How This Native Scholar Launched a Law Career at CNM

Brandan Shaggy was just eight years old when he attended his first chapter house meeting as a member of the Navajo Nation and discovered his passion for the law. Now he’s 34 and well on his way to becoming an attorney.

“When I attended that chapter house meeting, I saw that it was the place to voice my concerns about what was happening in my community,” Brandan says. “It took me a while to pursue law academically, but I’ve always wanted to be a voice for my people.”

Before enrolling at CNM, Brandan worked as an excursion director in the cruise ship industry but was waiting for the right time to come back to school. In 2023 he committed to pursuing his education and signed up for CNM’s Pre-Law program.

While some feel hesitant about coming back to school, Brandan felt like his age and maturity worked to his advantage. Additionally, he received several CNM Foundation awards including the Eloy Reyes Memorial and Follet Book scholarships, both of which helped him offset the costs of college.

“As an older student, I feel like I had a better sense of what I needed to do to succeed and had developed skills to keep me on track,” he says. “I was also able to build better relationships with my peers and instructors, which was my favorite part of being at CNM.”

Along with diving headfirst into his studies, Brandan was the first CNM student to land a congressional internship with both New Mexico Representative Melanie Stansbury and New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich.

As a congressional intern, Brandan gained hands-on experience in constituent communications and outreach, as well as congressional affairs. More importantly, these internships solidified Brandan’s commitment to law and governance.

“I learned so much during both of my internships, and they absolutely confirmed my passion for politics,” he says. “Representative Stansbury taught me to inform the mind and touch the heart, and working with Senator Heinrich showed me the importance of innovation in politics.”

Brandan graduated from CNM in the Fall of 2024 and immediately enrolled at UNM to study political science and philosophy. His ultimate goal is to become an attorney and focus on immigration and tribal law so he can protect and defend those who have historically not had a voice.

“This Earth has heard my voice for 34 years, and now I want to listen to the voices of the next generation and help the Earth hear their concerns,” Brandan says. “Young people, especially young Indigenous people, are so often overlooked and I’m ready to protect and defend them, their families, and the land they call home.”