Student Affairs Welcomes Three New Student Affairs Leadership Interns the Vice President for Student Affairs Office
August 11, 2026 - Dorene DiNaro
The Division of Student Affairs welcomes three new Student Affairs Leadership Interns (SALIs), to the Office of the Vice President (OVPSA) for the 2026-27 academic year. Carlos Miller, Bailey Rutherford, and Claire Tapia will begin their terms on Monday, Aug. 17, coinciding with the start of the fall semester.
"As the SALI program enters its third year, our focus is on creating an experience that intentionally supports both personal growth and organizational impact,” said Tina Zuniga-Carilli, strategic support manager, vice president for Student Affairs office.
Zuniga-Carilli said the goal is to equip interns with the knowledge, skills, and support they need to succeed as emerging young professionals, fostering strong communication, evidence-based decisions, collaborative leadership, and healthy work-school-life balance.
“This year, we're focusing on helping interns connect theory to practice while building skills in assessment, collaboration, communication, and leadership that will serve them throughout their careers,” she said.
Carlos Miller
Carlos Miller believes that service and advocacy go hand in hand. A junior majoring in economics and philosophy, Miller plans to attend The University of New Mexico School of Law and hopes to use his education and leadership experience to make
a meaningful impact on the lives of others.
Growing up in Taos, Miller arrived at UNM unsure of what to expect. What he found was a supportive community that helped him navigate his first year, shaped his college experience and sparked his interest in student affairs.
"As a first-gen college student from Taos, I entered an unfamiliar environment and found myself overwhelmed by the support systems in place to hold students during good times and bad times,” Miller said.
That experience motivated Miller to pursue the Student Affairs Leadership Internship program, where he hopes to represent students and help ensure their voices are heard.
"Applying for this internship will hopefully bring a unique voice to the table as I advocate for students of all backgrounds,” he said.
In addition to his academic pursuits, Miller has been involved with Army ROTC throughout his time at UNM. The experience has strengthened his commitment to leadership and public service.
"It has been an honor and privilege to train among fellow Lobos dedicated to lifelong service," he said.
Miller is particularly interested in understanding how institutions use resources to support students and how data can help drive more equitable outcomes.
“I want to explore data, how the university equitably supports students per dollar, hour, and event to ensure we grow as one university,” he said.
His academic background in economics and philosophy complements this interest, giving him both an analytical and ethical lens through which to examine institutional decision-making.
Through the SALI program, Miller hopes to gain a deeper understanding of higher education, student support systems and the ways universities create opportunities for student success. More importantly, he hopes to contribute a perspective shaped by his experiences as a first-generation student and future legal professional.
He sees the internship as an opportunity to learn how universities can better support students while contributing his perspective as a first-generation student, ROTC cadet and aspiring attorney.
Bailey Rutherford
For Bailey Rutherford, leadership has never been about titles. It has been about creating opportunities for others to grow, connect and succeed. A fourth-year student studying secondary education with a concentration in English language arts, Rutherford has dedicated their time at UNM to serving students through advocacy, leadership and education.
Rutherford's involvement on campus spans a range of organizations and leadership positions. In ASUNM, they served as a senator, Finance Chair, President Pro Tempore and Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Outside of student government, they have held numerous leadership roles within Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity Inc., including treasurer, secretary, New Member Educator, vice president and president. Today, Rutherford continues that work as president of the United Greek Council and executive director of ASUNM's Emerging Lobo Leaders program.
Their decision to become a Student Affairs Leadership Intern was driven by a desire to better understand how universities support students and to bring those lessons into their future career as an educator.
"I applied to be a SALI because I wanted to see what student support and services can look like in practice," Rutherford said.
As a future teacher, they see student affairs as an extension of the work happening in the classroom.
"As a future teacher, I think it's important to gain a greater understanding of what students truly need so I can better tailor my praxis in the future,” they said.
They also hope the experience will help them make a lasting difference in the lives of future students.
"Through this opportunity, I hope to be able to better my future students' lives," they said.
Rutherford's passion for student service stems from a commitment to helping others and ensuring students feel connected to their campus communities.
"Student Affairs centers my true passion, which is student service," they said. "I love being a part of something that impacts more than just myself, and I hope by bringing a student perspective I can help increase students' senses of belonging."
Beyond leadership, Rutherford is deeply engaged in undergraduate research focused on educational equity. Their work examines the impact of New Mexico's Yazzie/Martinez decision and explores culturally rooted practices that support student success.
Looking toward the future, they hope to continue developing their leadership skills through large-scale project management and by exploring careers within higher education.
"I'm most interested in exploring how culturally serving spaces better academic outcomes for UNM's marginalized communities, and how data-informed decisions help foster more greatness within these spaces."
No matter where their journey takes them, Rutherford continues to live by a lesson learned years ago from an elementary school principal:
"If you work hard, and you are kind, great things will happen."
Claire Tapia
Inspired by former SALI Bree Hawkins, Claire Tapia, a senior marketing major at the Ellis School of Business Leadership, applied to be part of the 2026-27 SALI cohort. Tapia saw the internship as a way to help transfer students, returning learners and nontraditional students feel welcomed, supported and connected to campus resources.
“As a nontraditional, returning student who transferred to UNM from CNM, I've experienced firsthand how much of a difference the right support and advocacy can make in a student's path,” she said. “Ultimately, I want every student to feel like they have a voice, and that's the same thing driving my long-term plans.”
As a senior marketing major, Tapia has built a remarkable record of leadership and student advocacy at UNM. She is actively involved with the UNM Trailblazers and serves as an ELL Student Success Leader within ASUNM. This spring, she was recognized as the Most Notable Emerging Lobo Leader through ELL and became the first recipient of the ELL Scholarship.
By working directly with the vice president, Tapia hopes to build strong professional relationships within the office. She is also interested in learning more about the role student affairs plays in supporting transfer and nontraditional students, along with community-building programming that reflects New Mexico's cultural heritage. In addition to serving as a SALI, she will expand her leadership and professional experience through a marketing internship with UNM Athletics.
“I hope to develop stronger communication and mentorship skills, along with experience organizing and leading programs for a diverse student population,” she said. “I'd like to contribute meaningfully to a program or event, and build communication, advocacy and organizational skills I can carry directly into my future work in PR and law.”
"Don't let fear dictate your life, always take the chance" is advice that has pushed Tapia to apply for new roles and get involved with student organizations, even when she had doubts about whether she would be selected.
“I want to keep carrying that into my future goals too,” she said.
Her future plans include pursuing a master's degree in public relations and then attending law school to earn a J.D., focusing on sports law or criminal defense. Tapia views the SALI internship as the first step down that career path.
If she could instantly master any skill, it would be adaptability.
“Between balancing work and school and stepping into new leadership roles, being able to adjust quickly has mattered more than almost any other skill,” she said.
If she could create her ideal campus event, it would be a finals-week de-stress fest.
“It could be at the duck pond or in the SUB with therapy dogs, chair massages, calming music, low lighting and other activities to give students a real moment to breathe during the most stressful week of the semester.”
Ultimately, Tapia hopes to make a lasting difference in students' experiences at UNM.
“Ultimately, I want to give back to the UNM community that has made me feel so welcomed,” she said.
As they begin their year as Student Affairs Leadership Interns, Miller, Rutherford, and Tapia bring diverse experiences, perspectives and goals to the vice president's office. Together, they will work alongside Student Affairs leaders to gain hands-on experience in higher education while helping strengthen student support, advocacy and engagement across the UNM community.
