Rio Communities student Alexandria Landavazo earns statewide oratorical honors

Alexandria Landavazo has turned a Rio Communities upbringing into statewide and national visibility, bringing her award-winning constitutional speech to American Legion Post 81 in Belen after winning New Mexico’s top oratorical honor.

Landavazo, a sophomore at the Albuquerque Institute for Math and Science, is the daughter of Chris and Gloria Landavazo. Her profile stretches well beyond one contest. She won the New Mexico American Legion Constitutional Oratorical Contest and the Optimist Club Oratorical Contest in both 2025 and 2026, a run that placed her on stages in New Mexico and, this spring, at the American Legion’s national finals at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan.

That national contest has been part of American Legion programming since 1938 and is built around public speaking, constitutional study and scholarship competition. The 2026 finals, held May 16-17, offered more than $203,500 in scholarships. Juliet Hetzel of Colorado Springs won the national title and a $25,000 scholarship, a reminder of how far the contest can carry a student who starts at the local level.

Landavazo’s path also reflects the academic and extracurricular base she built in Valencia County and Albuquerque. Before AIMS, she attended Belén Family School, where the school’s collaborative learning environment helped shape her early education. At AIMS, she has added Mock Trial, Model United Nations, HOSA, Youth and Government, Student Council, DECA and the school travel program to a resume that mixes writing, leadership and performance under pressure.

The numbers behind the programs show why they matter for students looking for a foothold. Optimist International says its Oratorical Contest began in 1928, remains its longest-running youth program and involves nearly 2,000 clubs each year. More than $150,000 in college scholarships are awarded annually through the program, and in the 2025-26 cycle, club winners could move on to district competition for a $2,500 scholarship. The Rio Communities Optimist Club’s 2026 contest page listed a $1,000 scholarship, a Jan. 26, 2026 registration deadline, a Jan. 29 contest date and an age requirement that contestants be under 19 as of Oct. 1, 2025.

For Valencia County, Landavazo’s success offers a visible example of how a student from Rio Communities, Belen and the wider valley can build influence through speaking, writing and civic competition. Her record shows that the route from a local club or school program can lead to state recognition, national finals and real scholarship money.