Los Alamos senior Laila Muller to study kinesiology at NMSU

Laila Muller’s next stop points to more than a college major. The Los Alamos High School senior is headed to New Mexico State University this fall to study kinesiology, a field that connects physical activity with health, quality of life and the health-care jobs northern New Mexico continues to need.

For Muller, the choice grew out of work she has already done in Los Alamos. During all four years of high school, she worked year-round with a youth program that cared for and taught local children from kindergarten through sixth grade. That kind of steady, hands-on experience gave her a daily view of mentoring, child development and the role movement and activity play in a child’s life, long before she reaches a college classroom in Las Cruces.

At NMSU, kinesiology is described as a hands-on undergraduate program focused on physical activity and its impact on health and society. The bachelor’s degree can be completed in one of three concentration areas: Exercise Science, Performance Psychology or Physical Education. The program requires a minimum of 120 total credits, and it can lead toward careers in physical therapy, occupational therapy, medicine, nursing, strength and conditioning, and physical education.

That matters in a county where families, schools and youth programs are closely watched because they shape the community’s future workforce. A student from Los Alamos who is already working with children and then moves into a practical health-sciences major reflects a broader local pattern: seniors turning long-standing interests into training that could one day serve athletes, students, patients and older residents across northern New Mexico.

Muller’s plans also came as Los Alamos High School’s Class of 2026 prepared for graduation at Sullivan Field. The ceremony was scheduled for Saturday, May 23, at 9 a.m., marking the end of a school year in which local seniors were making their next steps clear well before they crossed the field. For Muller, that step is into a degree that blends service, movement and health in a way that fits both her experience and the region’s needs.