Spring 2013
Commencement Convocation
Friday, the Tenth of May
6:00 pm at the Brancheau Amphitheater (Old James Stadium)

Captain David C. Iglesias, JAGC, U.S. Navy
Captain David C. Iglesias is a senior prosecutor and spokesman with the Office of Military Commissions in Washington, D.C. where he prosecutes Guantanamo Bay, Cuba war crimes and terrorism cases.
Iglesias, a retired member of the U.S. Naval Reserve Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAGC), was mobilized back into active duty status in 2008 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. In 2011, he supervised the U.S. v. Noor Uthman terrorism case, one of only seven completed war crimes cases since the September 11 attacks.
Born in Panama to tri-lingual, tri-cultural missionary parents, Iglesias graduated from public high school in Santa Fe, NM; from Wheaton College in 1980 and from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 1984.
Iglesias initially served on active duty as a U.S. Navy JAG officer between 1985 and 1988 at the Pentagon and Naval Legal Service Office. He was a defense counsel in a 1986 Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, court-martial that partially inspired the movie A Few Good Men.
Iglesias was selected as a White House Fellow in 1994. He was a special assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, served as a prosecutor with the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office, was General Counsel for the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department, worked for the Walz & Associates Law Firm and an international consulting company, Booz Allen Hamilton. Iglesias was named as an honoree in Esquire Magazine’s 2009 “Best and Brightest” issue. That same year he was recognized by the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association for “Honorable and Professional” conduct.
After serving on active duty in 1999 in support of Operation Southern Watch, Iglesias was selected as Reserve Officer of the Year, U.S. Special Operations Command in 2001. His personal military awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation, the Navy Commendation Medal and the Navy Achievement Medal.
Iglesias has testified before Congress on several issues and has appeared on many TV shows including Meet the Press and the Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Sylvia Avalos Orquiz
Master Speaker
Sylvia Avalos Orquiz was born and raised in Deming, New Mexico. She is earning a Master of Arts in Education Leadership degree. Orquiz earned her baccalaureate degree in elementary education from WNMU. A Kindergarten level teacher at Ruben S. Torres Elementary School in Deming, Orquiz is passionate about teaching underprivileged children, especially those with a bilingual background. She plans to use her new degree to expand and increase the Bilingual Education program at Ruben S. Torres Elementary School.
Doris Berberic
Baccalaureate Speaker
Doris Berberic was born in Subotica, Serbia and raised in Wellington, New Zealand. She is earning her baccalaureate degree in Psychology and Kinesiology. Berberic was recruited three and a half years ago to play for the Lady Mustang tennis team. During her tenure at WNMU, she excelled both on and off the court. In her last two years as a Lady Mustang, the tennis team earned the RMAC Conference championship title. This spring, Berberic earned the Summit Award by the RMAC for her high academic achievement. After graduation, Berberic plans to take some time off of school before enrolling in a graduate program in marriage and family counseling.

Fall 2012
Commencement Convocation
Friday, the Fourteenth of December
2:30 pm at the Fine Arts Center Theatre

Dennis Dix is a decorated military veteran and retired major in the United States Army. He was born in West Point, New York, and raised in Pueblo, Colorado. Dix joined the US Army in 1962 at the age of 17. He was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division where he was deployed to the Dominican Republic for his first combat tour. He remained with the 82nduntil he met the age requirements for the US Army Special Forces. Following graduation from the Operations and Intelligence Course, he attended Spanish language and High Altitude training courses before being deployed to the Republic of Vietnam. In Vietnam, Dix was assigned, as a lone American, to a highly classified CIA project with the mission of eliminating enemy infrastructure. Dix later held various positions with groups such as the Airborne Division, Special Forces groups, the JFK Special Warfare Center and the Joint Special Operations
Support Element (JSOSE).
As a Special Forces Sergeant, during his first tour detailed to the CIA, he became the first enlisted man in the US Army Special Forces to receive the Medal of Honor.This early beginning in Special Operations paved the way for Dix to work in numerous anti-terrorist assignments following his 20 years of service in the US Army. While living in Alaska he worked on a classified contract from 1985 to 1995, with the mission to establish Ice Stations on the Arctic Ocean to track Soviet Submarines. He also served in the Middle East and Central America. Dix retired from the State of Alaska as a Deputy Commissioner within the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, he was asked by the Governor of Alaska to advise him on strategies that should be used to protect oil infrastructure in the state. He served as Alaska’s first Director of Homeland Security.
While in Alaska, he owned and operated an air service and flew throughout the northern regions of the state.
He is the Co-Founder of the “Center for American Values” in Pueblo, Colorado where he serves as Chairman of the Board. He continues to be very active with the military, speaking to those deploying and/or returning from deployment and is heavily engaged with TriWest Healthcare Alliance and the Department of Defense on matters pertaining to Post Traumatic Stress (PTS) & Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). He lives with his wife on a ranch in New Mexico with their four horses.

Master Speaker
Catalina Claussen is earning a Master Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. She has lived in Silver City for 17 years
and is employed as an English teacher at Aldo Leopold High School. Claussen is originally from Edmonton
Alberta, Canada. Claussen earned her undergraduate degree from Prescott College. Married with two children,
Claussen is also a writer of fiction and young adult novels. She plans to continue to teach at Aldo Leopold High.


Baccalaureate Speaker
Rusty Nations is earning a Baccalaureate Degree in Computer Services. A native of Morenci, Arizona, Nations
previously earned an Associates Degree in computer networking in 2007. A former WNMU employee, Nations
now serves as a Network Support Specialist for Silver Consolidated Schools. Nations is married and has two
children.

2012 Spring
Commencement Convocation

Charlie Alfero
Charlie Alfero is Executive Director of Hidalgo Medical Services (HMS), Center for Health Innovation. He has
worked for HMS since its development in 1993. Prior to HMS, Alfero was Director of Rural Outreach for the
University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center and Director of the Community Health Service Division in
the New Mexico Department of Health. A 1974 and 1981 WNMU graduate, Alfero has worked in the health
care industry for nearly four decades.
Born in White Plains, New York, Alfero helped develop a new approach to providing medical services in Grant
and Hidalgo County. Today, Alfero’s vision of a one-stop-shop style center is a reality for citizens in the
southwest.
Alfero believes it is a privilege to help make life easier for citizens when receiving health care and the positive
way it impacts youth. He enjoys getting up every morning and doing what benefits others as well as himself.
His message to graduates is that it is important for fortunate people that have an education to find ways to give
back to their families, friends and communities more than they take from their existence.
Alfero is married and has four children.

Baccalaureate Speaker
Lidia Sanchez
Lidia Sanchez is earning two degrees in secondary education and math. Originally from Animas, New Mexico,
Sanchez is the first in her family to graduate from college. While at WNMU, Sanchez was involved in MEChA,
Bilingual Education Student Organization (BESO) and participated in Great Race for three years. Outside of
WNMU, she is active in several organizations including the International Society for Technology in Education
(ISTE) and has provided tutoring services for the last two years at Cobre High School and Silver High School.
Sanchez describes her time at WNMU as a great experience although challenging at times.

Master Speaker
Brian Miller
Brian Miller is earning a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership. Miller grew up in Wyoming and has lived
in Silver City for the last 15 years. He has taught and coached in the Cobre Consolidated School District for 15
years. While at WNMU, Miller taught full-time at Cobre High School and was an active university student
attending athletic events and encouraging his high school students to participate in the Great Race. Miller
believes that his return to higher education brought him a unique set of challenges as a full-time student with a
family and career. His message to graduates is to engage in the concept of perseverance despite any obstacles
that are in the path of success. Miller is married and has four children.

Friday, the Eleventh of May
Two Thousand Twelve
6:00 PM
Brancheau Amphitheater
Western New Mexico University
Silver City, New Mexico

Friday, the Ninth of December
Two Thousand Eleven
2:00 PM
Fine Arts Center Theatre
Western New Mexico University
Silver City, New Mexico

Commencement Address - Dr. Virginia (Palmer) Huegel
Dr. Virginia (Palmer) Huegel is a retiring Western New Mexico University full professor. Dr. Huegel was born in Kansas City, MO. She graduated in 1967 from El Dorado Springs High School in El Dorado Springs, MO. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Education from the School of the Ozarks, Point Lookout, MO (near Branson, MO) and her Master of Education and Ph.D. in Business Education from the University of Missouri, Columbia, MO. Dr. Huegel’s professional career includes teaching at the University of Missouri (Columbia, MO), Saint Cloud State University (Saint Cloud, MN), Wayland Baptist University (Canon AFB satellite campus) and WNMU. During her 10 years at WNMU, she taught five years in the School of Applied Technology and five years in the Department of Math and Computer Science. Among her campus activities, you would see her hiking the “W”, attending homecoming, advising in the Academic Support Center, attending Great Race, cheering at sporting events, building relationships with all employees, and participating in all aspects of shared governance. She has served as the Faculty Senate President from 2009 to the present. Dr. Huegel has worked 31 years at various businesses gaining practical work experience that she brings into her classroom lectures. While working in Joplin, MO she met Ralph Huegel. They just celebrated 30 years of marriage. They have two children, Rachel Lynn (a WNMU alumna) and Jacob Alan (currently serving full-time in the Arizona National Guard). They also have two grandchildren, Zoe Fayeth and Aidan Mathias.

Baccalaureate Speaker - Carissa Schwalm
Las Cruces native Carissa Schwalm is earning her Baccalaureate degree in Kinesiology. While at Western New
Mexico University, Schwalm was a member of the Lady Mustang golf team. Schwalm has applied to several
graduate schools and plans to earn a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. Her speech will focus on giving back to
the community. Her favorite memories at WNMU include traveling with the golf team and visiting golf courses
around the country. Aside from her golf experiences, Schwalm has been actively involved with the Kinesiology
Club and the Christian Challenge.


Master Speaker - Susan Golightly
Susan Golightly is earning a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies degree. Her areas of focus are counseling
and sociology. Golightly is a WNMU alumna, having earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Academic Studies in 1992.
Golightly grew up in San Diego prior to moving to Silver City. She previously owned the Silver City RV Park
and her own realty brokerage. After a long break from college, Golightly returned to WNMU to earn a graduate
degree. During her recent experience as a student, Golighlty became involved with the local Volunteer Center.
Her speech will focus on her vision for the local community’s efforts with volunteerism. Post-graduation,
Golightly plans to increase her travel and volunteer time. She credits her professors for her recent academic
successes.