Bryan Schroeder

Each year in the days leading up to Spring and Fall commencement, the University Communication and Marketing team honors graduating Lobos whose stories reflect the many paths that lead to success at The University of New Mexico. It has become a meaningful tradition celebrating the leadership, resilience, determination, and individuality that define the Lobo experience.

Macaiah Shendo, a student in The University of New Mexico College of Population Health (COPH), is pioneering a new field of brain health care for Indigenous peoples in New Mexico. But if you ask him, he’s no trailblazer. He believes he’s simply doing what he was raised to do: help his community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Shendo, who is from the Pueblo of Jemez, saw his community struggling and knew he had to do something to help.

On a Sunday night, a dedicated group of health care providers and community members have traded their medical instruments for musical instruments. At this rehearsal, members of The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center Orchestra (HSCO) are hard at work preparing for an upcoming concert with UNM Choirs on April 29 at Popejoy Hall.