83 year-old UNM-Valencia graduate shares her story

As a veteran and nurse of 36 years, Carmen Rose Sanchez has seen plenty and has done so much throughout her dynamic life.  

Yet, Sanchez, who is nearing her 84th birthday in June, knows there is still so much life has to offer, which is why she decided to pursue an associates degree in studio arts from the University of New Mexico-Valencia campus. 

Sanchez, a Los Lunas resident, said it all began when she was looking to enter a veterans art and crafts show and was seeking lessons in pottery, which led to her getting in touch with folks at the Tomé Art Gallery.  

“I made a huge bean pot and got a first place (award), but I thought, ‘Where can I go to learn how to be better at my craft?’”  

This led her to looking into UNM-Valencia’s ceramics and pottery program, where she was informed she could take classes and earn a certificate, but she was curious to know what else was offered beyond that. 

“They said, ‘Well, there’s graded classes,’ and I said, ‘Where does that lead?’ They said, ‘You can get a degree in studio arts,’” Sanchez recalled. “I thought, ‘Yeah, that’s a great challenge.’” 

Having just recently moved to the area from Escabosa, N.M., Sanchez thought this would also be a good opportunity to meet new people and become more familiar with the community, so in the fall of 2021, she enrolled in the degree program. 

“I wanted to get out of the house and do something besides stay home and play games on the phone, and oh, it’s been wonderful,” Sanchez said. “I’ve been in painting classes, art history classes, drawing … which is not my thing, but I got through it.” 

Sanchez said she wasn’t quite sure what she was getting herself into, but thought she might as well try and see where it gets her.  

“It was nice to know that I was capable of doing that. It had nothing to do with age, which I think holds a lot of us back,” said Sanchez. “I think sometimes, we think, ‘I’m too old to do that’ or, ‘I’ve got too much aches and pains.’  

“I have rheumatoid arthritis, but what’s nice is you don’t think about that when you’re working on your projects. It takes your mind off it, takes the stress away. It’s like meditation.” 

Growing up, education was always important to Sanchez, but the road to get one wasn’t easy. She grew up on a farm in Minnesota and, by 16 years old, she was on her own and she worked hard to support herself as she finished her high school education.  

“My aunt, who I was close to, said, ‘Carmen, the best thing you can do is join the military. You will have a roof over your head; you’ll have three meals a day; you’ll have your clothing but, more important, dear, you’ll get an education.’” 

Sanchez followed her aunt’s advice and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps doing communications work. She said this brought her to California, and later to New Mexico, where she started a family.  

In 1975, she found out she was eligible to go to nursing school through a program created to assist American military veterans and she jumped on the opportunity.  

“I thought, this is my chance. The children were grown, so now it was my time to go to school, my time to play, so to speak.”  

In 1976, Sanchez graduated with her associate degree in nursing, and she enjoyed doing this until she retired at 74 years old.  

Sanchez noted her college experience was very different this time around at UNM-Valencia, but “it’s never too late to learn.” There were plenty of new obstacles, including new technology, but there was also a lot to enjoy.  

“I walked into an English class and she had this long word on the board. I’m looking at it and I don’t know what it means; I can’t even pronounce it. What is this class going to be like?” she recollected.  

That weekend following the class, Sanchez had some doubts and wondered how she was going to handle this, as it was a core class she needed to complete to get her degree.  

“I thought, ‘I know what I have to do; I got to go back. I got to try it,’ and I did. It turned out to be the most enlightening class. I did a lot of research and I learned a lot of words.” 

Throughout her time at UNM-Valencia, Sanchez said constantly learning new things was “exciting,” and she found she thoroughly enjoyed doing research and felt like this became her niche.  

Sanchez said she couldn’t have done it alone though, and her advice to fellow college-goers or anyone seeking to further their education is not to be afraid to ask for help.  

“They asked me to fill out a card at graduation on who helped me, and I thought I can’t do that because I’ll forget somebody — there’s just so many, and I’m so grateful to everybody,” she said.  

“I asked so many questions. I did office hours. I had mentors. I’d stay after class and ask the teacher questions. PASOS (resource center on campus) and the learning center were terrific. Valencia campus has more assets for helping you get to your goal than any place I’ve ever been,” Sanchez said.  

“I don’t know it all. If I knew it all, why would I be here? You have to accept that you’re there to learn, so just be humble and know that you’re not alone. There is help out there, but they can’t read your minds — you got to ask.” 

Sanchez also appreciated getting “a much more realistic picture of our young people” while attending classes on campus.  

“They would include me in their conversations, and I got to learn about their lives. That was so stimulating and so joyful,” said Sanchez. “They were so kind, and I felt I was definitely a part of their campus life and I always felt loved.” 

After almost three years of learning new things and enjoying new experiences, Sanchez walked the stage at UNM-Valencia’s commencement ceremony on May 10. She felt thrilled at graduation knowing she had accomplished her goal. 

“I did a self-portrait in one of my classes. It was a tree, and the tree looked like it was dead, but there on some of the branches, there were green leaves and flowers, too,” said Sanchez with a smile. “So I may be old, but I’m still alive, and I still can dream and have goals.” 

“There’s a whole world out there and, somewhere, you’ll find your place in it,” she continued. “So wear your wrinkles, you’ve earned them. Use your smile, be part of the community. There’s so much life out there; why let it go?”