Page looks to make support more accessible as GPSA President

The University of New Mexico's Graduate and Professional Student Association has welcomed Marisa Page as the organization's new president ahead of the 2026-27 school year.

"Nawa Tirastapiwahat, tâtasa Marisa Page, tâtakitâ Skidi Parí a Rîhita a Rârihtâ. Tâtičahkaku Tsiga/Tamaya," Page said. "Tatačikstehu. Nawa irí."

Page, a citizen of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma who descends from the Ponca and Comanche Nations, is pursuing a PhD in Native American Studies, with an emphasis on Indigenous Critical Thought. Born and raised in Albuquerque, she also earned her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from UNM before getting a Master of Legal Studies with a focus on Indigenous Peoples Law from the University of Oklahoma.

She is currently serving as the student representative for the American Indian Student Association as well as the president of the Native American Graduate Collective in addition to being a named editor for the fourth edition of Native American Voices, a reader textbook.

In addition to her educational background, Page also owns Skidi Parí, LLC, a consulting firm that specializes in fundraising and Indigenous advocacy.

Page chose to complete her PhD at UNM due to the strength of the Native American Studies department.

"UNM is home to one of the most respected Native American Studies departments in the world, distinguished by a faculty of nationally renewed scholars whose expertise spans Indigenous law, policy, education, language revitalization and critical thought," Page said. "UNM is also near and dear to my heart and home. In my view, it is one of the best institutions in the country for multifaceted, non-traditional students like myself. I am proud to be a legacy student, with my mother and uncle both graduating from the UNM school of law, and many other family members earning undergraduate and graduate degrees from the university before me."

Page also highlighted NAS professor Leola Tsinnajinnie Paquin, her mentor and advisor, who works primarily on Indigenous educational sovereignty and wellbeing.

Page first became involved with GPSA during her time as President of the Native American Studies Graduate Collective. She began attending meetings as a representative and went on to volunteer her legal expertise by serving on the Legislative Steering Committee.

As a non-traditional graduate student, Page has seen firsthand some of the challenges that can face students as they try and find their place within the community at large. She wants to use her administration to help other students find their place and to make sure that the support that GPSA offers is more visible and accessible to those who need it.

"I came in as an older student who has lived a different life than many of my peers - I have a family, and my goals don't always look like the goals of a student fresh out of undergrad. For a long time, that made it hard to see where I fit into the university community," Page said.

"But over time, as I became more involved, I found my place - and I want to be a voice for the students who are still looking for theirs. Whether it's because of age, family responsibilities, career background, or simply a different path into graduate school, I know what it feels like to sit at the edges of a community rather than inside it. My goal this year is to make sure no student has to find their way to that sense of belonging alone - and that GPSA is a visible, active part of helping them get there."

Page encourages all new graduate students to get involved with GPSA in some form, be that through attending events, joining council as a departmental representative or serving on a committee.

"We want students to know that GPSA has a lot of resources available to help them achieve their goals, and we're working on making that support easier to find."

Among the early priorities for Page has been the creation of a comprehensive scholarship board, job board and events calendar so that students can find anything they might need in one place. She said these resources should be available to students in early August.