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What traditions or values from your culture do you carry with you in your daily life and/or studies?
"Prayer. I pray twice a day. When I wake up in the morning, I give my corn meal and when I go to sleep. Before I take a test, my studies and my academics, my daily life, I pray for my family, my friends, the people I encounter that day and of course, at the end of day I give my thanks. Prayer is very important - I value prayer"
What/who motivates you to do your best, both in and out of the classroom?
"My family, my mom especially is my cheerleader. She motivates me to do more, to do good, to do better. My mom is my mentor and inspiration in life.
Hailey Duran
Hailey Duran
October 2025
How do you celebrate your culture or stay connected to your community?
We have a traditional calendar that we follow. Depending on the month or time of year, I take part. Each Pueblo is different, I come from three. There is a council messenger who will call on us to help, to dance, I'm there when I'm called upon.
Why do you think it’s important to highlight Native American voices in schools and communities?
"I think our voices have been silenced for so long. It's good to speak out and show that we're here. That we matter. We're no less than anybody else, we're just like everyone else. So it's important to be treated like everyone else, cause we're one - we're together.
Hailey Duran is currently a Senior at Los Alamos High School. She is proud of her roots, with parents from the Pueblos of Nambe and Pueblos of Tesuque in New Mexico. Growing up in a Pueblo community, she has been deeply immersed in her cultural traditions, including her Tewa language, dances, and Pueblo dishes. These experiences have shaped her values and reinforced her commitment to helping her community.
Outside of her academics, Hailey enjoys spending time with family and friends, listening to music, and running. Hailey is also an active member of the Tesuque Pueblo Youth Coalition, an organization that promotes positive change and builds relationships within our community. This past summer, she volunteered with the Youth Program, working with children ages five to eleven years old.
Hailey is also the LAHS Native American Club President and a Senior Mentor in the LAHS Native American Mentorship program. In her spare time Hailey works in the internship program at Los Alamos National Laboratory and runs track for the LAHS Track Team.
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