external personal systems that are there to reassure and celebrate students as they move forward in reaching for their educational goals. The Herrera family of Gallup has taken that support system to an all-time high level of inspiration with a strong sense of togetherness. They also function as a role model of how one family appreciates the value of a college education and cheers each other on through each class, each program, and each degree. This family of Lobos continues to learn, grow, and value education as part of their life plans. By day, Jobi Herrera is a fiscal services technician in the department of business operations at UNM-Gallup. Jobi also worked in public education and early childhood development for ten years. This matriarch of the Herrera family is a first generation college graduate of UNM-Gallup who
From left to right: Lynns, Joey, Jobi, Chance, Jolene and Jonas Herrera. obtained an Associate of Arts degree in early childhood multicultural education in 2018. She is currently studying to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in family and child studies. Jobi’s husband Joseph (Joey) Herrera, a United States Navy veteran, is also a first generation college graduate and UNM-Gallup alum. He graduated with an Associate of Arts degree in construction technology in 1990. Joey is employed as a construction control inspector for the Bureau of Reclamation and credits his UNM-Gallup degree and years of experience as a general contractor with opening doors for him. As a Navy veteran, Joey was able to use his GI Bill benefits to obtain a degree that enhanced his existing interest and experience. With their parents as great role models, the Herrera children followed in their parents’ footsteps and most started their college educations at the UNM-Gallup campus. From there they either entered directly into the workforce or used their UNM-G credentials as launching pads to bigger and greater accomplishments. Daughter Jolene Herrera started as a UNM-Gallup student after graduating from
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July 2019
Gallup High School. While at UNM-Gallup, Jolene participated in a student employment program where she worked as a math tutor while attending classes. She was able to obtain many of her core and prerequisite classes while staying close to home before transferring to Arizona State University where she received a Bachelor of Science in biology in 2009. Jolene, currently a government employee, is continuing to expand her horizons by studying water science at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. Brother Chance Herrera is a graduate of the Middle College High School which is a charter high school located on the UNMGallup campus. Chance received a certificate in welding technology from UNM-Gallup in 2015. Chance served his country in the United States Army as an infantryman and has recently re-enlisted in the United States Army for four more years. Later he plans to use his GI Bill benefits to further his career. Sister Lynnsay (Lynns) Herrera graduated from Middle College High School in 2016 and received both her high school diploma and an Associate of Arts degree in liberal arts
