Celina Waller, M.B.A.

Chief Operating Officer for the Aprendamos Family of Services

Celina Waller graduated from New Mexico State University with her Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice in 1997 and with her Master’s Degree in Business Administration in 2007. Celina has over twenty years of management experience in healthcare and human services. Celina is passionate about supporting children and families while supporting all six of the programs in the Aprendamos Family of Services. Celina currently serves on the New Mexico Interagency Coordinating Council which advises and assists the administration of the statewide system of early intervention through the New Mexico Family Infant Toddler program. Outside of work, Celina enjoys creating memories with her twodaughters, listening to podcasts, reading and taking walks with her dogs.

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Sapphira Garner

New Mexico State University - Student & Academic Program Coordinator, Sr.

Sapphira Garner is a Diné graduate student at NMSU’s Sociology department and serves as the Senior Student & Academic Program Coordinator at the Dean’s office for the College of Health, Education, and Social Transformation. With over eight years of experience as an educator for Diné youth, she continues to support students at NMSU by helping them secure scholarships and providing resources for their academic careers. Sapphira is passionate about promoting education in Diné culture, tradition, and heritage and holds a B.A. in Ethnic Studies. Her research currently focuses on the dichotomy of mixed-race Indigenous people. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, learning about origins, listening to people’s stories and music, spending time with her family, and hosting the podcast “Haffbreedz” with her husband, Gabe. Through her advocacy work, Sapphira aims to bring about social change for Indigenous and 2SLGBTQ+ individuals, addressing issues such as colonialism, racism, discrimination, prejudices, inequality, oppression, and lateral oppression within those communities. Her mission is to foster unity and celebrate diversity through her work in the Diné and other cultures and traditions.

Kathryn Million

Doña Ana Community College (DACC)-Associate Professor

Kathryn Million is an Associate Professor in the Education Department at Doña Ana Community College (DACC). Kathryn has taught in the Early Childhood Program at DACC for six years. Before teaching in higher education, Kathryn was an elementary education teacher for eighteen years. Kathryn’s research interests include the barriers to transfer that early childhood education students face when transitioning from a 2-year program to a 4-year bachelor’s degree. Kathryn and colleagues Dr. Wenjie Wang and Dr. Lynn Bagwell published “Pathway to Transfer: Validating the Lived Experiences of Nontraditional Students in an Early Childhood Program” in Community College Journal of Research and Practice (2022). In 2023, Kathryn was honored with the Donald C. Roush Award for Teaching Excellence

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Margo Trevino-Torres, Ed. D

Academic Success Coordinator for the College of Health, Education and Social Transformation

A graduate with two degrees in Higher Education Administration from New Mexico State University has been extremely beneficial for me professionally and personally. As a first-generation college student, I never imagined obtaining a doctorate degree. Now as an academic advisor and recruiter for the college, it has allowed me the opportunity to guide students interested in pursuing their bachelor’s degree. Everyone who wants a bachelor’s degree or higher should have the chance to do so, and I enjoy being a part of their educational pursuits. At NMSU, I have served on retention committees and orientation committees to benefit our students.

Denise Hoffman Yazzie

Education for Parents of Indian Children with Special Needs (EPICS) - Training Specialist 

Denise H. Yazzie is Diné (Navajo) and of the German descent. She is Mexican Clan born for Cliff Dwelling People Clan. She is originally from Blue Canyon, near Fort Defiance, Arizona. In 2019, she received her bachelor’s in social work and in fall of 2022 she has returned to school to pursue her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling. Denise currently lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with her 13-year-old son. In 2018, her son was diagnosed with ADHD and she became determined to be her son’s number one advocate for his education. Denise has blended her professional and mom life together by conducting outreach for EPICS in the state of New Mexico. She informs families of the resources offered for their children’s special education needs.

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Leah Davidson

Family Infant Toddler(FIT) Program-Bureau Chief

Leah Davidson is a career early childhood professional who is committed to working on behalf of families with very young children in order to maximize joy, growth, and human potential while the brain is most malleable. Leah earned her Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy from Colorado State University in 2008 and shortly thereafter, began her career in Early Intervention in the state of Virginia. She worked as a Service Coordinator and then a Local System Manager in Arlington, Virginia for ten years before relocating to New Mexico, where she now serves as the Bureau Chief for New Mexico’s statewide Early Intervention system. Leah is the proud mother of one ten-year-old girl and spends her free time singing, hiking, baking and socializing with her friends and family.

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Deborah Parks

Doña Ana Community College (DACC) - Instructor

Deborah Parks is a full-time faculty instructor at Doña Ana Community College in the Early Childhood Education Department. She serves on the recently established Childcare Task Force Committee focused on creating high quality placement sites in the community to ensure all students have a positive learning experience in their practicum environments. Ms. Parks has extensive experience as both a teacher and center director at several child development facilities’ and was a former consultant for a local child crisis center here in Las Cruces. Dedicated to teaching very young children for most of her adult life, her last classroom experience was at the NMSU Myrna's Children's Village with La Clinica de Familia Early Head Start and the NMSU lab school, School for Young Children working as a lead teacher. During this time, Ms. Parks became an adjunct faculty instructor at NMSU where she taught the Infant/Toddler Practicum I course and mentored those students in her toddler classroom. This experience is what fostered her interest in higher education and her decision to educate adult learners.

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Jessica Sanchez

Parent and NMSU Student

Jessica Sanchez is an early care provider, an undergraduate student at NMSU, and a mom of a six-year-old who received early intervention services. Having gone through this and having experience in the field of education has allowed her to gain insight on the importance of early intervention. As an educator she is able to work with early intervention providers to help children gain the confidence they need to reach many different goals and milestones. As a mother she is able to happily say that thanks to early intervention her son is now above grade level and is excelling in school.