Silver City, NM- Volleyball player Aspen Luna has seen the world! Though she considers Arizona to be her home, Aspen was born in Illinois. Her father was once a Marine and worked as Federal Agent with NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service), with postings all over the world, giving Aspen a very global education. Due to this, Aspen grew an affinity for traveling and learning about different cultures.
Aspen went to high school at Naval Station Rota, a United States Naval Base in Spain. There she spent some time as the President of her Student Council and played on their volleyball team. Aspen claims that her time in Spain was one of the highlights of her life.
“[The people I met in Spain] are the most important things that came out of all of my travels,” Aspen said. “They welcomed me onto their volleyball team and into their families, shared their culture with me, and showed me what true friendship and love is despite being an American. They have made the biggest impact in my life.”
After graduating from high school, Aspen headed to college in Arkansas, attending the University of Montacello for one year before transferring to Western New Mexico University on a volleyball scholarship. Both of her parents are also WNMU Alumni.
At Western, Aspen studies Psychology, while minoring in Criminal Justice. All of her family work within the Federal Government and Aspen hopes to follow in their footsteps, hoping to get an internship with ICE (the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement) after graduation. She has also recently rejoined the WNMU Volleyball team for her senior year.
When she has some free time, Aspen takes full advantage of the Silver City area. She loves being outdoors and going on hikes, as well as visiting nearby locales such as Lake Roberts and Faywood Hot Springs. She also enjoys events that happen in downtown Silver City and loves to go antiquing. She is always on the lookout for unique pottery and mugs.
Most importantly, Aspen likes spending time with her family and her dog Kenai. “My family means everything to me,” Aspen said. “They are absolutely my top priority. I would drop anything and everything for them. We all have such a strong bond with one another. Most of my travels involve visiting my family, whether in Phoenix, Northern Arizona, or Douglas, because I cherish every moment I have with them. My parents, brother and I are huge on being loving and supporting, having respect for one another, communicating and being a team.”
Aspen Luna will graduate this December with the Fall Class of 2017.
