Curley receives state honors for community service work

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Staff writer

GALLUP — Gallup resident Krystal Curley recently received top recognition in the statewide Amy Biehl Youth Spirit Award program.

Curley, 18, a 2008 graduate of Gallup High School and a current student at UNM-Gallup, received a $1,000 scholarship for her first-runner up finish as Honoree for her age group. She and 27 other nominees were honored at a Dec. 2 ceremony at Albuquerque’s historic KiMo Theatre.

The annual award program is sponsored by the New Mexico Voices for Children, a nonprofit organization that advocates for New Mexico youth. The organization established the program in 1993 in honor of Amy Biehl, a graduate of Santa Fe High School. Biehl, a 26-year-old Fulbright Scholar and anti-apartheid activist, was murdered in 1993 by a mob in South Africa while she was working to help that country’s leaders develop a new constitution.

Biehl’s slaying garnered international attention, and Biehl’s family eventually offered forgiveness to her killers and established a foundation in her honor.

In addition to Curley, the top four finishers this year included Nimsy Melendez of Albuquerque, first place in the 13 to 18 age group; Shayna Lewis of Santa Fe, first place in the 19 to 26 age group; and Michael L. Lopez of Albuquerque, Honoree in the 19 to 26 age group. Each received $1,000 scholarships.

“I was the only one from Gallup that was nominated this year,” Curley said in a telephone interview on Tuesday.

Curley explained she was nominated by mentors Janie Lee Hall and Kimberly Ross-Toledo of Gallup’s Coalition for Healthy and Resilient Youth.

According to Ross-Toledo, Curley has been a volunteer with the organization for the last five years. As a volunteer, Curley has helped produce video projects and has been a peer trainer for youth workshops on racism, multigenerational trauma, underage drinking, and media literacy. In addition, Curley has worked as an intern with Gallup’s National Indian Youth Leadership Development Project, where she has helped lead a number of hands-on learning and outdoor adventure activities for area youth.

Calling both organizations amazing programs, Curley encouraged other youth to become involved in the community projects and activities they offer.

Hall described Curley as extremely creative and deeply committed to social justice. “She’s really able to articulate her beliefs and concerns so that other people can hear it,” she said. “I think she’s an amazing young woman,” Hall added.

Ross-Toledo agreed and added that Curley is talented, motivated, and has a commitment to helping other youth and protecting natural resources. “She’s just got a lot of potential,” Ross-Toledo said, “and I’m excited to see what she does in the future.”

The ceremony at the KiMo Theatre was a fun and classy event, Curley said, and receiving the award was an encouragement to her to keep moving forward toward her goals, one of which is to make Gallup a better place for future generations. In particular, Curley said she would like to see the local community work together to offer more programs for youth.

Curley is the daughter of Anna Rondon of Gallup and Keith Curley of Coyote Canyon. Curley said she will be transferring in January to UNM in Albuquerque, where she plans to major in Cinematic Arts. In addition to helping produce videos for the Coalition for Healthy and Resilient Youth, she has attended training with Klee Benally’s Indigenous Action Media program for Native youth, and she plans to purse a career in filmmaking.

Information: Coalition for Healthy and Resilient Youth: (505) 870-7449, National Indian Youth Leadership Development Project: (505) 722-9176, and New Mexico Voices for Children: www.nmvoices.org