She was born in Bernalillo, New Mexico, and was raised an only child.

She graduated from V. Sue Cleveland High School in 2013 before attending ENMU.

According to Amanda, her largest class was a lower level prerequisite biology class, which many degrees require.

Eastern has an impressive 19-1 student to teacher ratio, meaning teachers can get to know their students better than at a larger university. The 21-year-old is majoring in environmental science with a minor in geology.

What stands out to her about her college experience at Eastern is the guidance given by her advisor.

"My advisor has given me a lot of opportunities, such as internships, as well as working as a teaching assistant in the geology labs," she said.

She feels that the organizations she has joined (including starting one) and the people she has met also have greatly contributed to her experience.

She takes all of her classes on campus because she enjoys the small-town atmosphere.

"Everyone is friendly and professors are really willing to go out of their way to help students," she said.

She looks forward to succeeding in the future.  No matter what the next step in life is--graduate school, the work force or an internship--she is confident her degree from Eastern will help her achieve her goals.

"The degree that I am receiving from ENMU will be the foundation for the rest of my life," she said.