Orta named 2026 NM Teacher of the Year

When Nancy Orta ’99 found out she was named the 2026 New Mexico Teacher of the Year, there was a moment of disbelief.

“I immediately thought to myself, ‘Wait, really? Me?’ Because every educator knows dozens of teachers who are just as deserving,” Orta says. “Then it began to feel like validation not just for myself, but for the profession and the community I am honored to serve.”

Orta, who holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from NMSU and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Grand Canyon University, began her teaching career in January 2000. Seven years later, she transferred to East Picacho Elementary School in Las Cruces, the same school where her husband, Jose Luis Orta ’22, served as a bilingual education teacher.

The two have taught side by side in the same school community for nearly 19 years. 

“East Picacho is more than just a workplace,” she says. “It’s part of our family’s story.”

Orta says she became a teacher because she believes relationships change lives.

“I realized early on that education isn’t just about the curriculum, it is about connection,” she says. “I have seen what happens when a child feels seen, valued and capable.”

Orta’s teaching experience goes beyond the classrooms at East Picacho. She also was a part-time instructor at NMSU from 2012 to 2016, teaching a graduate-level course in the College of Education, which is now known as the College of Health, Education and Social Transformation.

The Ortas’ three children all attended East Picacho. Their oldest daughter, Brianna ’25, graduated from NMSU with a degree in information and communication technology. Their son, Samuel, and daughter, Mia, are current NMSU students.

“As proud NMSU alumni, it fills us with joy and pride to see our children continuing that Aggie tradition,” Orta says.