Phillip Montaño: Appreciated Opportunities

What started as a bit of an obligation as a child has grown into recognition of an opportunity.

“Growing up, I was like, ‘I don’t really want to be at these,’” said Phillip Montaño. “I’d rather be playing with my friends or something else. It’s a little bit different now though.”

Since he was an infant, Linda Montaño has been taking her son to community outreach events she’s been a part of, raising him in a culture of volunteerism and community involvement.

“A lot of my positions have been involved with community outreach,” Linda said. “So it was just kind of a natural thing of, ‘I’m going to this, so we’re going.’ He’s been involved in the planning, organizing, preparation, cleanup. Pretty much all of it.”

While it might have initially been a scenario of forced participation, Phillip’s appreciation of the opportunities he’s been given have grown.

“Once I got out of public school and went to online school, I think the time I had to myself gave me a lot of time to think about growing up,” he said. “Now I realize that it was never really volunteer work but rather having me help people or just the overall area.

“It’s more of just the community itself. I think it’s a really good community and I think having the opportunity. Being basically raised at these events, I know a lot of the people, so that brings a lot of opportunity,” he said. “I realized they do a lot for the community, so sometimes I want to lighten their load, whether it’s helping them set up or working an event. You’re supposed to do whatever they need.”

That willingness to do what is needed is what motivated Noelle Chavez, director and co-owner of H2 Academic Solutions in Belen, to nominate Phillip as an Unsung Hero.

“Phillip is the type of person that if he says he is going to do something, he does it all the way. He is thoughtful in his words and speaks what he means,” Chavez said.

A recent graduate from the online Connections Academy, Phillip has volunteered with H2 and the Community Resource Fund for several years, including serving as a panelist for the Restorative Justice Circles and the Juvenile Community Corrections. For the Community Resource Fund, he has helped with food bag preparation, shopping and wrapping gifts for the Angel Tree project, serving Thanksgiving dinner at the Valencia County Resource Center and helping out at back-to-school events.

Phillip has also been involved with the Juvenile Justice Board since he was about 13, and is now part of the board’s Youth Subcommittee, as well as been a part of Youth Move, a youth leadership organization.

“He is an advocate for justice system involved youth. He cares deeply about his community and stays involved with multiple organizations within the county,” Chavez said. “He has shown peer leadership and is not afraid to step up and guide youth in the right direction.”

Phillip said as a member of the Youth Subcommittee, he and other teens are able to focus on advocating for youth, “empowering youth and sharing our own voices.”

While he is enrolled at CNM studying fire science to hopefully become a fire investigator eventually, Philip is still active with the youth-oriented groups.

Additionally, while a member of the Civil Air Patrol in high school, Phillip regularly attended Veterans Day events hosted by Los Lunas Invests in Veterans Events (L.I.V.E.) and helps the Blue Star Mothers of Valencia County with assembling care packages to ship overseas to U.S. troops.

Phillip is not afraid to take a leadership role and handle things himself, Linda said.

“One of my favorite stories about him is from a Thanksgiving at H2. He had his station set up and Noelle noticed he was there by himself. So, she puts on some gloves and goes over to help. He tells her, ‘It’s OK, I’ve got it. You can find something else to do,’” his mother says with a chuckle. “He will always look for ways to improve on things and make suggestions with any group he’s volunteering with. He’s always willing to take charge and is so organized. I don’t know where he gets it from.”

Phillip shrugs at her praise, saying we are in a great community.

“I realize now that I grew up with a lot of these people, and I guess I could be selfless because of them. I want it, what they do. It pours down onto me and then I want to help or just make things easier,” he said. “Like the opportunities H2 gives me. I get to attend their different programs and see what goes on, see what’s needed.

“Because if you’re not involved, you don’t usually see the need. Going to all these events, you see what people are offering. All the different resources. But there’s a difference between doing that and then actually involving yourself in it.”

Linda called Phillip “one of the most resourceful, thoughtful, empathetic individuals I know. I’m very proud of who he’s become in his own right.”