ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Receiving a high school diploma is a milestone many of us take for granted. But it was the lifelong dream of a 99-year-old grandmother who just became Rio Rancho High School’s newest graduate.

KOB 4 was at the heartwarming ceremony Monday morning and introduces us to the happy graduate.

 “I’m really pleased. I didn’t expect this,” said Unci Rita Long Visitor Holy Dance.

Unci Rita is from a reservation in southwest South Dakota, and she’s one of the founding members of the International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers. 

It’s a group dedicated to spreading peace and wisdom across the globe, but now she’s celebrating a lifelong dream come true.

“When we were coming up there, ‘Oh God, now, where are we going?’ I come and I seen this, and I heard, ‘Oh my God.’ But I didn’t know I was gonna be standing up here,” said Unci Rita. 

Rio Rancho Public Schools leaders awarded Unci Rita with an honorary diploma Monday morning, recognizing her decades of work with the International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers.

“A group of amazing women who are dedicated to improving the daily lives of others across the globe,” said Rio Rancho Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Sue Cleveland. 

Unci Rita – who’s originally from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota – is one of the founding members of the council. That includes Estancia-based Flordemayo, who helped share Unci Rita’s story in New Mexico.

“Unci Rita Long Visitor Holy Dance comes with a warm heart, the gathering of incredible life experiences and memories, an accumulation of almost 100 years of knowledge and wisdom. We are privileged to celebrate and to share in her life’s journey in this ceremony,” said Cleveland.  

A few city leaders, including Mayor Gregg Hull, also made it out to the ceremony along with dozens of Native American students.

“They are historically the most underserved student group in general systems, and we make great efforts to make sure that our students know that they matter just like everybody else, and we wanted them to receive the message first hand,” said Suzanne Nguyen-Wisneski with RRPS. 

They also wanted to show students that some dreams take a while.

“May we all not have to wait 99 years, like Unci Rita, but we’re grateful. We’re grateful for her willingness to hang in there and to keep the dreams alive for all of us, it makes it possible,” said Scottie Pierce with the Presbyterian Central New Mexico Community Board of Trustees. 

A surprise decades in the making.

Organizers with the school district say they were beyond excited to take part in such a memorable event. They hope this reminds everyone to keep fighting for their dreams, no matter how long it might take.