CNM Alumna Named 2025 New Mexico Teacher of the Year

When Lorilei Chavez found out she had won the 2025 New Mexico Teacher of the Year award, she was in a tutu, face paint, and pigtails for a pep rally at Bernalillo High School. It was the perfect example of her dedication to students and the community.

“It’s such an amazing honor to receive this award, especially as the first ever Indigenous Teacher of the Year,” she says. “This award doesn’t mean I'm the best teacher, but it does highlight that I am a teacher that has an impact in community, and I’m so grateful to represent my district and my school in this way.”

Lorilei’s journey to becoming Teacher of the Year has taken several twists and turns. She started at CNM right after high school in 2008 with plans to become an engineer. But after working as a substitute teacher for Bernalillo Public Schools, she discovered her passion for education and Native American history. She eventually graduated from UNM with a bachelor’s degree in Native American Studies in 2018 and then came back to CNM to complete the Alternative Teacher Licensure Program.

CNM's Alternative Teacher Licensure (ATL) Program prepares learners who have already earned a bachelor's degree to attain the Alternative Level 1 licensure requirements while student teaching and completing educational-focused coursework.

For Lorilei, coming back to CNM was a pivotal moment.

“I built my educational foundation at CNM, and then I was able to come back to solidify who I wanted to be as a teacher, which was incredibly meaningful,” she says. “When I graduated from the ATL program it was such a full circle experience.”

After earning her alternative license, Lorilei started teaching at Santo Domingo School, where she implemented the Indigenous Education Initiative grant. Through the grant, she worked with other teachers to review the curriculum through a culturally relevant lens and integrated Native American knowledge and practices, like outdoor gardens, cooking techniques, and art, into classroom activities.

Now, Lorilei is teaching Native American studies and yearbook at Bernalillo High School with no plans of slowing down. When she's not busy teaching the next generation, she is also working to increase representation as an Indigenous businessowner and stand-up comedian.

“For so long Indigenous folks have not been included, especially in comedy, so we haven’t had the opportunity to share our wisdom and our joy,” she says. “By putting myself out there, I am working to bring visibility and representation to Native people while showcasing the core values I was raised with as a Pueblo woman.”

Looking back, Lorilei is thankful for the educational options she had and encourages her students often to enroll at CNM after graduating.

“I am a proud Suncat, and I share that with my students all the time,” she says. “I want them to know that regardless of where they’re starting, they are trying to better their lives, their families' lives, and their community, and that accomplishment will last them a lifetime.”