Dual Credit CEA Student Recognized for Excellence at National NSF Conference

New Mexico School for the Deaf (NMSD) dual credit student Kane Wilding, who represented SFCC at the National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education (NSF-ATE) Principal Investigators Conference in Washington, D.C. was recognized for excellence for his poster presentation.

Wilding was accompanied by SFCC mentors Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Academic Director R. Charlie Shultz, Director of the Innovation Center Ondine Frauenglass, and faculty member Stephen Gomez, Ph.D., along with his father.

The SFCC team is in the third year of a three-year NSF grant. Through the grant, SFCC was able to develop an MOU with NMSD to allow for Dual Credit course delivery. Wilding took a 4-credit CEA soilless production class in the spring semester. Wilding earned an A in the class and was identified as a stellar student. A supplemental student scholarship, sponsored by the American Association of Community Colleges (ACC), allowed Wilding and his father to attend the conference in Washington, D.C.

Shultz said, “Kane, the youngest student in attendance, shined!  NSF provided interpreters so Kane communicated with professors and other students during his poster display session. The organizers and NSF officials were very impressed with the work done by such a young student. Kane made lots of industry and academia contacts. He also explored many opportunities for further education and future employment.”  Wilding completed the Dual Credit course as a freshman in high school and is currently 15 years old. 

Shultz hopes Wilding will consider completing an associate degree at SFCC before moving on to other opportunities.

Wilding also participated in student activities and had an abbreviated tour of Washington, D.C.  At the end of the conference, Wilding and his father visited the nearby Galluadet University, the school that brought American Sign Language (ASL) to the world.  Galluadet was the first school for the advanced education of the deaf and hard of hearing in the world and remains the only higher education institution in which all programs and services are specifically designed to accommodate deaf and hard of hearing students.

As the last year of the NSF-ATE grant wraps up, the SFCC-CEA team has shifted focus to more high school teacher training.  A four-part hybrid workshop has been delivered to more than 25 teachers from schools around New Mexico, and two more courses will be taught during the Spring 2026 semester.  By the end of this academic year the GerminATE (Growing and Empowering Rural, Minority, and Indigenous Communities with Advanced Technical Education in Controlled Environment Agriculture) grant impacts should reach an additional 40 schools across the region.  Due to the immediate positive feedback from participating school teachers and their students, SFCC Directors Shultz and Frauenglass are already working on a new NSF-ATE three-year grant proposal to support our CEA students and regional communities. 

Support the SFCC Foundation and Transform Lives

This Giving Tuesday, December 2, Santa Fe Community College invites you to celebrate the power of education by supporting the SFCC Foundation, which provides critical resources that help our students reach their goals and strengthen our community.

The SFCC Foundation has been the college’s philanthropic partner for more than 40 years, funding scholarships, emergency assistance, and the Campus Cupboard Food Pantry that make education accessible for all. Every contribution—large or small—creates lasting impact.

“We are all about community! Gifts like yours significantly directly impact students by removing obstacles and providing a direct path to graduation.”
— Kelly A. Marquez, Executive Director, SFCC Foundation

Here’s how you can make a difference today:

• Donate now. Make your tax-deductible gift.
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Make this Giving Tuesday a celebration of generosity, opportunity, and the transformational power of education.