The new addition to the RioTech campus will be more than 43,000 square feet in size and can hold up to 85 cars at a time.
RIO RANCHO, N.M. — The RioTECH campus in Rio Rancho is expanding. CNM held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday alongside RRPS district leaders to celebrate the new Transportation Technology Center.
“This center really is for every student who wants to solve problems, wants to work with their hands and really be creative,” said CNM President Tracy Hartzler. “That is really what this center and this campus is about.”
“The groundbreaking demonstrates what’s possible when institutions come together to meet the needs of students and to benefit the workforce,” said RRPS Superintendent Dr. V. Sue Cleveland.
The nearly 43,800-square-foot center will give auto students the tools to work with the latest electric and traditional vehicles. It will also have a storage area that can accommodate 85 cars, various labs and a conference room.
“It’s more than just walls, floors and ceilings. It represents a journey for students,” said Curtis Garand, the CNM Program Director of Transportation Technology.
Lluvia Torres is a sophomore at RioTECH. She discovered her passion for cars at a young age.
“Ever since I was little my grandfather would always take me out to our garage that we had in the back, he would say, ‘Hita, come help me with this car,’ so that is what we would always do,” she said.
Her grandpa passed away, but his teachings left a lasting impression as she prepares for her junior year at RioTECH.
“It gives me the experience that I want, the hands-on work that I need, and I feel very supported, and I absolutely love that about the program,” Torres said.
The center is expected to be built in 15 months and will allow them to teach 250 students per year. CNM leaders say they expect the expansion to increase their graduation rate by 50 percent.
Torres said it’s exactly what students like her need to succeed in the automotive field.
“I believe that this is going to help us a lot with our program, it is going to give us a lot more hands on activities, a lot more teamwork, that helps us with our future workforce job,” she said.
