Faces of CNM: Angel Bryant
Three years ago, Alabama native Angel Bryant went on a road trip and found herself in the Land of Enchantment. She had never been to New Mexico before but she immediately fell in love with our state.
“I came through during the balloon fiesta and I couldn’t believe how beautiful everything was,” she says. “I had been searching for a home and when I arrived here, I knew I found it.”
Angel is currently a student in CNM’s Studio Art program and loves to play the guitar – classic rock and country mainly – but she wasn’t always so driven. She says that after going through a bad relationship she struggled to find herself.
“I ended up having to live in my car to get out of that bad relationship,” Angel says. “But I knew I wanted to better myself so I started looking into the programs here at CNM. When I told my instructors about my situation, I was deeply touched at the amount of support they showed me.”
In addition to the moral and academic support she got from CNM, Angel received a $50,000 grant from the City of Albuquerque via the nonprofit Homewise: Albuquerque Home Ownership Center. She is now a proud homeowner and couldn’t be more grateful.
“Just having that basic need met really gave me the drive to want to be able to do more,” Angel says. “Suddenly, I was able to believe in myself and having y’all here as a support system fed my drive even more so.”
At age 47, Angel says that she is just now finding herself and that CNM has given her the inspiration to pursue an education that she’s truly passionate about. She says that at CNM, she has realized that happiness comes in many forms.
“I’m older now. I feel like this is my second chance,” she says. “To me, it’s not just about making money, it’s about doing something that makes me feel happy and productive. There are so many opportunities to learn new things here and I love that I can experiment with different classes.”
Angel is also a student employee in the Office of Data Strategy (ODS).
“I love working at CNM. I’ve gotten to meet so many great people that are smart and caring,” she says. “I feel empowered as a student and as an employee here. I know I keep saying this, but I love it here.”
Ultimately, Angel plans to complete her associate degree in Fine Arts here at CNM and then transfer to UNM to pursue a degree in music.
“I love all forms of art, photography, graphic design, music,” she says. “It would be my dream job to be able to teach guitar someday. I feel like since coming to CNM I am one step closer to achieving that dream.”
Learn more about CNM’s Fine Arts Programs.
You can find more information about Homewise here.