Seven University of New Mexico students are being commended for their achievements and contributions to the campus community. Abigale Aldrich, Muskan Amin, Ansely Emeanuwa, Ana Milan Hinostroza, Brittany Huddleston, Jacob Silva and Maria Vielma have been named Clauve Outstanding Seniors for 2021, in recognition of their academic success and campus leadership.

The Clauve Award is one UNM's most prestigious awards for students. It is presented to outstanding seniors who have performed well academically and made significant contributions to the campus community through their outstanding leadership and involvement in student organizations and activities

The Clauve Award is named for Dean Emeritus Lena Clauve, a UNM music education teacher and the first Dean of Women. She retired in 1961, but remained active on campus until her death at the age of 98 in 1994.

The Clauve Awards are given to UNM seniors who have at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average. The award is based on leadership and involvement as well as academics. Students must be outstanding in both areas to be chosen to receive the Clauve Award. Those selected have made significant contributions to the campus and community.

Abigale Aldrich

Abigale Aldrich
Abigale Aldrich

A UNM Presidential Scholarship recipient since Fall 2017, Aldrich majored in Biochemistry with a minor in Psychology. She has continued to give back through involvement on-campus as a LoboTHON volunteer raising money for UNM Children’s Hospital, member and president of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, Center for Academic Program Support tutor, and Associated Students of The University of New Mexico senator, growing as a leader and role model for other students.

”I chose to be involved on UNM’s campus primarily to be a part of something bigger than myself. I believe that experiences are what you make them, so seeking out opportunities to meet new people and learn new things was something I was very eager to do since the beginning of my undergraduate career… All of my experiences at UNM have had immense, though unique, impacts on my life, and attempting to rank one above another is virtually impossible. With that said, I think my greatest accomplishment at this point would be knowing that I gave 110 percent to all of my endeavors at UNM. From this, I have found academic success, fruitful relationships, and a heart full of gratitude to be where I am today… If I could choose one thing for students to get involved in at UNM it would be anything you are passionate about (really look into it, there is something for everyone). Immersing yourself in something that gives you a jolt of excitement will not only allow you to better understand who you are, but will encourage you to become a better version of yourself in the process. Doing so may even leave you pursuing more opportunities and creating new connections with those around you that you might not have otherwise been able to find.

Muskan (Mia) Amin

Muskan Mia Amin
Muskan 'Mia' Amin

Amin is graduating with a major in Business with a concentration in Organizational Leadership and Accounting, minoring in Economics. She is passionate about helping others and dedicated to her commitments in the classroom and extracurricular and work activities. Amin recalled her own experience of moving to a new country when she became a New Student Orientation Leader, helping thousands of freshmen and transfer students matriculate successfully to UNM. As president of the ASUNM, Amin and her team secured a $5 million special appropriation and are on track to receive the other $4.7 million. A student who primarily relies on financial aid to support higher education, she understands the importance and impact of the Lottery Scholarship on her peers and their education. Amin served as director of the Center for Financial Capability at UNM, where she facilitated the creation of our university’s first and only financial literacy center.

“Transitioning from a small city in India to the huge campus of the University of New Mexico was daunting. Navigating through campus, seeing hundreds of students swarm the sidewalks surrounding large buildings, and choosing from numerous classes offered was overwhelming. As I settled in, I started to find value in the unique opportunities offered here. Little did I know that my journey at UNM would transform me into a leader who will eventually serve as the student body president and represent the university that once intimidated me… Initially, getting involved simply gave me the opportunity to find my community on campus, however, it transformed into much more than that. Getting involved with things that I cared about meant that I was making a difference on my beloved campus.”

Ansely Emeanuwa

Ansely Emeanuwa
Ansely Emeanuwa

Graduating with a degree in Accounting, Emeanuwa is a driven and talented individual with a generous heart and talent for creating beauty. As a child, his mother took him to UNM while she was a student and he spent many hours at Zimmerman Library, exploring campus, and volunteering for events around campus. Over the last 10 years, he has collected thousands of dollars’ worth of school supplies for Support for Kids program at Albuquerque Public Schools. He and his family grow and sell fruits, vegetables, and flowers and sell them at the farmers markets, switching to farm to car service during the pandemic to make sure customers receive fresh food. Elected UNM Homecoming King in 2020, Emeanuwa also has designed and created the showpiece wreath presented to UNM President Garnett Stokes to be displayed at University House.

Growing up at The University of New Mexico has taught me a lot of things. How to lead, how to make amazing friends, how to show school pride… The time that you give back makes your heart swell. It shows leadership because you care about school spirit, you care about leading the pack and teaching others what student government is at UNM. My school supply drive taught me how to give back to the community and by using all these characteristics I learned how to lead… All of these are valuable to me and I'm proud of it!”

Ana Milan Hinostroza

Ana Milan Hinostroza
Ana Milan Hinostroza

With a major in Economics and Statistics and a minor in French, Hinostroza is known as someone willing to help and motivate fellow students and is highly respected by those who work with her. As vice president of the ASUNM she oversaw the scholarship committee, which awards $15,000 in scholarships per year. Working as a resident advisor and New Student Orientation Leader, Hinostroza created new connections with students to introduce them to campus life and the many resources the university offers to help better serve them. As chair of the regional programming conference for resident advisors, she worked to put an emphasis on diversity and social justice targeted programs.

“’College is more than going to class’… This simple, yet catchy phrase changed my college experience and as time went by I couldn’t agree with it more. Being involved on campus has taught me many leadership values and it has helped me become more connected to the University. Each activity I participated in, taught me something unique that I will remember for the rest of my life... Three years ago, I would have never imagined I would be the ASUNM Vice President, and that I would be representing all the undergraduate students. I got here because my activities on campus helped me to make more connections, be a more open minded person, and improve my adapting leadership skills. Throughout these experiences, I learned it is imperative to go out and make new relationships, learn more about other cultures, and to embrace the diversity so each individual can discover who they want to be. Thanks to the University of New Mexico, I have a lot of experience that I could not have gained if I only went to class. As a student who is about to graduate, I feel ready to conquer the next chapter of my life.”

Brittany Huddleston

Britanny Huddleston
Brittany Huddleston

As a student with a disability, Huddleston understands the experience of those who have been marginalized and has consistently sought out opportunities to advocate for vulnerable populations at UNM. She has been a committed volunteer at Agora for most of her time at UNM and has taken on a leadership position there that taught her the importance of helping individuals that are in unfortunate circumstances and to speak out for individuals that are often left without a voice or resources. She also was appointed as the student representative for the Accessibility Resource Center, contributing to making UNM a more accessible campus. She is graduating with a degree in Psychology, with a minor in Sociology.

“When I first came to UNM, I was extremely overwhelmed getting around campus and trying to accomplish my course as a disabled student. After to speaking to other individuals that were disabled, I realized that I wasn't the only student who was having a hard time trying to accomplish my degree. This prompted me to speak to somebody about some of the issues that were making it difficult for disabled students to get around campus. Fortunately, after doing this, I realized the importance of speaking up on issues that not only impacted myself but for individuals that might not be able to speak up for themselves… One of my biggest accomplishments that I am proud of is being part of Agora crisis center. This organization has taught me so many different life skills and has opened my eyes at the significance of being involved with a community-based program. Suicide is an epidemic in our community and it’s organizations like this that are trying to find ways to educate society on the seriousness of addressing these issues even through the COVID-19 epidemic. So, not only do I get to answer calls on the crisis line and listen to individuals that are in need of comfort, but, I am also on the executive committee as a mentor coordinator. With these two positions, I get to be involved in community work that provides a vulnerable population a safe place to express themselves, but I am also able to help this organization with providing moral support with our amazing volunteers.”

Jacob Silva

Jacob Silva
Jacob Silva

Silva is graduating with a degree in Population Health and a minor in Interdisciplinary Studies (Honors College). In his time at UNM, Silva has been involved in almost every facet of student life. A common theme that runs through all of his involvement at UNM is improving the lives of his fellow students. He ran for the position of ASUNM president to make a difference on campus but was not elected. Instead, he became director of the Center for Financial Capability where he continued in his goal to make an impact on student’s lives. As the Chief of Staff for ASUNM, one of his major accomplishments was the creation of $30,000 in emergency scholarships in the spring of 2020 as the global pandemic began to take hold in New Mexico.

“‘Whenever we think we know the future, even for a second, it changes.’ Ever since I was a sophomore in high school I have always tried to live my life by this quote. You can plan as much as you want for the future but sometimes you have no idea what could happen… This mindset made me launch my campaign to run for ASUNM President, something I had been longing for since my freshman year… Unfortunately, the universe had other plans for me and I was devastated… Due to my loss I was able to become the director of the Center for Financial Capability and continue my goal in making an impact on students’ lives, this time in a more individualized rather than a mass approach. Concurrently I became a student leader with the We Belong In College - Student Experience Project that ran through the Provost Office. This position allowed me to connect with students and speak to them directly about their struggles in college and talk to them about why they belong in colleg ... Campus involvement taught me that just because you don’t have a certain position doesn’t mean you are any less of a student leader. You are right where you belong.”

Maria Vielma

Maria Vielma
Maria Vielma

With a long resume of accomplishments and excellence in her time at UNM, Vielma is graduating with a BA in Criminology and Spanish with a minor in Chicana/o Studies and Interdisciplinary Studies and is in the top 1 percent of all students at UNM. She advocates for the needs of students, with much of her work revolving around sex education and sexual violence awareness. Her campus and community involvement and leadership are aimed at helping her communities. On campus, Vielma has been a leader in a variety of different programs, including Honors Pathmakers, UNM Student Alliance for Reproductive Justice, and CAPS, and UNM MESA. Her extraordinary organizational and planning skills mean she has never missed a class, a deadline, nor pulled an all-nighter.

“My mom always told me, ‘La que quiere, puede.’ Ever since I was a little girl, her words have helped me believe in myself and my ability to achieve anything I set my mind to. Four years ago when I began as an out-of-state undergraduate student at UNM, I carried her words with me, ready to tackle the challenges and stereotypes against me as a Latina in higher education... I learned to see everything I was involved in as interconnected, each one building onto each other to further prepare me for my life’s work—so balancing my activities became simple. Today, my passion to become a source of empowerment for women as a Clinical Social Worker fuels my motivation, allowing me to pragmatically balance my commitments and manage my time… I am the leading force for making my dreams a reality. At the end of the day, every experience, whether academic or community related, builds on who I want to be and it motivates me to prioritize with purpose.”