UNM Class of 2026 Redefines What Success Looks Like

The University of New Mexico is celebrating graduates who took wildly different roads to reach the same milestone: earning their degrees in 2026.

Among them is Dava Manes, a 40-year-old mother of two who will finally achieve a dream she's held for more than two decades. While raising teenagers, building a TikTok following, and running her own business, she never stopped believing in the power of education.

Macaiah Shendo's journey took an even more dramatic turn. The Pueblo of Jemez student started in aerospace engineering but switched to psychology during the COVID-19 pandemic after watching his community struggle. Now he's earning his Master of Public Health and potentially becoming the first Indigenous neuropsychological epidemiologist.

Then there's Malia Dumlao, whose college experience shifted from the track and field to NFL sidelines. The Presidential Scholar from Roswell proved that being willing to try new paths can lead to places you never imagined.

Rachel Swanteson-Franz came full circle in the most literal way. As a child, she played on what's now UNM's School of Law campus, never dreaming she'd return years later to earn her juris doctorate alongside her Master of Public Health.

The Ripple Effect

These graduates represent something bigger than individual achievement. They're showing future students that success doesn't follow a straight line or come with an age limit.

Manes is reframing education as a lifelong journey rather than something that must happen in your twenties. Shendo is creating an entirely new field of healthcare for Indigenous communities. Dumlao is demonstrating that unexpected opportunities often turn into the best ones.

Their stories matter because they challenge every limiting belief about who belongs in higher education and when. They're proof that whether you're 17 or 40, whether you stick with your first major or switch paths entirely, what matters is showing up for yourself and your community.

The Class of 2026 isn't just graduating—they're expanding what's possible for everyone watching.