Menaul Alumni
Menaul Alumni
Racial Ethnic Leaders
For over a century, Menaul School has been producing church and civic leaders of the highest caliber. A sampling of those leaders follows:
Amanda Cheromiah – 2004 – A Native American from the Pueblo of Laguna and a graduate of the University of Arizona, Amanda now works with her alma mater as a coordinator in the office of Academic Outreach. Her passion is helping low income minority first generation college bound students succeed. In addition she organizes the College Academy for Parents, College Knowledge for Parents and College Knowledge for Counselors.
Tomas Garcia – 2001 – graduated from Yale in 2005 (BA Political Science), Harvard in 2008 (Master of Public Policy), and Georgetown University Law Center (Juris Doctorate) in 2011. He worked in New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson’s administration, has been selected to clerk for New Mexico Supreme Court Justice Charlie Daniels beginning in September 2012 and is currently an associate in the Miller Stratvert Law Firm in Albuquerque.
Kateri Garcia West – 1999 - has worked in the cardiac device industry for 9 years and is currently a Territory Manager for ZOLL LifeVest covering the state of NM. She started her career as a mechanical device design engineer for Medtronic Inc (Minneapolis, MN) where she earned a patent for her work on novel pacemaker reliability test methods. In 2003 Kateri completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Kateri has served on the board and helped launch Wings of Africa International (Minneapolis, MN), a Kenyan nonprofit agency aimed at building schools for orphaned girls in Kenya.
Niki Tapia Brito – 1987 - received her B.A. in American Studies in 1991 from Stanford University and her Juris Doctorate from the University of New Mexico Law School in 2001. Since graduation from law school, Niki has worked in the District Attorney’s Office – first as an Assistant District Attorney II in the 7th Judicial DA’s Office, then as an Assistant Trial Attorney in the 2nd Judicial DA’s Office and currently as a Senior Trial Attorney in the 2nd Judicial DA’s Office. She was nominated “Rookie of the Year” for the State’s District Attorney’s Conference in 2002.
Dr. Richard G. Lovato, MD – 1980 – graduated from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and completed his residency in General Surgery and Transplants at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. A respected surgeon in Albuquerque, Dr. Lovato successfully completed a kidney transplant for another Menaul Alumni, Ambrosio Ortega (1946).
Cristina Ortega – 1972 – Cristina Ortega has taught elementary school in New Mexico for 25 years. She is the author of two children’s books: The Eyes of the Weaver (2005) and The Key to Grandpa’s House (2007). Her two brothers and sister were born while they all lived on campus at Menaul School where her father (Ambrosio – 1946) taught high school. Keeping with family tradition Cristina boarded at Menaul and graduated in 1972. Cristina retired from the Albuquerque Public Schools after 29 1/2 years, 26 of which were devoted to teaching.
Victor MacFarlane – 1969 – A leading African American real estate developer, Victor MacFarlane is managing principal, chairman and chief executive officer of MacFarlane Partners, which he founded in 1987 to provide real estate investment management services to institutional investors. Under his leadership, MacFarlane Partners pioneered the urban investment concept among institutional real estate managers in the mid-1990s and today has become one of the leading real estate investment management firms in the United States.
Dr. Arturo Madrid – 1956 – a gifted teacher, author and articulate national voice for the impact of Hispanic life on American culture - the “Murchison Distinguished Professor of the Humanities” at Trinity University in San Antonio.
Arthur M. Duran – 1951 – Coach Duran has influenced student athletes at all levels of competition. In 1974 he was the coach of the Bolivian National Women’s Basketball Team; in 1976 he assisted with the Brazilian Olympic Basketball Team; and in 1979 he coached the Somali National Team.
Herb Fernandez – 1949 – Herb received the “Air Force Outstanding Civilian Service Award” after 33 years of federal service. He was chief of the Air Force Weapons Laboratory’s Nuclear-Systems Security Division – a division that provides technical support for Air Force and NATO nuclear systems.
Florentino (Tino) Garza – 1945 – After earning his law degree from UCLA, Tino entered into private practice. In 1987 he was selected by the San Bernardino County Bar Association for it’s highest honor, “awarded to a member of the legal profession who has best exemplified the high standards of the profession and the administration of justice.”
The Honorable Alfonso Romero – 1942 – Served as a Marine in North China during WW II; practiced law in California and served seventeen years on the California State Trial Court bench.
Ted Trujillo – 1940 – Ted graduated from UNM in February of 1944 with a degree in biology and chemistry and an officer’s commission in the first Naval Reserve class. He served in World War II as a communications officer, returning from Japan in 1946 to attend graduate school at the University of New Mexico. In 1947 he accepted a job as a bio-chemist with the Los Alamos National Laboratory in the Bio-Medical Research Group. He was the author and co-author of 35 scientific publications, many dealing with cancer and cancer treatment.
Bedelio (Bill) F. Gurule – 1938 – Bill served the U.S. in the South Pacific during WW II and was a Japanese Prisoner of War. Professionally he worked as a public accountant and developed “partnership investments”; in his spare time Bill was a published author.
Conrado P. Gutierrez – 1937 – a chemist by profession, Conrado retired from the Los Alamos National Laboratory after 36 years. Very active in his church and community, Conrado was best known for his work on behalf of women, minorities, veterans and disadvantaged persons.
Dr. Martin Candelaria – 1918 – Innovative Teacher, Coach, WW I Veteran, Humanitarian. Dr. Candelaria was the first Hispanic/native Spanish speaker to teach at the Colorado Teacher’s College (now University of Northern Colorado) where he built a department of foreign language using the first language laboratory and instituted the teaching of foreign language in grade school.
When visiting with our wonderful alums, those of us on the administrative team frequently hear some iteration of the following statement: “Yeah, but Menaul just isn’t the same school I attended back in (pick a year).” In some ways that is true and in some it is not.
In an attempt to start a positive conversation on this topic, we’ve compiled the following “Then and Now” comparison list. We are interested in hearing what you think.
Then
The Presbyterian Church (USA) underwrote ALL the expenses of the school not covered by tuition or work study until 1971.
Menaul School was a mission school run by the Presbyterian Board of Missions.
The majority of Menaul students were boarding students from Northern New Mexico, Southern Colorado, and across the world, with a few day students from Albuquerque.
Menaul School was a “working farm,” with all students involved in the “work-study” program.
Menaul School relied on countless hours from volunteers all across the country for everything from maintenance and grounds to help in the business office and classrooms.
Menaul educated the entire student - body, soul and mind.
Menaul provided a first rate, college preparatory education to students who might not have had access to such, changing the trajectory of many, many lives.
Now
Menaul School became an independent school in 1971, relying on donations (30% of revenue) and tuition (62% of revenue) to cover expenses.
Menaul School is an independent school run by an independent board of directors, with covenant relationships with the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Presbytery of Santa Fe, and the Synod of the Southwest.
The majority of Menaul students are day students (82%), with boarding students (17%) coming to Menaul from all across the world.
Menaul School offers “work-study” for a few of our students during the summer months.
Menaul School relies on countless hours from VIM’s – Volunteers in Mission - from across the country for everything from maintenance and grounds to help in the business office and classrooms.
Menaul educates the entire student - body, soul and mind.
Menaul provides a first rate, college preparatory education to students who might not have access to such, changing the trajectory of many, many lives.
