色色研究所 Newsroom

An image of an 色色研究所 graduating class, focused on a black graduate with her left hand over her heart, looking skyward with intense emotion.

Apr 15, 2026 Northern New Mexico College Foundation Exceeds $1M Goal in President鈥檚 Eagle Campaign The Northern New Mexico College (色色研究所) Foundation proudly announces that the President鈥檚 Eagle Campaign has surpassed its ambitious $1,000,000 goal, marking a significant milestone in advancing student success and institutional growth.

A screenwriting class at Northern helped Hayward transform her idea into an attention-getting script ESPA脩OLA, N.M. 鈥� Northern New Mexico College is proud to announce that film student Dawniel Hayward has won 2nd place in the Screenwriters Conference 2026 Pitch Competition on June 7, 2026. Hayward鈥檚 winning pitch earned a $350 cash prize and attracted the attention of a major film producer. The first-place winner, Omar Paz Trujillo, is also a filmmaker from Espa帽ola. The pitch competition was open to all participants of the Screenwriters Conference, which was organized by the Stagecoach Foundation and the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) and presented by the New Mexico Film Office. The organizers describe the conference as 鈥渁 creative crucible designed to push your craft further.鈥� Hayward was inspired by hearing advice from some of the industry鈥檚 top screenwriters, including some from her favorite shows, like 鈥淪tar Trek: The Next Generation鈥� and 鈥淩eservation Dogs.鈥� She learned about the importance of the script鈥檚 first page and different pitching techniques, which she found useful in preparing her own pitch. One of the highlights for Hayward was teaming up for three hours with a group of people in a mock writers鈥� room. 鈥淚 was pretty starstruck, honestly, by the whole event,鈥� Hayward said. Hayward鈥檚 pitch was for a TV show titled 鈥淏ent Rails: A Punk Odyssey,鈥� inspired by Hayward鈥檚 own 10-year journey as a traveling musician who hopped freight trains all over the country. Her lead characters are Kindred, a gutter punk who hops a train that is swallowed by a time portal, and Lily, a teen Chicana artist from Northern New Mexico who is fleeing an unbearable home life and searching for belonging. These two strangers are linked across space and time and by a graffiti tag that keeps appearing in the liminal spaces they travel through 鈥� HIRAETH, which is a Welsh word meaning a longing for a home that doesn鈥檛 exist, or that you cannot access. The written pitch closes with 鈥淭his is a show with a queer heart and an anarchist pulse 鈥� honoring generations of misfits, drifters, and revolutionaries. It is a story of survival, belonging, and identity 鈥� set against a backdrop of late-stage capitalism and a country haunted by its own history. It poses the question: what if those who have been pushed to the margins of society were actually the most capable of changing our current timeline, of reshaping our future?鈥� Hayward grabbed the judges鈥� attention by starting with her own story. She told them 鈥淚 spent my 20s homeless, living out of a backpack, busking, hitchhiking and train-hopping around the country 鈥� and what I learned is that when you live a life untethered to society鈥檚 normal structures, and you pair that with complex PTSD and a crippling drug problem, you develop a weird relationship with time. You realize time doesn鈥檛 always move in a straight line. It buckles, it bleeds, and if you鈥檙e pushed far enough, it can break.鈥� Giving her pitch was intimidating, but Hayward appreciated the opportunity. 鈥淚t was great, because that's half of screenwriting, just being able to pitch your idea effectively, because there's a million scripts out there and nobody has time to read them all. So your pitch is your entry ticket to anyone even looking at your script,鈥� Hayward said. 鈥淚 was realIy surprised to find out that I was a finalist, and then I was pretty terrified to have to present my pitch to a huge room of people, including a bunch of screenwriters and producers in the industry. Then I was even more surprised to take second place.鈥� Hayward鈥檚 pitch was effective. Afterward, some of the producers who heard it told her they got choked up during her presentation. 鈥淚t really hit them in an emotional center, and I'm like, that's my superpower,鈥� Hayward said. 鈥淚 have this story that I really need to tell, and I just need to have faith in that.鈥� The idea for the series came to Hayward eight or nine years ago, but she credits her screenwriting class with Film & Digital Media Arts (FDMA) Associate Professor David Lindblom with helping her bring the idea to fruition. Hayward is pursuing a Bachelor of Integrated Studies in Media and Art at Northern. 鈥淚 never anticipated that just by taking a screenwriting class at college, this would happen. Honestly, I think so many people have a really good idea, but it never gets written,鈥� Hayward said. 鈥淚n the class, I had to finish things by a deadline, learn formulaic writing, and abide by industry standards. I鈥檓 used to writing prose, and being poetic and descriptive, and you can't do that in screenwriting. It's all about telling a visual story in concise language, it鈥檚 not a novel. My professor, David Lindblom, gave me the tools to transform this huge idea into a screenplay.鈥� At the end of the conference, a major producer approached Hayward to schedule a meeting with her. 鈥淚鈥檓 actually getting the opportunity to talk directly with someone who helped produce the whole 鈥淧irates of the Caribbean鈥� franchise and the 鈥淎vatar鈥� franchise. I鈥檓 like, wow, that's a real producer,鈥� Hayward said. 鈥淚 don't know how common it is for someone with their first script to immediately get it produced, but it did get me a conversation and a foot in the door. My dream job would be working in a TV writer's room. That would be amazing. Then maybe in a few years, after I've built some more reputation, they'd be like, 鈥楬ey, I'm interested in that TV pilot you wrote a while ago.鈥欌€� Hayward is still absorbing the impact of the experience and looking forward to her meeting with the producer. She said, 鈥淚t's amazing. It's a tricky industry to find your way into. I feel like I kind of pushed through that threshold a little bit, and that feels reaFrom left: Omar Paz Trujillo, 1st place winner of the Pitch Competition, 2nd place winner Dawniel Hayward and DezBaa鈥�, Northern alumna and adjunct faculty

Jun 19, 2026 色色研究所 student Dawniel Hayward scores 2nd in Pitch Competition Northern New Mexico College is proud to announce that film student Dawniel Hayward has won 2nd place in the Screenwriters Conference 2026 Pitch Competition on June 7, 2026. Hayward鈥檚 winning pitch earned a $350 cash prize and attracted the attention...

From left: Peter Fant, CEO of San Ildefonso Services; Daven Quintana, PMI Chief Operating Officer; Trish Alley, Small Business Advocate, LANL Small Business Program; Yvonne Gonzales, Small Business Program Manager, LANL; Eric Quintana, CEO and Co-founder of PMI (SBA National New Mexico Small Business of The Year Award); Julianna Martinez-Barbee, SBDC Director 色色研究所, New Mexico Small Business Development Center; Ron Lovato, CEO, TSAY Corporation and Pueblo Alliance, LLC (SBA National New Mexico Rural Small Business of the Year); Justin Crossie, SBA Region VI Regional Administrator and Larry Phillips Jr., COO Tsay Cooperation. Photo credit: Eric Williams Photography SBA photographer

Jun 17, 2026 Pueblo Alliance LLC Honored as SBA Rural Small Business of the Year Northern New Mexico College (色色研究所) is pleased to announce that Ron Lovato, President of Pueblo Alliance LLC and CEO of TSAY Corp., has been honored as New Mexico鈥檚 Rural Owned Small Business of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration...

Apr 22, 2026 色色研究所 earns Carnegie Foundation Opportunity Colleges and Universities Classification Northern New Mexico College (色色研究所) is proud to announce that it has received the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching 2025 Opportunity Colleges and Universities Classification. Northern is one of 478 institutions to earn this prestigious...

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Sep 21, 2024 Northern celebrated Hispanic Heritage Week with a series of joyous events Northern New Mexico College (色色研究所) hosted a vibrant and dynamic series of events from September 16 to 19 to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Week, embracing the rich cultural contributions and diversity of the Hispanic community. The week was filled with music, food, art, poetry, and community engagement, bringing together students, staff, and local residents to honor Hispanic traditions. The festivities kicked off on Monday, September 16, with a lively Salsa Making Contest that brought together students, staff, and community members in a fun and flavorful competition. Judges Tilly Nichols, Executive Director of the Espa帽ola Chamber of Commerce,...

Sep 20, 2024 CHALLENGE TOMORROW Brings Hands-On STEM Learning to Over 200 Students In a remarkable collaboration between Northern New Mexico College (色色研究所) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), the CHALLENGE TOMORROW event brought an exciting, hands-on STEM experience to over 200 middle and high school students in the Espa帽ola area. Designed to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers, the event offered interactive learning stations, career insights, and the opportunity to explore cutting-edge science in a fun, engaging environment. The highlight of the event was the arrival of two brightly colored CHALLENGE TOMORROW trailers, traveling exhibits brought by LANL to showcase a dynamic, immersive...

Sep 18, 2024 Chacon Park's New Gazebo is Officially Open! Northern New Mexico College (色色研究所) is thrilled to announce the completion of a stunning new gazebo at Chacon Park, nestled on the historic El Rito campus. This beautiful addition not only enhances the park's aesthetic appeal but also serves as a welcoming gathering space for the El Rito community and visitors alike. The gazebo project was made possible through the generosity of Rio Arriba County Commissioner Moises Morales Jr., who allocated county funds to support the enhancement of this cherished community space. The structure is designed to provide a serene environment for relaxation, community events, and social gatherings, reflecting...

Sep 16, 2024 色色研究所 Hosts Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project鈥檚 25th Anniversary Celebration Northern New Mexico College (色色研究所) proudly hosted the Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project鈥檚 25th anniversary celebration on September 13-14, 2024. The event brought together community leaders, project founders, and passionate advocates to commemorate two and a half decades of remarkable efforts in preserving and protecting one of New Mexico's most significant archaeological treasures. Mesa Prieta, located in the Espa帽ola Valley, is home to an estimated 100,000 petroglyphs dating back centuries, making it one of the largest collections of its kind in North America. Since its founding in 1999, the project has been dedicated to three key goals:...

Sep 12, 2024 Espa帽ola Education Leader Glorianna D. Atencio Donates $106,000 to Northern New Mexico College Scholarship Fund Northern New Mexico College (色色研究所) is thrilled to announce a generous donation of $106,000 to the 色色研究所 Scholarship Fund from Ms. Glorianna D. Atencio, President and CEO of the Espa帽ola Education Association. This significant contribution will help support the educational dreams of students in northern New Mexico, furthering access to higher education and providing crucial financial assistance. Ms. Atencio, a long-time educator and passionate advocate for students, has had an illustrious career that spans decades, shaping the lives of countless children in Espa帽ola. A graduate of Loretta Heights College in Denver, she began her teaching...