Southeast New Mexico College recognizes Elida Sotelo as Mountain Lion Student of the Month

Southeast New Mexico College recognizes Elida Sotelo as Mountain Lion Student of the Month

Southeast New Mexico College (SENMC) is proud to recognize its very first Mountain Lion Student of the Month, a new honor established to celebrate students who embody the college’s core values.

The Mountain Lion Student of the Month program was created to promote a culture of excellence, encourage active student engagement, and recognize outstanding achievements in academics, leadership, and community involvement. All currently enrolled SENMC students in good academic standing are eligible for nomination.

For the month of September, SENMC is pleased to announce Elida Sotelo as the inaugural award recipient. Elida was nominated by her professor, Cindy Wang, in recognition of her dedication, hard work, and contributions to the SENMC community.

In her nomination, Cindy said this about Elida.

“Elida demonstrates leadership through consistent, service-oriented action in class, on campus, and at Mountain Lion Cub Care. As a peer mentor, she supports classmates with study strategies, connects them to resources, and models professionalism and integrity. In Mountain Lion Cub Care, she takes initiative to lead developmentally appropriate activities, communicates clearly with families and staff, and calmly solves problems to keep children safe and engaged. Importantly, she is actively learning new technology and turns that growth into guidance for others—sharing tips, troubleshooting coursework tools, and encouraging peers to build digital confidence. Her inclusive approach, reliability, and example-driven work ethic elevate the people around her and reflect strong, everyday leadership.

She is an inspiration-balancing coursework, campus employment at Mountain Lion Cub Care, and peer mentoring while continually learning new technology and sharing it with others. Her steady optimism, humility, and willingness to help classmates, whether by troubleshooting a digital tool or encouraging them to keep going, lift the confidence of those around her. Families and colleagues trust her because she follows through, communicates clearly, and models professionalism every day. In short, her presence strengthens our classrooms and our campus community; recognizing her would honor not only her achievements, but the many students she motivates to persist and excel.”

This new recognition initiative reflects SENMC’s ongoing commitment to highlighting student success and fostering a strong, engaged campus community.

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