** 2024 Commencement Updates **

** 2024 Commencement Updates **

Katie Christianson Organizes January 23 Santa Fe Virtual Women’s March

January 22, 2021

photo of Katie Christianson

Katie Christianson

Las Vegas, N.M. – New Mexico Highlands University graduate student Katie Christianson organized the Santa Fe Virtual Women’s March set for Jan. 23 at 11 a.m.

Deb Haaland, U.S. Rep. New Mexico and nominee for the Secretary of the Interior, will introduce the online march. The theme for the march this year is “The Power of Women Voting.”

The virtual march is free and open to the public but does require preregistration in order to joint the event online via Zoom. To register, go to www.katiechristianson.com and use the Santa Fe Virtual Women’s March link.

“In light of the recent events in our nation’s capital, emphasizing the power of our democracy is more important than ever,” Christianson said. “Voter rights issues like voter suppression, redistricting, and fair and impartial elections are vital to preserving our democracy.”

Christianson is a public affairs and business graduate student at the Highlands. She is also a community activist with a focus upon women supporting women.

“Even though we can’t meet in person, we can still gather virtually to celebrate the power of women voting. We can demonstrate our solidarity and hold our elected officials accountable for supporting women’s rights, especially women of color,” Christianson said.

Other speakers for the event include U.S. Rep. New Mexico Teresa Leger Fernandez, Angel Charley of the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women, Carli Romero of New Mexico Women.org, and Nichole Rogers, a Highlands student who is with the Welstand Foundation, among others.

The virtual march will also feature  musical performances by New Mexico women like the Lady Lowriders of Española Mexico.

“We are honored to have New Mexico Women’s March chair Samia Assed join us on Jan. 23 for a conversation. We will be discussing the history of the march and acknowledging the countless hours dedicated to developing relationships and creating a platform  to bring women’s voices from the margins to the center,”  Christianson said.