Mesalands alumnus to speak

Mesalands Community College alumnus Dr. Victor “Matthew” Pacheco of Tucumcari will deliver the commencement address at the college’s graduation ceremony Friday.

Pacheco, born in Tucumcari, attended Tucumcari Public Schools. While in high school, Pacheco attended Mesalands as a dual enrollment student and completed over 40 credit hours. He graduated from Tucumcari High School in 2011. Three years later, he graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Eastern New Mexico University in Portales. Pacheco transferred to the College of Dental Medicine at Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona, and graduated with a doctor of medicine in dentistry degree.

Pacheco returned to northeastern New Mexico as a practicing dentist. He and his wife, Desirae, have a 5-month-old boy, Nathan Diego.

Mesalands Community College will have its commencement ceremony at 6 p.m. Friday at the Tucumcari High School Auditorium.