Love and Patience: Conjunto's Johnna Aguino Named an Early Childhood Champion
Johnna Aguino accepting award
Honoring the dedication and impact of early childhood providers across Rio Arriba County, the Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation (LANLF), through its Rio Arriba County Early Childhood Collaborative (RACECC), recently recognized five individuals as Heart and Soul Early Childhood Champions. An award ceremony was held in late April at the Santa Claran Hotel in Española to celebrate the inaugural group of honorees, representing communities including Chimayó, the Jicarilla Apache Nation, Tierra Amarilla, and Española.
Among this distinguished group was Johnna Aguino, Director and Educator of Las Cumbres’ Conjunto Pre‑K Therapeutic Preschool. Johnna was nominated by her Las Cumbres colleague Wendy Croze, who works with the agency’s Grandparents Raising Grandchildren program.
In her nomination, Wendy shared that, to her knowledge, Johnna had never before been formally recognized for her exceptional contributions to early childhood wellbeing by an organization such as LANL. Wendy observes that Johnna’s work is never motivated by recognition, describing her as having an “unflappable nature” and deep confidence in her teachers, students, and the children’s caregivers.
Las Cumbres Executive Team Leader, Stacey Frymier, Rio Arriba Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Coordinator and nominator, Wendy Croze, Conjunto Preschool Director and Heart and Soul Early Childhood Champion, Johnna Aguino, and Director of Community Infant and Early Childhood Programs, Linnea Moreno
Wendy recalled working in an office adjacent to the preschool classrooms and noticing a shift as each school year progressed—the classrooms gradually moving from understandably energetic to increasingly calm. When she once asked Johnna about this change, Johnna simply replied, “love and patience.” Wendy also emphasized that Conjunto provides a setting grounded in stability, consistency, and validation for children and families.
The name Conjunto, meaning “all together,” reflects the heart of the program. Conjunto is an inclusive preschool environment where children with differing abilities learn side by side. Approximately one-third of students are identified as having developmental delays, one‑third have social‑emotional support needs, and one‑third are considered mainstream learners. In this shared space, children learn to recognize and value one another’s strengths—an approach embraced by both Johnna and the entire Conjunto team.
Wendy also highlighted Johnna’s role in Las Cumbres’ intentional, collaborative approach to supporting families across programs. Children and families connected to services such as Confident Parenting Home Visiting or Grandparents Raising Grandchildren are supported through seamless, coordinated transitions across the agency—ensuring continuity of care and strong relationships.
“I don’t like to think of my career as work. I have been doing it for so long that it has become a part of my everyday life. It is part of who I am, and I love it…I am truly humbled and honored to have been selected as a recipient of this award. Working with young children and their families, for as long as I have, is a reward in itself.”