Returning to University Avenue for the 2026 Homecoming Parade
The tradition reflects her deep connection to her alma mater, turning what could be a routine campus gathering into a genuine homecoming in the truest sense.
“It’s a happy time,” Milam-Elliott said. “People are laughing and sharing. It’s all contagious silliness. No one knows a stranger, no matter what years they attended.”
Decades of Service Across National Crises
Determined to earn her degree, she worked her way through college with scholarships and four part-time jobs.
In 2021, she was named the Distinguished Alumni Award recipient for the College of Arts and Sciences. That recognition followed a lifetime of responding to the nation’s heaviest moments. She answered the call during Hurricane Katrina, the Sept. 11 attacks, Hurricane Sandy, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We don’t choose to serve or help others,” she said. “We are chosen.”
Those experiences proved profound, heartbreaking, and humbling. For her decades of service, she was awarded the James F. Cole Memorial Award for Service in 1973.
A Constant Presence Across the Map
Yet through every chapter, NMSU has remained a constant. She recalls visits across the continent where Aggie connections appeared in unexpected places. During a medical mission to Guatemala, four of the ten volunteers turned out to be NMSU alumni. Even in Louisiana following Katrina, she found an instant connection with a student from Ruidoso.
“Once an Aggie, always an Aggie,” she said.
Traditions Rolling Forward for Homecoming 2026
That sense of belonging is one reason Homecoming remains so special. Walking across campus, Milam-Elliott enjoys revisiting familiar landmarks while seeing the changes that have reshaped the university over the decades. Buildings that once served as residence halls now house museums. The places may look different, but the feeling remains the same.
“It’s a time to remember the good and forget the challenges we had,” she noted, recalling her student days when she had to work during Homecoming and couldn’t share in the festivities. “Now I have the joy of participating from start to finish.”
When asked what it means to be an Aggie today, her answer remains simple: “Family,” she said. “We’re always welcomed.”
