Humbled by the NMPA Hall of Fame honor

It was a very interesting and exciting weekend when I was inducted into the New Mexico Press Hall of Fame.

As the first Latina to be inducted, I’m very proud of where and who I came from. I’m humbled by the honor and I’m sincerely grateful for this wonderful career I have.

Instead of reminiscing about my career (which I’ve done a couple of times here), the following is the speech I gave Saturday night:

I have to admit — standing up here tonight feels a little surreal. When I started out at the Valencia County News-Bulletin — 27 years ago (Nov. 9) — I never imagined I’d one day be in a Hall of Fame. Honestly, back then, I was just hoping to survive production day and figure out how to work the scanner.

But here we are — and I am deeply, truly honored.

To be inducted into the New Mexico Press Association Hall of Fame is more than an honor, it’s a moment that brings into focus — a journey rooted in community, in truth and in the belief that stories can make a difference.

When I first walked into the newsroom years ago, I wasn’t thinking about awards or honors. I was thinking about stories — and about people. I wanted to tell the truth about who we are in Valencia County: our struggles, our triumphs, our small-town humor, our big hearts.

I was in the very capable hands of Chris Baker and Sandy Battin (two other Hall of Fame inductees), who always believed in me and taught me about the significance of community journalism.

It means helping a community understand itself, even on its hardest days. Whether we were covering breaking news, celebrating local heroes or shining light in places that others might overlook, our goal was always the same — to worth with integrity and compassion, and always strive for trust.

Now, I won’t pretend it’s always been easy. There have been long nights and stories that broke my heart. There have also been plenty of moments that made me laugh — sometimes at the absurdity of a situation, sometimes at my own mistakes, and sometimes just because you have to laugh or you’ll cry.

It’s been nearly 30 years of late nights, the early mornings, the deadlines that always seem to arrive five minutes ago, and the delicate art of balancing nicotine (I quit three years ago) with optimism. We also know the joy of seeing a story come to life — the kind of story that makes a difference in someone’s world.

Tonight’s honor is not mine alone. I share it with every member of the News-Bulletin team — past and present. They are people who give their all, week after week, to keep our community informed.

I share this with the mentors who believed in me when I doubted myself — Chris Baker, Sandy Battin, Dave Puddu.

Our staff is so wonderful. Bobbi Chandler has so much passion for newspapers it’s a bit concerning she’s in advertising.

Noah Suarez, Kenn Rodriguez, Mike Powers — you guys make every day fun, you make me think and you inspire me every single day.

Julia Dendinger — I don’t know what I would do without you. I wouldn’t want to do this without you. You’re more than my assistant editor, you’re my confidant, my best friend and someone who I can trust no matter what.

I also need to thank the Lang family (owners of the Albuquerque Publishing Company and the News-Bulletin) for their commitment to local, community journalism. I want to thank them for believing in me as well.

I am indebted to my family, who has shown endless patience and love through every deadline, the late-night phone calls and the times when you probably thought I was out of my mind. Matthew, thank you for supporting me through all these years, for hugging me when I needed it and for making me laugh — especially at myself.

And most of all, I share it with our readers — the people of Valencia County — whose lives and stories give our work its meaning.

If this Hall of Fame honor stands for anything, let it stand for this: that local journalism matters. That truth still matters. That a small-town newsroom can have just as much impact — maybe even more — than the biggest national outlet, because our stories come from the heart.

So, thank you — to the New Mexico Press Association, the board, the Hall of Fame committee, to my colleagues, my family and my community. Thank you for believing in the work we do, and for reminding me, every single day, why I fell in love with this profession in the first place.

Here’s to deadlines that don’t kill us, to stories that change us and to the beautiful chaos of chasing the truth — together.