My name is Dacia Gabriella Doreen Costley. I am a proud member of the Pueblo of Laguna. Throughout my life, I have prioritized my education, leadership, service to others, and family. From a young age, I have kept these values in my life. In 2021, while I was in middle school, I served as the president of my school, and this was the moment I realized I had begun a path to living up to my values. As president, I started a fundraiser called “Blankets for Hope”, where the school senate raised money to provide blankets to give to the local homeless community. This fundraiser was a success and encouraged me to continue pursuing goals centered around giving back to my community.

I began high school in 2021, and throughout high school, I carried this same work ethic with me. I was a part of La Cueva High School’s senate, president of the Native American Student Union (NASU), Hispanic Student Union (HSU), Make-A-Wish, and track. Through the senate and the various clubs I was involved in, I completed many hours of volunteering. Although I participated in numerous extracurricular activities, I still maintained a 3.55 GPA and enrolled in challenging courses, including AP classes. While taking these college level courses, I realized I had a strong passion for excelling academically and developed the desire to attend college and earn a degree of my own. None of these experiences ever felt like a chore; they felt like who I was. By accomplishing so much in high school, I knew I wanted to continue building my life around these values.

I currently attend the University of New Mexico as a first-year college student majoring in Biology with a minor in Navajo. I am not sure who I would be without my extracurricular involvement outside of academics, so I naturally joined several organizations with plans to join more. I recently became a proud member of Alpha Chi Omega, and as a first-year member of my sorority, I was voted into the position of Finance. My sorority’s philanthropy focuses on Domestic Violence Awareness, and we volunteer at shelters to give back to the community. I also joined the University of New Mexico’s Pre-Dental Society, where the volunteering opportunities support my goal of attending dental school.

My family has supported me throughout my life and has given me the confidence to succeed in anything I pursue. The background of my life is one I am proud of, and I have been fortunate to experience many meaningful opportunities that have prepared me to be where I am today. I hope to become the next Miss Indian New Mexico to inspire future generations. I want to encourage others by showing that being Native American is beautiful and that nothing is ever too much to accomplish. I hope my life accomplishments serve as a testament to inspiring future Native women as a contestant and potential Miss Indian New Mexico.