Serena Apodaca – Moreno Valley Preparatory 

Before the recognition, before any nominations, there was a moment when it all clicked.

“I remember watching and thinking, I want to do that too,” Serena Apodaca, a senior at Moreno Valley Preparatory in Angel Fire, said while recalling the first time she saw a live theater production as a student in Alamogordo. “It was just enchanting to me.”

Now a candidate for the U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, Serena’s journey to national recognition did not begin with a single performance or achievement. It was built over years of dedication, starting in elementary school music programs, growing through community theater, and evolving into a deep commitment to the craft of live performance.

“I’ve been performing my whole life,” she said. “Being able to sing and dance was something I always loved, but adding acting and being able to experience the world through a different person’s eyes is something I fell in love with.”

That early passion quickly turned into something more intentional.

“About my sophomore year, I decided that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life,” she said. “I want to immerse myself in it and do as much acting and singing as I can.”

At a small, rural school in Angel Fire, that commitment meant more than rehearsing lines or learning choreography. It meant taking on every aspect of production.

“Everybody has to be multifaceted at such a small school,” she said. “I’ve had experience with being backstage crew, doing lighting and sound, along with acting.”

Opportunities like these reflect a broader effort across New Mexico to ensure students, regardless of school size or location, have access to meaningful arts education experiences.

Serena’s path has not been defined by access – it has been defined by initiative.

In a rural community, without the same resources as larger schools and districts, many of her opportunities were not readily available. She had to go find them.

“Outside of the shows here, I had to kind of find my own opportunities,” she said.

That meant seeking out programs like New Mexico’s All-State and All-Southwest Honor Choirs, where she could continue developing her voice alongside other students from across the region. It also meant stepping onto competitive stages, including the Enchantment Awards, New Mexico’s regional branch of the Jimmy Awards, the national-level high school musical theatre awards.

Those experiences exposed her to a different level of performance, as well as a different perspective.

“I got to see how other schools put on their shows and how much more fast-paced it is,” she said. “But I also realized I had a completely different skill set.”

As Serena’s experience grew, so did her role within the broader theater community.

“It allowed me to have a voice in the theater space in my state,” Serena said of being a state thespian officer and later being elected president. “It allowed me to connect to schools that are often separated by distance.”

That work focused not just on performance, but on building community by bringing together students from across the state through shared experiences in the arts.

Student leadership opportunities like these play a key role in strengthening arts education across the state, an area the Public Education Department continues to support through student engagement and career pathway development.

At her own school, she has taken on similar leadership, mentoring peers and helping guide productions from multiple angles.

Serena’s vision for her impact extends even further – particularly when it comes to accessibility.

“I want to be part of creating more accessibility in theater,” she said, describing her interest in incorporating American Sign Language into performances. “I think it can add such depth to a show.”

That perspective is rooted in early exposure to Deaf culture and a continued desire to make the arts more inclusive.

“I want to bring that into bigger productions and more visible spaces,” she said.

For Serena, the arts are more than a performance. They are a pathway.

“I think arts education is so important,” she said. “It helps people process emotions, build confidence, and develop communication skills.”

It is also something she hopes to pass on.

“I want to work with younger students and give them those opportunities early,” she said. “To let them experience the magic of performance.”

As she prepares to graduate from Moreno Valley Preparatory and to attend Northern Michigan University to study musical theater, her goals remain both ambitious and grounded in purpose.

“I want to keep performing, wherever it takes me,” she said. “And eventually, I’d like to open my own children’s theater and become a teacher.”

Her journey – from a young student watching a school performance to a nationally recognized artist – reflects not just individual talent, but the impact of access, mentorship, and opportunity.

As the New Mexico Public Education Department continues to invest in arts education and student pathways, stories like Serena’s demonstrate how those efforts can take root and create spaces for students across the state to grow, lead, and succeed on a national stage.