Western New Mexico University will obtain 315 of its students this spring. Of these, 236 graduates will cross the stage at Old James Stadium during the Spring Opening Ceremony on Friday, May 10 at 2 p.m. ET. They will graduate and then shake hands with WNMU President Dr. Joseph Shepard and New Mexico Supreme Court Justice Barbara J. Vigil, WNMU early spring speaker.

Native New Mexican Justice Vigil was born and raised in Santa Fe and holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from New Mexico State University, a law degree from the University of New Mexico and is certified lawyer for over 28 years.

During her 19 years on the bench, Justice Vigil served on both the First Judicial District Court, made up of the counties of Santa Fe, Rio Arriba and Los Alamos, and the benches of the Supreme Court of New Mexico. As a district court judge, Judge Vigil has presided over the children’s and family court, as well as the civil role, presiding over more than 16,000 cases.

Justice Vigil joined the State Supreme Court in 2012 and was unanimously chosen by her colleagues to preside as Chief Justice from 2014 to 2016 and is the current longest-serving member of the Supreme Court of the state.

The degrees awarded at the WNMU Spring 2019 launch ceremony include 68 associate degrees, 124 bachelor’s degrees, 97 master’s degrees, 30 graduate certificates, and 48 accelerated certificates. The graduation ceremony takes place at Old James Stadium from 2 p.m. It will also be broadcast live online. For people with reduced mobility, a wheelchair accessible space will be reserved at the top of the stairs of the Old James Stadium.