Leanna McClure - Oglala Lakota and Mescalero Apache – is an accomplished leader in non-profit leadership, instruction, and curricula design. Ms. McClure is a doctoral candidate of Educational Leadership and Organizational Transformation through Northeastern University. She holds an undergraduate degree in Ethnic Studies and Anthropology and two Master degrees from Willamette University, in additional to a Diagnostician Certification through the University of New Mexico.

Leanna is originally from Pecos, NM, and has dedicated her career to working alongside underrepresented communities, cultivating alternative learning opportunities, and empowering BIPOC. Leanna served as the Program Manager for The Food Depot and as Tribal Liaison and Ambassador Fellow with the Department of Education in Washington, D.C. She worked as Community and Curricula Project Manager for the Indian Education Curriculum Initiative of NM and as Intervention and Assessment Coordinator for Kha’p’o Community School (KCS) of Santa Clara Pueblo. She also taught as a Special Education and Math teacher at KCS, the Santa Fe Indian School, Von Tobel Middle School in Las Vegas, NV and Chemawa Indian School in Salem, OR.

Since 2008, McClure has worked with youth, being passionate about culturally-grounded, equitable access to learning for all. “I am thrilled to join the STEM Santa Fe team and engage with community around meaningful project-based and hands-on learning programming for the children and young adults of Northern New Mexico. Giving back to the area where I was raised and offering dynamic options for future generations are of the utmost importance in my lifework. Fostering curiosity for learning through STEM/STEAM activities allows for students to develop critical reasoning skills and identify potential avenues of career and educational offerings beyond high school. Addressing the needs of underrepresented populations in STEM is essential to advancement for our state. Wopila tanka//many thanks for the opportunity to be a part of such critical work.”

JC Ramirez raised in Santa Fe holds a Media Arts and Communications Degree after attending UNM and SFCC. His STEM background includes being a mentor for various STEM camps and college readiness programs such as AVID around Santa Fe and Santa Fe Public Schools from 2017 to the present. Former jobs include Application Technician working on space-grade instruments for aerospace organizations, and his own marketing company Momentos Marketing servicing community organizations throughout the US.

JC has worked with STEM Santa Fe as a marketing and program manager for Scaffold and has assisted STEM Santa Fe programs including STEM Pathway For Girls, Meow Wolf "Make and Believe Time", and all summer programs including Aviation and Aerospace Camp, 3D Camps in San Ildefonso Pueblo and Santa Fe, and more. JC's passions include filmmaking, community art events, and learning about STEM.

Kateri Pena (Santa Clara Pueblo) graduated from the Santa Fe Indian School in 2023, where she developed a strong passion for environmental science, which she explored through her Senior Honors Project.

Her project focused on mycology and working with a local community garden and educating the public on the importance of mycelium and its benefits.
She also began taking dual credit classes in the realm of digital media. Since then, she’s been attending Santa Fe Community College to pursue a degree in Film where she’s had the opportunity to explore new technologies and equipment as well as collaborate with others to create a series of creative and documentative works.

At STEM Santa Fe she will be contributing to our mission of inspiring and educating the next generation of STEM leaders.

Rebecca Vigil (Tesuque Pueblo and Santa Clara Pueblo) graduated from the Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) following Santa Fe Indian High School (SFIS) in 2024, she sparked a passion to pursue her career as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), encouraged by her teachers she took dual credit classes with SFCC, starting her sophomore year of high school. She graduated with her Phlebotomy and Community Health Workers Certificate from SFCC. She is well involved in her Indigenous communities, and behind her educational journey her interests include singing, spending time with family, and venturing outdoors. At STEM Santa Fe, she is willing to dedicate her time to help innovate the younger generations about the skills they can enhance while connecting with STEM.

Paola Pichardo Martinez was born and raised in Santa Fe, NM. She graduated from Santa Fe Preparatory School (2021) and is currently studying Psychology at St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX as a first-generation student, expected to graduate in May, 2025. Paola has always been passionate about understanding the mind and human behavior. Through research opportunities at both the University of New Mexico and St. Edward’s, she has developed a strong interest in neuropsychology and its potential to shape future treatments and interventions. Combined with her academic journey, Paola loves working with kids and hopes to inspire the next generation through STEM Santa Fe. By helping others pursue their education and passions, she aims to foster curiosity and growth in young minds.

Alexia (Lexi) Schwade is an 11th-grade student at The Masters Program with a keen interest in psychology and a passion for exploring the STEM field. With a goal to deepen her understanding of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, she is excited to learn more about the many ways STEM can intersect with human behavior and mental health. Lexi is also dedicated to inspiring younger children to develop a love for STEM, and she hopes to create opportunities for them to explore these fields in fun and engaging ways. Her commitment to both learning and teaching reflects her belief in the power of curiosity and discovery.

Originally from Nambe, New Mexico, Lourdes LeDoux is a second year college student at the University of New Mexico. Lourdes is an intern for the summer of 2024. She has worked on this summers Aviation Camp at the Jet Center, 3D printing camps at both San Ildefonso Pueblo and Santa Fe, is co-leading a Meow Wolf program about oil spills and plans to work on a Kinesiology and Exercise Science at the end of the summer.

In addition, Lourdes is interested in education and journalism, she has been a ballet dancer for about sixteen years, and enjoys traveling and meeting new people.