{"id":10828,"date":"2021-04-27T17:34:37","date_gmt":"2021-04-27T21:34:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=10828"},"modified":"2021-04-27T17:40:12","modified_gmt":"2021-04-27T21:40:12","slug":"navajo-student-invited-to-president-bidens-address-to-congress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/04\/27\/navajo-student-invited-to-president-bidens-address-to-congress\/","title":{"rendered":"Navajo student invited to President Biden’s address to Congress"},"content":{"rendered":"\"benraylujan\"
Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-New Mexico) is serving his first term in the U.S. Senate. Photo: SenatorLujan<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n
Navajo student invited to President Biden’s address to Congress<\/div>\r\n
Tuesday, April 27, 2021<\/div>\r\n
Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nWhen President Joe Biden<\/a> delivers his first address to Congress, a young citizen of the Navajo Nation<\/a> will be there as a special guest.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nVirtually, that is. Heleen Archuleta, a 16-year-old student from New Mexico, is attending the speech on Wednesday as the invited guest of Sen. Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n<\/a> (D-New Mexico).\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cHeleen is an example of the potential of New Mexico\u2019s youth. She\u2019s a dedicated student with dreams of becoming a nurse technician, and I have no doubt that she\u2019ll become a role model for other students in her community,\u201d Luj\u00e1n said on Tuesday.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nHeleen hails from Counselor<\/a>, one of the many communities on the Navajo Nation. She attends Cuba High School in New Mexico, where she has been distance learning since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic<\/a> more than a year ago.\r\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Senator\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t
\n\t\t\n\t\t\tSenator Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n (@SenatorLujan) on X\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t
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Yesterday, I sat down with @NMPED Sec. Ryan Stewart, school administrators, and a talented Cuba High School sophomore named Heleen to discuss my legislation to help close the homework gap for New Mexico students by increasing investment and helping equip school buses with Wi-Fi.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

\n\t\t\"X\t\tX (formerly Twitter)\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nEarlier this month, Heleen participated in a virtual news conference hosted by Luj\u00e1n<\/a>. Due to inadequate infrastructure on the reservation, she has struggled to keep learning because she lacks electricity and reliable internet, The Santa Fe New Mexican<\/a> reported on April 9.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nAccording to Luj\u00e1n, the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan<\/a> stands to benefit students like Heleen. He said the American Rescue Plan Act<\/a>, which became law on March 11 through the passage of H.R.1319<\/a> in the 117th Congress, will provide $979 million to schools in New Mexico to address learning loss, provide education technology, implement public health measures and meet other critical needs.\r\n

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