Arial DeHerrera ’14 is on a space mission.

More precisely, a mission to make New Mexico the space industry’s first choice location. DeHerrera is operations director for NewSpace New Mexico, a 501 (c3) non-profit that works with space companies to accelerate their business growth and market impact. 

“We want to ignite and unite the space industry from New Mexico for the nation,” DeHerrera said in an October 2021 interview. “We want to be the front door for the space industry to take advantage of all of the rich assets, resources and people we have ready to support the ecosystem in growing faster and better.”

DeHerrera describes NewSpace New Mexico as a connector, a collaborator and a creator of opportunity for space companies building technology solutions. The non–profit recently launched Unite & Ignite Space, a co-innovation hub that brings together resources, programming and workspaces to support the growth of New Mexico’s space industry. The program is made possible through an agreement between the Air Force Research Laboratory and NewSpace New Mexico and $11 million in federal funding secured by U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). The co-innovation hub near Kirtland Air Force Base will provide shared lab space, storage, and resources for space companies looking to build a presence in New Mexico and for local companies that want to expand.

DeHerrera’s path to space was not a straight shot. She graduated from the University of New Mexico with majors in biology, Spanish, and Latin American studies and a minor in chemistry. She intended to apply to medical school, but while volunteering at a hospital she had a change of heart and decided to pursue an MBA at UNM.

DeHerrera’s introduction to NewSpace New Mexico came through a St. Pius X connection. The company’s founder and CEO Casey Anglada DeRaad is the mother of SPX alumni William ’09, Jordan ’12, and Dylan DeRaad ’17 and was a team mom for football with DeHerrera’s mom. They worked together on team dinners and banquets and remained friends. DeRaad mentioned looking for a business student to help run events and marketing. DeHerrera saw the opportunity to put her MBA studies into hands-on practice. 

Along with advancing the space industry, DeHerrera and DeRaad are focused on creating the environment that will encourage New Mexico students to remain in the state after graduation. “There are more than 130 companies in the industry here looking for students in all departments,” DeHerrera said. “The space industry is here, along with opportunity and jobs for recent graduates that pay well above the state’s average.”

DeHerrera will receive her MBA in December 2021 and has worked with UNM’s Anderson School of Business to make connections with the industry. 

DeHerrera was a three-sport athlete at St. Pius X — basketball, volleyball and track. “Sports were a big part of my life at Pius, but school was definitely very important to me,” she said. “I loved my Pius experience. It prepared me to keep going when school was hard — facing the challenges and how to study. Pius taught me you have to keep going when it gets hard.”

Influenced by SPX teachers like Deborah Green, J.D. Baca, Verna Helland and Kevin Hillsey, DeHerrera said she wanted to leave UNM well rounded. “Pius helped me to keep that push and that drive,” she said.

DeHerrera continues that drive with NewSpace. “I want to help build this organization as we bring more companies to New Mexico to innovate and thrive while also making it incredibly attractive for students to stay,” she said. “It has been exciting to see more and more companies of all sizes coming here to innovate and expand at an increasingly faster pace. New Mexico is the place for space.”