Butrum to Retire from UNM
February 25, 2025 - Dorene DiNaro
When Amanda Butrum, director for the Accessibility Resource Center (ARC), reflects on her nearly 20-year career at The University of New Mexico, and her life in general, she often thinks back to a quote by Henry David Thoreau—18th Century writer, philosopher, naturalist, and advocate for a simple, principled living environment. “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.”
“I first heard that quote when I was 8 years old as part of an assignment at school,” Butrum said. “It really touched me, and I’ve remembered it ever since.” She was so inspired by the quote that she decided to illustrate it in a drawing where she sketched a row of marching drummers with one marching upside down. Her school used the drawing in a brochure.
Butrum’s used Thoreau’s quote as her professional and personal mantra ever since. “It says that it’s OK to be different and unique, and be true to who you are,” she said. “It’s OK to go ahead and march to the beat of your own drum.”
Butrum is set to retire from UNM at the end of February, where she spent the entirety of her time with the Accessibility Resource Center. Her first and longest role with ARC was overseeing the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services for 14 years, and she is finishing out her career as the Center’s director—a position she’s held for the last 5 years.
Her professional journey, however, started in her home state of California where she served as an American Sign Language Interpreter (ASL), then subsequently moved on to lead other universities’ Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services departments for twelve years leading up to her time at UNM.
“When I started working as an ASL interpreter, we didn’t have the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)—laws were in place, but not as strong back then,” Butrum remembered. “Deaf people were denied several rights including access and interpreters before the ADA was passed.”
In 1990, the ADA was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush, making it the first comprehensive civil rights law for people with disabilities in the world—something Butrum said gave people with disabilities rights to what they’re allowed to and what they deserve.
“I was glad to see the segue from a medical model where people with disabilities were considered ‘broken’ and needing to fix themselves to a social justice movement to create spaces where everyone can participate,” she said.
As Butrum gets ready to retire and spend more time on the beach—after sleeping in, of course—she’s had time to reflect on her journey at UNM, the lessons she’s learned, the friends she’s made, and the legacy—said without an ounce of egotism—she’s hoping she leaves behind.
Butrum referred to her time at UNM as an “incredible time of growth,” and “more than a job,” where she gained a better understanding about advocating for people with disabilities in a university setting. “I’ve been able to look through the lens of their experience and understand what they’re going through,” she said. “I’ve been able to move past any biases I may have brought with me and be more empathetic towards the students I’ve worked with.”
Butrum credited the support of her team who helped her realize the ARC mission of “recognizing individuals with disabilities as an integral part of a diverse community and continually providing comprehensive resources to create equitable, inclusive and practical learning environments.”
“We incorporate social justice into the work that we do at ARC,” she said. “People with disabilities are just one aspect of a diverse population at UNM, and I believe and live by that, and I hope that continues in the trajectory of the work that ARC does.” Butrum and team have worked hard to build on the social justice model that was created and believes ARC will continue on that path in the future.
Tommi Tejeda, senior operations manager for ARC Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, considered Butrum as more than her supervisor—she considered her a mentor. “She has been someone who has pushed me to better myself professionally and challenged me, and also allowed me to challenge her back,” she said. “She’s the kind of leader who listens to feedback and uses it when she can.”
UNM Dean of Students, Nasha Torrez, J.D., served as Butrum’s most recent supervisor and believes her unwavering commitment has undoubtedly made a profound impact on many lives at UNM. “Over the past 19.5 years, Amanda has shown professionalism, joy, deep functional knowledge, and kindness as she diligently supported countless students to navigate the University and achieve their dream of an accessible education,” Torrez said. “She advocated for students with disabilities and fostered an inclusive environment for our university!”
Butrum reflected on her own time as a young adult, and the advice she would bestow on herself knowing what she knows now. “It’s OK to make a mistake,” she said. “You’ll get through even the most difficult times—put your head up and you’ll be OK.”
She said that being able to celebrate the success of the students she’s worked with has been the happiest part of her job. “I love Commencement and seeing students who just needed a little extra support graduate,” she said. “I get to participate in that celebration with students who have achieved something incredible.”
“There is no doubt in my mind that countless students have been given an equitable path towards graduation and fulfilling lives and careers because of the foundations and support that Amanda and her team have been able to provide through the years at the Accessibility Resource Center,” said Eric Scott, vice president for Student Affairs.
Through it all, Butrum realized that advocating for people with disabilities at UNM was as much personal as it was professional. “I thought: ‘This is you, this is your journey, for your own personal healing as well as for you in your professional life,’” she said. “It’s been more than a job—it’s been a self-reflection on what my own disability means to me.”
Tejeda and Butrum in front of Mesa Vista Hall.
Tejeda said, that as a supervisor, Butrum always saw staff as humans first and was always very supportive in that way. “She recognizes that the work that we do here is very important, but personal lives happen, and those can be just as important,” Tejeda said.
Now it’s time for Butrum to enjoy her personal life and know that’s she’s leaving ARC in the competent hands of who she called her “incredible team.” Instead of watching her interact with students, celebrating their successes, and ensuring that there is a space for everyone at UNM to participate, most likely you’ll see her on the beaches of sunny California—after sleeping in, of course.
