A path that found her

Standing inside the lobby of Las Cruces High School’s main gym on May 8, Adalia Crespin smiled beside family, teammates and coaches as she signed to continue her dance career at Carroll College in Montana — a moment years in the making, even if it never fully felt planned. 

“It kind of happened spontaneously,” Crespin said during the signing ceremony. “I’m grateful for the opportunity.” 

According to coach Lisette Martinez, Crespin is the first dancer from Las Cruces High School to sign with a college program. For Crespin, though, the milestone traces back long before the signing table and applause that afternoon. 

Dance had always existed somewhere in the background of her life. Her mother danced when she was younger, her older sibling danced as well, and Crespin spent years moving in and out of the activity before eventually committing herself to it more seriously around eighth grade.  

That commitment deepened during COVID-19, when her mother, Amanda Deetz Gately, encouraged her to try an online dance class focused on POMs. Crespin initially resisted the idea. 

“She did not want to do it at all,” Gately said with a laugh. “But she ended up loving it.” 

The experience pushed Crespin toward a new direction, eventually leading her to the New Mexico School for the Arts in Santa Fe, where she trained in multiple styles, including ballet, flamenco, contemporary and jazz. Martinez said Crespin later expanded her background further, after joining the Las Cruces High POMs team during her senior year. Balancing dance with academics and athletics quickly became demanding. Crespin participated in cross country and track while juggling practices that often began before sunrise. 

“We would have practice from 6 a.m. till 8 a.m., then school till 2, then track or cross country after that,” Crespin said. 

The schedule tested her consistency as much as her endurance. Some days, showing up became the hardest part. 

“There’s definitely a lot of times where I was like, ‘I do not want to do this,’” Crespin said. “But staying with it ended up being really rewarding.” 

Gately said much of the work behind the activity often goes unnoticed, particularly for POMs dancers who spend nearly the entire school year performing, practicing and attending events. 

“I think a lot of it is just seen as additional entertainment at football games,” Gately said. “People don’t see that these girls are at practice at 6 in the morning. They’re at every football game, every basketball game, assemblies, fundraising events and state competitions. It’s a huge commitment.” 

The journey also unfolded alongside personal hardship. Crespin returned home from Santa Fe during her junior year after a close family friend living with them died unexpectedly. Around the same time, the family faced transportation and financial challenges that forced them to rely heavily on friends and relatives for support. 

“There’s a lot of people that had to come together to support her,” Gately said. “Dance is expensive, transportation was hard, and there were times we couldn’t afford classes. But we just kept trying to do what was best for her.” 

Even through those challenges, Crespin continued pushing forward academically. She plans to study nursing at Carroll College with the goal of eventually becoming a nurse midwife. Gately said the family initially discovered the Catholic college while researching schools with strong nursing programs before a series of unexpected connections kept pointing them back toward Carroll. 

“It just felt like everything kept falling into place,” Gately said. “None of this was planned. We were just trying to follow where God was leading us.” 

For Crespin, the opportunity to continue dancing in college never seemed guaranteed. That uncertainty makes the signing feel even more meaningful. 

“I feel accomplished,” Crespin said. “I think this whole journey taught me a lot about determination and perseverance. There’s always something worth it at the end.” 

Now, with graduation approaching and a move to Montana ahead, Crespin said she looks forward to continuing both her education and her growth as a dancer. 

“I’m excited to take it to another level,” she said. “That was never necessarily the original plan, so it’s cool to see where it’s led.”