Mikaela Romero was born and raised in Questa. She attended Questa schools until her sophomore year where she transferred to the Taos Academy, graduating in 2020. Although she attended the Taos Academy, Romero was able to continue participating in basketball, volleyball, track and cheer with her Questa classmates until graduation. While in school, Romero took dual credit classes, allowing her to complete her basic requirements for her degree by the time she was graduating high school.
Starting college in the height of the pandemic, Romero attended school online at the start of her college career. “The experience being fully online is the reason I decided to stick with online schooling through graduation,” Romero says. Only three short years after graduating high school, Romero has graduated with her bachelors degree in Psychology and a minor in Criminal Justice. While this rapid advancement in her education, Romero isn’t stopping anytime soon. “I really want to advance my knowledge in my field, so I am continuing with my Master’s Degree—I will complete that next May, then I am going to pursue my Ph.D.,” Romero says.
Pursuing her education virtually, Romero says she acknowledges that she may have missed out on the regular college experiences, she will still carry memorable experiences into the future. “One of my favorite aspects of college was the feeling of accomplishment. There were many sleepless days and nights where I stayed up studying and worrying but knowing I did and could succeed, there was so much accomplishment in that,” she says.
Romero currently lives in Questa and moved home because she felt it is best for her and her family right now. “Family is the most important thing to me, and I know that constantly being surrounded by my family who loves and supports me only furthers my motivation for success,” she says.
Romero has at least 5 more years left in her educational career as she works to obtain her ultimate goal of being a Ph.D. graduate. She is exploring different avenues to determine which discipline she will pursue in her professional career; however, she has a passion and interest in psychology an criminal justice to gain a better understanding of peoples brains in correlation to their actions. “I feel like if I understand how the individual brain works the way it does, I will be able to have success helping those in need.”
Romero says she’s had many people in her life who have supported her along the way including her grandparents, family members, friends, but ultimately, she credits her parents being her main support system, and her motivation to get her highest degree possible. “Growing up, I watched my parents take their struggles and turn them into successes. No matter what was thrown at them, they pushed through and came out of it. They’re the reason I know that if I put my mind to something, I can achieve it. I am so grateful for my parents and the lessons they’ve taught me and the way they raised me. Without their constant love and support, I would not be where I am today,” she says.
