Bettina was born and raised in Taos, NM and is a tribal member at Taos Pueblo.

She has a BS in Elementary Education from UNM and after moving back home to Taos she became the Education Director for Taos Pueblo and oversaw many federal and state programs for pre school through college age students.

Her many experiences in education shaped her desire to pursue a Masters Degree in Public Policy, where she will focus on Education Policy.

Bettina is passionate about education sovereignty for tribes, and ensuring all students have access to high quality education and training.

She only knows for sure that she wants to be in spaces where she can advocate for a better education system, and work to inform what that system can and should look like.

In the meantime she will continue to enjoy going to concerts, going home to Taos to spend time with family and friends, and work on training her dog, Dennis the Menace.