Meet the Student Who Took Full Advantage of Everything CNM Has to Offer
Like many people, the COVID-19 pandemic threw Mamie-Jo Beatty’s life into a tailspin.
The year before, she had dropped out of college in San Antonio, Texas, where she was studying automotive technology. The break was meant to be temporary - time to work, save money, and then re-enroll. But when the pandemic hit, her plans unraveled one setback at a time.
“I had a traumatic surgery at the start of 2020, which took me out of work for a few months,” Mamie-Jo says. “Then my living situation abruptly changed, and I ended up moving to Mississippi to help my grandparents. When I got back to Texas, I still didn’t have housing, I didn’t have the money to go back to school, and I didn’t really know what I wanted to do - I just felt lost.”
In October 2022, things shifted. Her fiancé got a job offer in Albuquerque and the couple moved to New Mexico.
When they arrived, Mamie-Jo worked at a restaurant, but the uncertainty lingered. She thought about going back to school for engineering but wasn’t sure where to begin.
“I started off trying to apply to UNM, but found the admissions process really difficult,” she says. “Somewhere along the way, I learned about CNM, and it seemed like it could be the right fit.”
Mamie-Jo qualified for the New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship and enrolled in CNM’s Engineering program in 2023.
“It took me a bit to find my footing that first semester,” she says. “My parents always encouraged me to pursue an education, but neither of them had gone to college. I think I struggled with a little imposter syndrome in the beginning.”
While still finding her way, she learned about CNM’s M-CURE research program, which was focused on studying Albuquerque’s Urban Heat Island effect. She applied and was one of just 14 students selected.
“Having that early win really helped me feel confident in my pursuits and opened several doors for me at CNM,” she says.
Since then, Mamie-Jo has taken part in the summer STEM Core program, CNM Ingenuity’s Internet of Things (IoT) Bootcamp, and is currently interning with GrowVera, a growing biotechnology company. She will graduate form CNM this fall, and plans to transfer to New Mexico Tech in the spring to pursue her bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. After that, she hopes to earn a master’s and eventually a doctorate.
“Growing up, I watched my mom work three jobs to make ends meet,” she says. “She was really smart, but because she didn’t have a college degree, she had to work constantly and that meant less time with family. Education has always been important to me, but after the instability I went through during the pandemic, I felt even more determined to create a better life. I want to have more time, more stability, and more opportunities.”