One of the goals of the new UNM Parent Association is to establish UNM Parent Clubs throughout New Mexico and across the country to allow parents to connect with other families of UNM students in their areas. 

Whether students attend the UNM main campus, a branch campus, or a bachelor and graduate education center around the state through the Distance Education programs, parents should know that their student has a great support network to help them succeed.

UNM Mom Marilee Petranovich, grants coordinator at UNM‐Gallup, is launching a Parent Club in the Gallup greater area. She is from Gallup but as the daughter of a Public Health Service dentist moved around the country during childhood.

“We lived everywhere from Baltimore, Maryland,to Mt. Edgecumbe, Alaska, and many places in between,” she shared.

Petranovich graduated from Gallup High School and then UNM main in 1984. She returned to Gallup when she and husband Steve, also a Gallup native, planned to marry. Steve, also a UNM graduate, is a private practice CPA.

“My husband and I like to joke that we ‘bleed Lobo red.’ Between both of us graduating from UNM, my work with UNM, Steve’s position on the Board of Directors for the UNM Foundation, as well as us having two happy UNM students, we have a very strong bond with this institution,” she shared. “We love to share this passion with other parents who already have students at the University, or who might be considering UNM as an option. Go Lobos!!”

The couple’s oldest son Sean graduated from UNM this year with dual degrees in economics and philosophy. He will continue on in the fall at the university pursuing master’s degrees in both fields. Daughter Kaitlin has completed freshman year as a member of the new combined BA/MD program. Youngest daughter Colleen will be a senior at Gallup High School in the fall. 

When asked about her parenting philosophy and how she will bring that to her volunteer work as parent club chair, Petranovich shared that she knows firsthand how difficult it is to send a student away to college.

“Being involved with UNM from the perspective of being a member of the Parent Association allows parents to be aware of what is going on with the institution and what may be affecting their students, while still allowing them to be independent and able to make their own decisions, “ she said. “Being able to network with other parents also makes the transition a little easier.”

Petranovich already has some great plans for the club. She linked up with the Parent Association during the first annual Summer Sendoff in fall 2008. The sendoffs will be held again this year Aug. 1 in Gallup, Farmington, Clovis, Las Cruces, Roswell, Santa Fe and Colorado Springs. (See Summer Sendoffs story in this edition of Parent Matters).

“I think it would be fun to buy blocks of seats for the football and basketball games and attend as a group. We could also meet at a local venue to watch Lobo sporting events on TV and cheer on the cherry and silver! I hope to send out regular e‐mails to Gallup parents making them aware of upcoming events on main campus,” Petranovich said.

“I would like to send off the new freshman with the e‐mail addresses and cell phone numbers of a few of the Gallup kids who are a year ahead of them. If an overwhelming case of homesickness happens, if they have a question about dorm life, buying books, directions around campus, etc…. they will have someone they can contact who has a little more experience, but still remembers what it feels like to be a freshman,” she said. 

Petranovich plans to invite UNM sophomores to attend this year’s summer sendoff so they can give perspective to the incoming class of 2013. 

She says she enjoys her work at UNM‐Gallup. “I work with a very dynamic group in my department. Grant opportunities come up all the time, so we are charged with identifying which opportunities would be best for UNM‐Gallup, finding someone to write the grant, and preparing the submission paperwork. I work primarily in the pre‐award area which means there are constant deadlines which need to be met. Every grant submission is different, and each grant presents different challenges so I can safely say that no two days are alike.” 

If you would like to join the UNM Parent Association’s new Gallup Parent Club, please contact Marilee at mpetrano@​unm.​edu or (505) 870‑0235.

Stay tuned to the UNM Parent Site and e‐newsletter for more profiles on Parent Club chairs, including in Santa Fe and Farmington. If you would like to start a club in your area contact Parent Association President Maria Probasco, main campus, (505) 277‑9349.

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