Skip To Main Content

ECA / CEC In the News

CEC Students’ Animated Film Quédate (Stay) Selected for All-American High School Film Festival

movie poster for Quedate

Quédate (Stay), an animated short film created by former CEC students Alissa Vigil and Anabela Vigil, has been selected for screening at the prestigious All-American High School Film Festival, one of the nation’s premier showcases of student filmmaking. 

Twin sisters Alissa and Anabela Vigil developed the film while participating in the Film, Animation, and Ethnic Studies programs at CEC. Their selection places them among an elite group of young filmmakers whose work will be featured before audiences of industry professionals, educators, and fellow student artists.  The sisters appeared on the KRQE FOX 505 live news feed on September 11th, and on KOAT Action7 News on September 17th.  Their story is also featured on the Albuquerque Public Schools Good News page.

White laurel wreaths and bold text for the %22All American High School Film Festival 2026%22 are layered over a dark, stylized landscape featuring a silhouette of a horse and rider.

The All-American High School Film Festival is recognized as the world’s largest high school film festival, providing emerging filmmakers with opportunities to screen their work, participate in master classes, and connect with professionals from across the film and media industries. The selection of Quédate (Stay) highlights the strength of CEC’s Film, Animation, and Ethnic Studies programs, which encourage students to develop technical skills while telling meaningful stories grounded in their own experiences and communities.

For more information about the All-American High School Film Festival, visit https://www.hsfilmfest.com.

View the film on YouTube.

Sept. 11, 2026

ECA Student Named Unsung Hero

Three men stand side-by-side in the foreground, with the middle man holding an award, against a background of blue and black abstract wall art.

Senior Tazio Lapina has been named an Unsung Hero by APS Activities for 2026.  Tazio is the first ever ECA student to receive this award.  Only 14 students across all APS high schools receive this award each year.

For the past three years APS Activities has been recognizing Unsung Heroes on our campuses.  This program, with help from Campus Specialties Herff Jones, was created to recognize the students who work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that events, projects, and daily activites run smoothly while expecting no recognition or praise for their contributions.  Unsung heroes are valuable and impactful to everyone around them.  Congratulations to our 2026 Unsung Hero Tazio Lapina!

May 29, 2026

Japanese Language Students Sharing Japanese Culture with the Community 

Seven people wearing a mix of traditional Japanese attire and casual clothing stand before a traditional tiled gate.

Japanese Language students once again participated in an event at the ABQ BioPark on Saturday, May 2, celebrating Japanese Children’s Day — a national holiday observed on May 5 that celebrates children and wishes them health, happiness, and strong growth.  The event took place at the beautiful Sasebo Japanese Garden, a serene space that reflects Albuquerque’s sister-city relationship with Sasebo, Japan. 

A young woman teaches a young girl how to fold origami, with other people in the background.

At the event, our students helped teach children how to make kabuto (samurai helmet) origami hats using newspapers. Several female students had the opportunity to wear traditional kimono and yukata (summer kimono), while male students wore jinbei tops. The celebration also featured a variety of Japanese cultural demonstrations, including sumi-e painting, haiku writing, ikebana (flower arranging), and kimono exhibits and demonstrations.
This event provided a valuable opportunity for students to share Japanese culture and engage with the community. Throughout the year, Japanese Language students continue to volunteer at Japan-related events at the ABQ BioPark, serving as wonderful cultural ambassadors for our school.

May 2, 2026

CEC students shine at Educators Rising New Mexico State Conference!

Over 550 students across the state attended the 2026 Educators Rising State Conference; 20 were from CEC.  Eighteen CEC students competed with projects in Children’s Literature and Interactive Bulletin Boards, and 8 placed!

  • Peyton & Aubree - 3rd place, Children’s Literature, National Qualifier
  • Marissa & Janexy - 5th place, Children’s Literature, National Qualifier
  • Yamari & Valeria - 2nd place, Interactive Bulletin Board, National Qualifier
  • Lexi - 3rd place, Interactive Bulletin Board
  • Emilia - 2nd place, Interactive Bulletin Board, National Qualifier

Read the story here.

CEC Educations students taking part in the Educators Rising conference.

For more information about CEC Education classes taught by Miskee Blatner, please visit the CEC Catalog page.

March 12, 2026

CEC students engage in Cultural Exchange virtual meeting with Taiwanese students!

The image displays a video call interface with 8 individual video thumbnails.

Students from Ms. Rubing Hsu's Chinese class at CEC and Hualien Senior High students in Taiwan had their first meeting of the school year on Nov.12 at 5:30 pm (Nov.13 at 8:30 am Taiwan time).  Thirty Hualien students, with their principal and two teachers, and 7 CEC students attended this virtual meet.  Students from both cities enjoyed the meeting and some of them will start a "postcard exchange."  Their next meeting will be in spring 2026.

A group of students in blue uniforms are gathered around a table.
    
The image shows a computer screen displaying various questions and a grid of user profile pictures.

For more information about CEC Chinese classes taught by Ms. Hsu, please visit the CEC Catalog page.

Nov. 12, 2025

a collage of our students in the news

Revised Sept. 11, 2026