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For Kaelyn Moon, the path to UNM was paved by ambition, strong women and family ties.
Her inspiration for success began at home with her mother and grandmother. Her grandmother, Alta Maxine Harper, instilled in her the family values of hard work and dedication. At the same time, her mother, Debilyn Moon, shared her passion for education and UNM, having attended UNM herself. Moon’s mother even took her on her campus tour, pointing out where she hung out and her former classrooms.
As she prepares to graduate, Moon reflects on her past four years at UNM and how she transformed her mother’s inspiration into her own legacy. Driven by resilience, purpose and deep family roots, she has made her mark on the UNM campus and paved the way for future students who will come after her.
Moon was raised a Lobo. She grew up in various towns in New Mexico and graduated high school in Keller, Texas, but she always knew she would attend The University of New Mexico. When she received her acceptance letter, she said, “It felt like coming home.”
Grounded by her mom’s legacy, Moon loved walking by familiar spots and having class in the same room as her mom, but she made her time at UNM entirely her own. She learned different lessons and created new experiences and memories that are uniquely hers.
When she started college, Moon was uncertain about what she wanted to do, but she ultimately discovered that sociology and Africana studies were the perfect fit. “I realized I liked telling stories, and I think sociology is a scientific way of getting to tell them,” she said. “I get to talk about life, love and different human experiences. Then use data to back it up.”
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