The Prospector 04 30 2024

PASSING THE PICK’S LEGACY

May begins to roll around signaling the end of the semester, but for graduating seniors, it is the end of their undergraduate years at UTEP. As seniors begin to plan their graduation outfits, take their senior photos at Centennial Plaza or around campus full of glee and hope for their future, they are also about to become a part of a family that has once been in their shoes decades ago.

UTEP has a long generation of alumni who have all became

doctors, lawyers, writers, journalists, professors or parents and some of them have credited UTEP with leaving a lasting impact on their lives. For Jaime Mendez, Assistant Dean for Students who graduated in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, considers UTEP his life.

“UTEP has been the majority of my life, and it impacted me from day one when I started as a freshman in the fall of 1988, I came here freshly graduating from El Paso High School and I came here feeling lost because my original plan

was to join the military,” Mendez said. “I wasn’t feeling excited about coming to UTEP but immediately I found that the faculty and staff were inviting and had a good outreach.”

Mendez credits UTEP for shaping him as the person and professional he is today. Throughout his time at UTEP, he made lifelong relationships and started UTEP’s Omega Delta Phi which is still standing today. Mendez would later come back to get his masters in theatre in 2006 and a doctorate degree in education in 2020.

While Mendez considers UTEP a place that shaped him, Denise Flores, who graduated in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, said the university helped her understand the importance of family.

“UTEP is part of a family, a community that is strong in family and I stayed because of my family because I developed such a good relationship with my professors and peers and I feel like it’s strengthened my idea of family,” Flores said.

“I made a lot of great friends here and I think the professors that I had in the past have given a great

example to the leader I am now, especially my professors in the occupation therapy department, they did a great job in facility the therapist I am now.” Flores came back to UTEP in 2007 to get her master’s in occupation therapy, which is now a doctorate program, and is an occupational therapist at Del Sol Valley Medical Center. Flores credits her UTEP professors for what she learned in her classrooms which left a remarkable experience for her just like Cynthia Reyes who graduated in 2010.

Eduardo Flores will earn his bachelor’s degree in organizational and corporate communication this May. Photo by SalmaPaola Baca/The Prospector

Opinion

Erik Acosta, editor-in-chief

time to go (Erik’s Version)

UTEP, and the people make this publication special.

If someone had told freshman me during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic that one day I would be editor-in-chief of a student newspaper, grow as a journalist, have an internship and meet people who have now become close friends, I probably wouldn‘t believe it.

When I first entered UTEP, I felt completely lost on who I was or wanted to be in life, and having online classes through Zoom and not interacting with students and professors didn’t help. From the countless essays that I procrastinated on, to cramming late at night to study for exams or quizzes as I begin to look back on my undergraduate years, it’s safe to say I won’t miss any of it. With only two weeks until graduation, I am filled with mixed emotions, not because I’m leaving UTEP, but because I‘m leaving behind a place that made me feel special, The Prospector.

I cannot express enough how much I enjoyed my time at this publication. I believe The Prospector is a hidden gem at

Editor’s Correction

On April 16, 2024, The Prospector published a cover article titled “SGA needs your vote.” In full transparency, The Prospector published an unedited version of the article by mistake.

We would like to extend our apologies to UTEP’s Student Government Association (SGA) for this inconvenience. The correct article was published online at theprospectordaily.com/2024/04/16/ sga-needs-your-vote/

Before I joined this newsroom, I had never written for any publication, and my writing skills were not the best. I had many selfdoubts about myself and felt anxious walking into this newsroom for the first time as a staff reporter.

Never in a million years did I think I would fly up the ranks so fast, from a reporter, web & copy editor to editor-in-chief within a year is crazy. I couldn‘t have done it without my colleagues, who all shaped the person I am today.

Avery, we walked into this newsroom together as two anxious reporters, and I’m sad that we are not ending it together. It was an honor to work with you and watch you grow as a journalist and individual. I know you will do wonderful things in the future, and I hope you take the realm of EIC one day. Marco and Adam, thank you for being the best co-workers I could have asked for and good friends I could count on.

Sofia, my ride or die since day one, thank you for always having my back. I like to think you‘re a miniature version of me, but even

better, I see so much potential in you. I know you will do great things here and in life. Gael, I couldn’t have asked for a better layout editor than you. I’m glad I asked you to join this team and show me the ropes around InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator. When I picked my staff early this semester, I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, and as I look back, I couldn’t have asked for a better team than them. Thank you, SalmaPaola, Gianluca, Ximena, Jorge, Esteban, Alyda, Melissa, Catching, Alyson, Jose, Emmanuel, Dominique, Iziah, Eduardo, Nico and Joel for everything, and I know you will all continue to do great work in the future.

Isa and Amy, thank you for everything you all do at The Prospector and the endless support you have given me and the staff. Vero, I will miss our daily chats and laughs in the office, and I can’t thank you enough for believing in me. Crystal, I look up to you in so many ways. You shaped me as the writer and journalist I am today.

From the endless critiques and criticisms in the beginning to you getting mad at me for writing like a reporter, I can’t thank you enough for being the best mentor I could ask for and for making me feel special. I will miss our late shenanigans during production night and our chit-chats, and whatever my future career holds, I promise that I will not write like a ‘reporter.’

It is rare to find individuals who make you feel extraordinary, and I am grateful that I found them at The Prospector. I hope those who come after me have the same experience and fall in love with it just as I did.

Erik Acosta was the editor-in-chief and may not be reached at emacosta6@miners.utep.edu

Four years in a flash, thank you Prospy for everything

In August 2020, I sent an email which changed the trajectory of my whole life. At the age of 18 I wasn’t sure if I wanted to become a clinical laboratory scientist and spend the rest of my life being tucked away in the lab, because growing up I always loved meeting new people, writing, photography, and making videos, but I never knew I could turn that into a profession.

My mom told me that before I started my first year at UTEP I should try out for The Prospector newspaper to see if I really wanted to change my major to journalism. She saw the ad in The Minero Magazine that was

included in my orientation packet. So, I sent an email to the editor-in-chief at the time and got an interview. Originally, I wanted to be a photographer for the paper but when I was hired, they made me a writer. At first, I was disappointed at my new position, but then I began writing story after story and I fell in love with telling the vibrant stories of El Paso during and after the pandemic. Through this job I have met so many incredible people that I have gotten the honor of telling their story. the past four years. this long, but I am very grateful that I did.

I owe this newspaper so much, if it wasn’t for ‘The Prospy’ I

never would have discovered my passion and love for reporting

see FOUR YEARS on page 3

Positive affirmations

Stay focused on your ambitious goals, trusting in your discipline to achieve greatness.

Let your innovative unique perspective inspire positive change.

Trust your intuition and creativity to lead you to fulfillment and happiness.

Embrace your passions and take charge of your destiny with boldness and enthusiasm.

Trust in your determination and patience to lead you to prosperity and success.

Explore new opportunities with confidence, embracing change and growth with your adaptable nature.

Let your intuition guide you to fulfillment, trusting in your nurturing instincts.

Shine brightly with confidence and charisma, knowing that success follows your every step.

Trust your hard work to bring you the recognition and achievements you deserve.

Embrace harmony and seek beauty in all aspects of life.

Harness your passion and resilience to overcome challenges, trusting in your inner strength.

Embrace adventure with a joyful spirit, leading you to new horizons.

EDGAR LOYA, PRESIDENT

AMERICA ALVAREZ, VICE PRESIDENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

Meet the newly studentelected SGA Members

says there is a lot of planning that happens behind the scenes that also goes unappreciated.

ISAI MIRAMONTES, VICE PRESIDENT OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS

FOUR YEARS from page 2 had my six incredible internships, met my amazing coworkers/ lifelong friends, or even met the love of my life who I met when I interviewed him for a story a year and a half ago. During my time at The Prospector, I have met many talented people who became my best friends. These people inspired me, believed in me and supported me every step of the way.

First off, I would like to thank the old assistant director of student media, Tracy Roy. Thank you for pushing me to become the best journalist I could be when I was a freshman and for supporting me when I was first starting out.

I would also like to thank the wonderful ladies of the front office.

Crystal, Vero, Isa and Amy, thank you ladies for helping me out when I needed someone and for all the lovely conversations we had. I am so happy I got to know all of you.

Crystal, after Tracy left, I never thought I could become close to another assistant director but when we first met, we hit it off right away. Thank you for helping me with ideas for stories and for teaching me to put my mental health first. Also, for reminding me that I am not a failure and helping me prepare for the next step of my journalism career.

I will always look back fondly at the memories of being at the office and sitting down at the long table with everyone I am grateful that I always had a safe space at school where I always felt welcomed.

To my longest friend Emmanuel, one time you told me how lucky and honored you were to be my friend. But actually, I’m the lucky one. It has been so awesome seeing you grow as a person and journalist over the past two years. Thank you for always being there for me and believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself, I can’t wait to work in Dallas with you.

As the spring semester comes to a close, UTEP’s Student Government Association (SGA) announced their new representatives for the upcoming school year. Students cast their ballots on April 17 and 18 to help decide who will be the new team of

The elected SGA Vice President of External Affairs is America Alvarez. Alvarez was previously the Collegiate Senator for Graduate School.

However, now being the vice president for external affairs, she said she would like to bridge the gap of communication at UTEP.

“The way I would like to treat this position really serves as the liaison between student government and administration including all the departments, and the student body,” Alvarez said. “Because I feel like there is a lack of communication or miscommunication going on in between student body and student government.”

In her previous term, Alvarez worked on several projects that were tailored towards the students. She

In 2023, I met some new members of the team that would later become great close friends of mine. Avery, Marco and Catching, I am so lucky to have met you and gotten close to you all. I love all our conversations and adventures outside of school. I look forward to seeing you all flourish in your journalism careers and I hope our friendships continue long into the future.

Thank you to the current team Erik, Sofia, Gael, Salma, Gianluca, Joel, Adam, Nico, Esteban, Alyda, Ximena, Iziah, Elias, and Eddie for making my last semester at UTEP and at the newspaper memorable! I am so grateful to have gotten to know you all and I wish you all the best in your remaining time at UTEP and your post grad life. I’m always here for you guys!

Goodbye Prospy and UTEP, thank you for an incredible four years. Now on to the next adventure in Dallas and beyond.

Alyson Rodriguez is a contributor and may be reached at prospector@utep.edu; @alyson_rod1127 on X.

“I would definitely like to make it to where not only do students know about SGA in general, but they know who the members are, and what the specific members are doing, because at the end of the day we are here to serve each other and serve you all (students).”

The elected SGA Vice President of Internal Affairs is Isai Miramontes who previously a Senator-At-Large. During his time as senator, Miramontes became co-author of “Picks 100”, a podcast where students, faculty and community members, would be asked about their feelings towards UTEP. With this project, Miramontes said he found a passion in listening to others.

“I really like that sense of wanting to hear and continuously hear what people have to say,” Miramontes said. “Sometimes I find myself just asking random people ‘What do you like about UTEP?’, ‘What don’t you like about UTEP’, ‘If you could change something, what would you change?’, and just these small questions have given me a very good input, so having that the responsibility to hear (but) actually loving to hear people has been (amazing).”

Elected SGA President Edgar Loya was previously the Vice President

of Internal Affairs. During his experience with SGA, Loya said his favorite aspect so far has been listening to the students‘ concerns and having the ability to do something about it.

“That’s the best part about being a (student) representative, you are able to take what every (student) comes up with and showcase that, ‘Hey, you know what I can do it, we all can go ahead and make a difference,’” Loya said.

As the new president, Loya would like to reassure students that SGA will always be for the students.

“The one message I do want to emphasize, and I hope our administration goes through, is that we want to put students in the center of decision making,” Loya said. “A lot of times its easy for us, once we are in these positions, to feel as if our decisions should come just from our personal opinions and biases, but instead I want our SGA to focus on putting the students first at the end of the day.”

The new faces of SGA are here to serve the students. With countless projects and committees, the SGA team is dedicated to giving students the best possible experience at UTEP no matter who is elected.

Sofia Sierra is the web and copy editor and may be reached at sdsierra2@miners.utep.edu.

The Spring 2024 Prospy Staff

From left to right

Crystal Hinga, Gael Araiza, Veronica Gonzalez, Sofia Sierra, Marco Hinojosa, Ximena Cordero, SalmaPaola Baca, Joel Molina, Avery Escamilla, Erik Acosta, Alyson

Rodriguez, Jose Saldana, Eddie Ibarra, Adam Regalado, Gianluca Cueva, Dominique Macias, Elias Segura, Alyda Muela, Jorge Guajardo, Nicholas Maes, Esteban Corona.

PHOTOS BY JOEL MOLINA

Students eyes, students lives: Life on the border

Although El Paso has been making national headlines about “continuous border problems,” the people in the city can agree it has many aspects that go unnoticed. Frequently labelled as a ‘migrant city,’ El Paso’s proximity to Ciudad Juárez allows the two countries to mix cultures. With roots in Mexico, ancestors come to the United States for better opportunities.

Rather than focusing on the cultural melting pot El Paso is, people who live outside of the city sometimes focus on immigration issues instead. Students at Horizon High School (HHS) wanted to show others that El Paso is much more than a city that has problems with its border and that’s why “Migrant 915: A View from the Border” is the student’s tribute to El Paso, their home.

With the loss of fellow HHS student Miguel Romero earlier this year, from being hit by a drunk driver, several students and faculty dedicated this book to him. Romero was a migrant student, who many said was bound to have a bright future after high school.

The book is divided into three sections: “The View from Horizon” where students tell their stories of

the border, “Creative Expressions from a Scorpion Mind” where students express themselves through creative writing, and “The Scorpion’s Sting” where student’s give their arguments and articles of the current migrant crisis.

Because of the impactful topics discussed in the book, HHS students emphasized to adults they are not oblivious to the societal problems in El Paso. One of the student authors of the book, Diego Trujillo, says he wanted to stress the importance of letting adults know teenagers are not blind to these issues that happen in the city.

“I feel like adults don’t see us teenagers having a voice,” Trujillo said. “So, us writing this book and becoming published authors is like showing them (that) we also have a voice, we are not that stupid, we know what’s going on in the world.”

Another student author of the book, Kacie Lino, feels the misconstrued view that the country has of El Paso needs to be corrected. With her contributions to the book, Lino says she wants to tell the world that these migrants are humans too.

“We’re being viewed as a city who’s just letting everyone in, but it isn’t really the case. What’s being seen on the news is them (immigrants) riled up, and they’re making it seem

like they’re just crazy, but they’re not,” Lino said. “They’re just human beings trying to make a life.”

Briana Lopez wrote about her mother, and her selflessness towards people crossing the border.

“I wrote a story about how my mom would bring in immigrants and help them out,” Lopez said. “I wrote (about her) because seeing her help someone with nothing in return was really heartwarming.”

Creator of “Migrant 915: A View from the Border”, and English IV College Prep teacher at HHS James Riddle believes as an educator, his

purpose is to show his student’s potential.

“I’ve had this in my heart for a long time, (and) what I believe about education is that everyone’s got greatness in them,” Riddle said. “It is my job to find the greatness in these guys and pull it out, and display it to the world, and so what I wanted to do was create a very relevant piece of work.”

Having little to no influence on his students’ work, Riddle gave the pen to students and allowed them to write raw, honest stories of what it is like to live on the border.

“I wanted them to tell their stories, and their viewpoint from her in El Paso, Texas,” Riddle said. “What immigration is to them, some of them are migrants, some of them are not, some of them have parents are migrants, and those stories really came out in the book.”

“Migrant 915: A View from the Border” fulfilled its purpose of showing the world an insider of the border. The students have been recognized by the U.S Congress and received personalized letters from them about the book.

Senior authors of “Migrant 915,” Diego Trujillo, Kacie Lino and Briana Lopez with their instructor, Mr. James Riddle. Photo by Dominique Macias/The Prospector

“It is my job to find the greatness in these guys and pull it out and display it to the world.”

Every story matters, no matter how young the author is. Students at HHS gave the true experiences they’ve had living in the border to show that El Paso is more than a city with “continuous border problems”. As the book continues to make a name for itself, eyes outside of El Paso are looking upon the city with a new perspective.

Sofia Sierra is the web and copy editor and may be reached at sdsierra2@miners.utep.edu.

El Paso women break the boundaries

The El Paso Commission for Women inducted Manuela Gomez, Ph.D., and Adeeba A Raheem, Ph.D., into the El Paso Women’s Hall of Fame.

Sponsored by the El Paso Commission for Women, the El Paso Women’s Hall of Fame honors and recognizes the accomplishments of El Paso women serving the community.

With over 19 years of teaching experience in institutions of higher education on the U.S. -Mexico border of El Paso, Gomez’s areas of specialization are: philosophical pedagogy, ethics, feminism, visual literacy, and Latin American philosophy. She received her Ph.D., in teaching, learning and culture from UTEP in 2023 and holds the 2022 Piper Professor for the State of Texas from the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation.

“It feels like a dream, in a way,” Gomez said. “Something I would’ve never imagined. It seems like a nice recognition by the women in my community. I feel grateful and inspired to continue the work that I’m doing. I feel motivated to see that it’s been a history of 31 years that they’ve been recognizing women. I carry that responsibility now to keep doing that work. I feel very honored.”

Gomez hopes that this induction and award would give her students a unique perspective on giving back to the El Paso and UTEP community.

“I have a lot of students that tend to say, ‘I can’t wait to leave El Paso,’ I want to make something of myself’ or ‘I want to change the world’ This shows that we can change the world starting from our community, with our hometown,” Gomez said. She says she thinks UTEP is producing good students and good educators to remain in this community.

Associate Professor Raheem joined the department of civil engineering in 2014. She received her Ph.D., in construction management from the University of Florida (UF). She holds multiple master’s degrees in building construction, environmental and civil engineering from UF. She also has many awards and honors, including a UTEP Academy of Distinguished Teachers’ Outstanding Teaching Award in 2022.

not only within the confines of our institution but also on a broader societal scale,” Raheem said.

“Being inducted into the Women‘s Hall of Fame is not just a personal honor; it’s a testament to the strength and resilience of the entire UTEP community. It echoes a broader acknowledgment of the invaluable contributions made by women,

She says this prestigious accolade also serves as a testament to UTEP’s unwavering commitment to fostering an inclusive working environment where individuals from all backgrounds are valued, respected, and empowered to thrive. Raheem has a message for any student working towards any goal.

“To all students, especially women of color, I want to say this: You are capable, you are worthy, and you belong. Your journey may be filled with obstacles, but each challenge you overcome only makes you stronger,” Raheem said. “Never doubt the power of your voice and your perspective. Seek out mentors who can guide you, and don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself.”

Esteban Corona is a staff reporter and can be reached at ecorona8@miners.utep.edu.

Manuela Gomez, Ph.D., has over 19 years of teaching experience and specializes in philosophical pedagogy, ethics, feminism, visual literacy, and Latin American philosophy. Photo by Joel Molina/The Prospector

Students at Horizion High School contributed their stories to the book. Photo by SalmaPaola Baca/The Prospector

James Riddle

Co-Author of Migrant 915 and English IV College Prep Teacher

Introducing UTEP’s 2024 Top Ten Seniors

ties that led me here and shaped me into the person I am.”

One thing some parents and families can be proud of at UTEP’s commencement is being the people in the crowd cheering for their graduates that are acknowledged as one of the Top Ten Seniors. The UTEP Alumni Association annually honors exceptional students recognizing their outstanding academic achievements, leadership roles, community engagement and extracurricular activities.

ABENI MERRIWEATER,

Zachary Althoff: Graduated with a bachelor’s in accounting, notable for his leadership in Beta Alpha Psi and internships in El Paso and San Francisco. Being a part of many community service efforts in El Paso, the most important one to him is the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA).

“To me, the honor goes to those that not only excel academically, through service, or as a leader, but also have a compelling reason for why,“ Althoff said. “That reason was to show our students the opportunities available to them and advocate for (them) at a large scale, because UTEP students, including myself when starting, far too often underestimate themselves.”

AMIRA WILLLIAMS,

MAJOR: ENGINEERING, INNOVATION, LEADERSHIP

Zoe Andritsos: Majored in economics, served in various roles at UTEP including the Supreme Court Chief Justice for Student Government Association (SGA), a Miner Ambassador, and Treasurer of Omicron Delta Epsilon. She says she also represented UTEP in Washington D.C. as an Archer Fellow interning with the Federal Government.

“This achievement is a testament to the sacrifice of my parents and grandparents who worked hard to provide a better life for my sister and me,” Andritsos said. “It is a tribute to the professors, mentors, and friends I have at UTEP who provided me with all the opportuni-

BENJAMIN SHIPKEY, MAJOR: POLITICAL SCIENCE

KENNADI TREVINO,

MAJOR: PUBLIC HEALTH

Frida Garcia-Ledezma: Majoring in geological science, she is actively involved in various organizations like Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (Sacnas) and UTEP Geology Club where she serves as president.

“I feel like it‘s a culmination of everything that I‘ve done these past four years, like the research, the community outreach, the volunteering,” Garcia-Ledezma said. “It‘s going to bring everything together and in retrospect it just feels nice to be recognized for doing all those things.”

Abeni Merriweather: Has a bachelor’s of commercial music and voice and is pursuing a master’s of music. Merriweather is a member of the UTEP Commercial Music Ensemble, UTEP Concert Chorale and Chamber Singers and former vice president and historian for the Border Voices American Choral Directors Association.

She was recognized for her compositions performed at Carnegie Hall and as a performer in UTEP‘s music ensembles.

“This really means the hallmark of all the work that I‘ve done throughout my undergraduate time here at UTEP,” Merriweather said. “On top of keeping up with my grades and making sure, maintaining a good GPA, and balancing performances. It’s further reassurance that I did the job that I need to do for myself and I‘m very proud of that.”

Maximilian Rothblatt: Now pursuing a master‘s in aerospace engineering, Rothblatt was awarded the Hawkin’s Scholarship, which is UTEP’s highest academic award. He’s had internships at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and the American Association of Mechanical Engineers where he served as secretary and president.

“I feel recognized for all the hard work that not only I‘ve put in, but all the hard work, times studying

with my friends and classmates, time spent doing research, and going to internships, it all led to something,” Rothblatt said. “It feels really good, I‘m very grateful to other people that helped me get to this point.”

Benjamin Shipkey: Through majoring in political science, Shipkey learned from his experiences at UTEP, and interned with Congressman Tony Gonzalez. He is now part of Gonzelez‘s full-time staff and plans to join the armed forces.

“You can advance university’s mission to also better the region around you, which I think is exactly what I‘ve done and I‘m proud of that,” Shipkey said. “I think that‘s what being a top 10 senior is all about; exemplifying the university‘s mission.

Kennadi Trevino: Majoring in public health, Trevino engaged in various organizations including Zeta Tau Alpha and is currently interning with Desert Mountain Health.

“To me it’s a cultivation of all our hard work, so every top 10 senior has worked really hard to get this,” Trevino said. “It means recognizing what we’ve done and our work at UTEP and outside of UTEP.”

Amira Williams: Majoring in engineering, innovation and leadership. Her work at the front desk of the Engineering Education and Leadership Department (EELD) inspired to start a podcast called the “EELD Inclusive”. She also created UTEP’s Nation Society of Black Engineers (NSBE).

“I try to not think about it as a me thing,” Williams said. “I didn‘t do any of it alone, so much of it was because of the support I‘ve had, the teams I‘ve been on. It‘s just more of a combination of everybody‘s hard work and how I‘m just a vessel for it.”

Last of the Top Ten Seniors are Michael Gutierrez, who created the Queer Texas Student Association at UTEP and Brian Rodiles Delgado who received the Barry Goldwater National Research award.

Ximena Cordero is a staff reporter and may be reached at xcordero@miners.utep.edu

UTEP TOP TEN SENIORS

ZACHARY ALTHOFF

MAJOR: ACCOUNTING

ZOE ANDRISTOS

MAJOR: ECONOMICS

MICHAEL GUTIERREZ

MAJOR: POLITICAL SCIENCE

BRIAN RODILESN DELGADO

MAJOR: COMPUTER SCIENCE

MAXIMILIAN ROTHBLATT

MAJOR: MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

PHOTOS BY IZIAH MORENO & JOEL MOLINA

* Not Pictured

LEGACY from cover

“Graduating from UTEP has had a significant experience with my life and shaped who I am today because it provided me with a solid academic foundation. UTEP prepared me for the challenges and opportunities in my career which continued to guide me in my personal and professional endeavors,” Reyes said. “UTEP provided me with opportunities in class for intellectual and personal growth and it exposed me to diverse perspectives and experiences and installed in me a strong sense of community engagement.”

Reyes, who graduated with a bachelor‘s degree in interdisciplinary studies, recalls her days at UTEP during her undergraduate years and how UTEP helped lay out the foundation for her career and life.

For Gaby Velasquez, who graduated in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in studio art, UTEP helped her build confidence and shaped the photojournalist she is today.

“As a first-generation graduate in my family, UTEP has helped me a lot and get the job that I wanted, and all the other opportunities that I was able to get I don’t think it would have been possible without UTEP,” Velasquez said. “It helped me build up my confidence, my portfolio, my networking skills and meeting a lot of people, and UTEP taught me that and helped after graduating.”

Velasquez now works at El Paso Times as a photojournalist and the lessons that she has learned from UTEP after graduating still stick with her. However, for Eduardo

Flores who will be graduating this May with a degree in political science in organizational and corporate communication, UTEP helped him find his passion in life.

“UTEP changed me in the way I think and the way I act because I remember before I was a UTEP

Miner I didn‘t know what to do, I didn‘t know what was my passion and UTEP helped me find my passion,” Flores said.

“For me UTEP means my evolution as a person, as an academic, a student but also as a professional, I carry the values that I was able to learn from my classes, my professors to my career.”

As graduating seniors start to anticipate graduation day and dream of walking across the stage to collect their diplomas, they will become a part of the lifelong family and legacy that UTEP has and become the people the future generations of Miners will look up to and aspire to.

Erik Acosta is the editor-in-chief and may be reached at emacosta6@miners.utep.edu

Sorority raises funds for El Paso Children’s Center

UTEP’s Alpha Xi Delta sorority hosted a flag football game to raise funds for the El Paso Center for Children, a non-profit organization that provides universal care and developmental services for children in the greater El Paso area.

The event, held at the university‘s multi-purpose field behind the student recreation center, saw teams of students, alumni, and community members compete in a friendly game of flag football. All proceeds raised went toward the El Paso Center for Children.

Valeria Flores, the vice president of philanthropy of Alpha Xi Delta, said there are a lot of events that have an impact on the student body.

“This one is important because, we all go through the child and teen phase, and it‘s important to know that not everyone has the same privilege or the same opportunities that we have. Some do. So, I think it‘s important to support the people who don‘t because, at the end of the day, if you have privilege, do something with it and make sure that you give it back to the community.” Flores said.

The El Paso Center for Children offers a wide range of services, including counseling, therapy, and educational programs, to children and families in need. The organi-

zation aims to provide a safe and nurturing environment for children and to help them develop the skills and resources they need to lead happy and productive lives.

“This is the third year we’ve worked with the El Paso Center for Children. They share the same values that our philanthropy does, supporting children and teens experiencing foster care and homelessness, so we wanted to apply our favorite event, ‘football frenzy,’ to this philanthropy,” Flores said.

The sorority faced obstacles of its own, especially when it came to the prospect of having multiple events running concurrently with the Alpha Xi Delta event, but what was important was making a difference for the community and pushing through.

“Like Project Move, I was looking at the date because it was announced after, like way after we chose the date. So, it was like, okay, I think most of the people would go to that because it‘s an important event, so we had to reschedule it. So, I think the biggest struggle I had was finding the perfect date because, you know, we want these events to be perfect and fun for everyone,” Flores said.

The event not only raised funds for the El Paso Center for Children but also created awareness about the organization‘s vital work in the

community.

The event also brought together community members who showed their support for the organization‘s goal of providing a safe and nurturing environment for children and valuable lessons for those who participated.

“I enjoy giving back to the community. I didn‘t know I did, but I discovered that I do, and it‘s like really fulfilling playing an event where you‘re going to have fun, but also, you‘re going to help an amazing organization. Hopefully next year if this event, if we plan this event as well, it will be better than it was this year and last year.” Flores said.

Jorge Guajardo is a staff reporter and may be reached at jiguajardo@miner.utep.

PHOTOS BY SALMAPAOLA BACA

Graduates over the decades reminisce on how UTEP has helped structure their professional career. Photo by SalmaPaola Baca/The Prospector

Sorority Alpha Xi Delta hosted a flag football tournament on April. 27, it helped raise funds for the El Paso Center for Children. Photo by Joel Molina/The Prospector

Team “Chuco Flags” pose for a photo during a game, April. 27. Photo by Joel Molina/The Prospector

Grad Parents: From K-12 to cap and gown

When the moment finally comes for each student to cross their tassel over from right to left, the families and friends of every graduate are seen cheering them on in the audience. A child’s graduation is more than an academic achievement; for their parents, it’s a symbol of all the love, care, support and dedication they have provided their children with over the years.

without the encouragement and help from their parents?

Brianna Cooper, a UTEP graduate changed her major three times before she made the decision to study youth development, general education and women and gender studies. Her mother, Sukie Hernandez says it was important to her that her daughter chose the path that made her the happiest.

“I’d rather she be passionate about what she does than doing something just to please us,” Hernandez said. Cooper hopes to attend graduate school in the fall re parents, it doesn’t stop when they’re 18. We have to be that backbone for them. If she wants to continue, we have to be behind her because if we’re not, it just makes it so much harder for her,” Hernandez said. “She’s lucky that she’s been blessed with both parents supporting her.”

Hernandez is beyond proud of her daughter’s achievements and says as her family’s first-generation graduate, Cooper will set the example for her younger

“Being first gen, we haven’t had anyone graduate in the family, so I’m definitely proud to be a role model for them.” Cooper said. “I want to set that bar high.”

As Cooper receives her bachelor of multidisciplinary studies, Hernandez will have the chance to watch her walk the stage for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic halted her high school graduation.

“I feel overwhelmed and overjoyed,” Hernandez said. “To see her cross the stage after the last four years since she didn’t get to do it the first time makes me so proud.”

For Maria Margarita Baca-Gomez, May 12 will commemorate her daughter’s second achievement from UTEP, only this time she will receive a master’s in business administration. After she earned a bachelor of liberal arts degree in graphic design and a minor in marketing in 2022, Baca-Gomez pursued graduate studies with the support of her mother.

Maria Margarita Baca-Gomez says she has always been an active parent, but believes her role changed when her daughter started college.

“It became more special, the involvement. It changed from coordinating field trips and extracurricular activities, attending parent meetings, and parent conferences to being part of the journey to find her career goals,” Baca-Gomez said.

As a career-oriented mother and UTEP graduate herself, Baca-Gomez says it is dream come true to watch her daughter accomplish her goals.

“To see her continue her career goals, I feel so much pride, not only

as a mother, but as a woman because there’s nothing like seeing my daughter become a self-empowered woman.”

Parental involvement is crucial to a child’s life and for Baca-Gomez, her goal is to ensure that her guidance will have a lasting impact on her daughter.

“I also think it’s very important because parents are not forever. We’ve got to make sure that they’re going to be okay once we’re gone,” Baca-Gomez said.

As graduation approaches, Baca-Gomez has a message for her daughter who is currently comple ting an internship with The Walt Disney Company.

“I want to say that I am very grate ful to my daughter for allowing me to be part of her career journey,” Baca-Gomez said. “The reason I strongly believe she will be successful is because she has a strong foundation based on her faith above all, her family support, and her education, which is very strong.”

Hernandez and Baca-Go mez are extremely proud of their children’s ac complishments. May does not mark the end of their journey as supportive parents, rather, it is a new begin-

ning for them and their children. Whether Cooper and Gomez-Baca decide to continue their education or not, their parents will be right behind them every step of the way. Cooper will receive her bachelor of multidisciplinary studies from the College of Liberal Arts May 11. Baca-Gomez will receive her MBA May 12 from the Woody L. Hunt

Brianna Cooper, will be graduating this semester and hopes to attend graduate school in the fall. Photo by Joel Molina/The Prospector

Maria Margarita Baca-Gomez holds a photo of her daughter who will graduate in May with a master’s in business administration. Photo by Joel Molina/The Prospector

UTEP gives a farewell to the Liberal Arts Building

BAMH ensures UTEP students get the support they require

A&E EDITOR THE PROSPECTOR MARCO HINOJOSA B Y

On every college campus, students must be heard. When life throws challenges, having a support system is critical and a special part of campus life. There are numerous organizations at UTEP that provide mental health resources and BAMH (Bringing Awareness to Mental Health) brings a refreshing wave of new opportunities.

As students and faculty stroll through Centennial Plaza, they’re welcomed by the Liberal Arts Building that has held its ground at UTEP since 1961. Over six decades later, the building will soon have a new home.

Texas Western Hall, the building that will replace the Liberal Arts Building, will open in December 2025, with the first classes prospectively held in January 2026. The university hit the ground running with construction last year in October and crawler cranes became a part of the campus skyline.

The location of the new building will be behind the current Liberal Arts Building, Anadeli Bencomo, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, discussed how finding the perfect location for this new building was one of the first challenges.

“This building is central to campus,” Bencomo said. “When you talk to the alumni, they always remember having classes here in liberal arts, so we didn’t want to place Texas Western Hall in one of the corners on campus. We wanted to be close to Centennial Plaza because this building is going to be the heart of student body life at UTEP.”

The building will have four floors, and all areas of Texas Western Hall will be Americans with Disabilities (ADA) accessible. According to Bencomo, and Rafael Valadez, Ph.D., Assistant Dean, this new building will have 68% space dedicated to the students and 32% for offices.

“During the discussions and planning it was paramount taking care of learning environments. How do we build this space that will offer the students collaborative opportunities that offer them a comfortable space between classes,” Bencomo said. “When we were imagining the building, it was like a marriage between the Union and the College of Liberal Arts, it is that building where you want to go and stay.”

Designed for the students, the building will have multiple study areas on all floors and outside. There will also be vending machines, a food market, and private cubicles for students to study. Student organizations offices will also call

this building their new home, along with LACIT (Liberal Arts Center for Instructional Technology) and CLASS (College of Liberal Arts Student Success Center).

The upcoming building will feature modern classrooms equipped with interactive screens on all walls, plugins on most tables, and transparent doors to ensure the safety of both students and teachers. However, the classroom specifications are subject to change according to Bencomo, and Rafael Valadez.

“This new building is costing the university more than a hundred million dollars, so put that into context how much we have had advanced in terms of technology of construction, but we need to buy the best technology,” Bencomo said. “Technology that will serve us now and will be serving our students twenty years from now, so this is a building that is visionary.”

As Texas Western Hall is under construction, the Liberal Arts building will continue to be maintained and modified until 2026, Facilities and Environmental Safety confirmed in December 2023 that the building is up-to-date and safe for students.

“We are aware that it is an old building and new students and generations are coming into UTEP and UTEP wants to evolve with the new generations, so the university is building the new Texas Western Hall to take the place of the liberal arts building,” Regina Reza, Collegiate Senator of Liberal Arts said. Over the years some students have reported concerns and issues about the Liberal Arts building such as strange noises, bad smells, broken equipment and chairs and not ADA – accessible according to a student survey done by Reza.

Reza continues to stress that the UTEP Student Government Association (SGA) and the deans of the College of Liberal Arts are listening to the students voices and concerns about the building many UTEP students encounter. Although Texas Western Hall is still in development, Reza and Bencomo hope that the new building will become a place that will inspire and uplift the future generation of Miners.

Erik Acosta is the editor-in-chief and may be reached at emacosta6@miners.utep.edu

BAMH is a new UTEP organization that is not only provided for the students but is also started by the students. Antonio Inez Hernandez Jr. is the founder of BAMH and is the president of the UTEP BAMH chapter. Hernandez pledges to make a difference in the campus through events and educational resources that revolve around the importance of mental health.

Hernandez said the importance of mental health matters due to the stigma around the topic.

“The stigma and the walls of silence surround El Paso,” Hernandez said. “We live in that Hispanic culture of keeping silence on mental health.”

Hernandez and other students first started the organization when he was enrolled at El Paso Community College (EPCC) in 2019. On Nov. 30, 2019, the second chapter was born and officially made an organization at UTEP. On April 18, 2024, the UTEP chapter of BAMH received proclamation from the Student Government Association (SGA).

The proclamation acknowledges the extraordinary work BAMH

@ElPasoStreetcar

has done at UTEP and solidifies their status as a recognized student organization. Hernandez said he has great confidence that changes will be made that benefit students.

“That’s an achievement that we hold with great honor, and we hope to work with SGA in the future,” Hernandez said. “I love the fact that with the SGA proclamation, we’re going to be able to do a lot more and I think that’s what gives us hope that there is a future here at UTEP.”

BAMH has plenty of opportunities for any UTEP student of any age that is struggling with mental health. However, one of the biggest opportunities the organization says they have to offer is friendship. Hernandez said offering good company and a lending hand to someone in need is what BAMH brings to the table.

Joining the organization is a means of advocating for mental health and

learning how to stand up for the community. Hernandez said that in everything they do within the organization, they try to make an everlasting and positive impact. Hernandez shared his excitement on seeing the organization growing and his hopes for the future of BAMH.

“I’m excited for more chapters to be formed,” Hernandez said. “It’s about breaking those walls of silence, breaking that stigma and breaking that stress and striving and bringing hope to our students.”

Hernandez said the main focus of BAMH is to ensure students that everyone is able to achieve their dreams. Welcoming every student with open arms, Hernandez said empowering anyone on how to overcome struggles

Marco Hinojosa is the audience and engagement editor and may be reached at mhin ojosa4@miners.utep.edu

Antonio Hernandez is the president of UTEP BAHM. Photo by Eduardo Ibarra/The Prospector EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A rendering of the new Texas Western Hall that will replace that the current Liberal Arts Building. Photo courtesy of UTEP

A threat looms on the horizon for the Rio Bosque Wetlands

The Rio Bosque Wetlands is a 372-acre park managed by UTEP’s Center for Enviornmental Resource Management (CERM).

According to CERM, the goal of the park is to restore the wetlands, riverside forests and wildlife that once surrounded the Rio Grande but was lost due to the channelization of the river in the mid-1930s. Since the program‘s opening in 1973, the park has been able to restore vegetation to dry desert areas and has helped wildlife return to the area with CERM reporting a list of 242 different bird species being spotted at the park.

However, recently, a threat to the Rio Bosque Wetlands has emerged that could threaten the work being done to restore the park.

In Rio Bosque’s newsletter, it states that the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has conducted the Border Highway East Corridor Study, an initiative where potential route plans for a highway extension were made.

TxDOT states in the project fact sheet that in 2013, an examination was made that showed the need to extend Loop 375 due to lack of

connectivity between Interstate 10 and Loop 375, increasing traffic demands on east to west streets, train crossings in the area that caused delays and impeded traffic, and anticipated future demand on the existing transportation network.

According to Rio Bosque’s newsletter, the project has a set start date of 2033 and the project plans to add a four-lane, 20-mile extension from Loop 375 to Tornillo.

Jon Rezendes, an El Paso conservation advocate spoke about the highway extension in front of the El Paso Water Public Service Board. He said that there are three planned routes for the highway, one alongside the border wall, and two alongside the canal on the east side of the wetlands.

Rezendes shares that this would mean all the planned routes would be parallel to the park and would pass over the wetland’s water conservation cells which could cause environmental damage to the park.

“Think about the runoff, think about the trash, think about the air pollution, what about the wildlife?”

Rezendes said. “We are talking about the only freshwater wetland in the county.”

Sergio Samaniego, the Assistant Manager of the Rio Bosque Wet-

DREAM BIG AND THEN...

lands spoke about the threat the highway could have to the wildlife of the wetlands in an interview with KVIA.

„It would definitely not be attractive for any migratory birds that are flying through the area to stop and rest and eat,“ Samaniego said. „The noise pollution and vehicle pollution would be too much for any of the birds that nest here or to even consider nesting at the park, so it would decrease it significantly.“

According to KVIA, while there are potential routes, the project is

not set in place yet and TxDOT would have to be approved by the National Enviornmental Protection Act before moving forward with construction.

In an interview with KTSM, a public information officer for TxDOT, Lauren Macias-Cervantes reassures the public that the study is still in its beginning phase.

“There is no construction timeline, roadway of this magnitude would take 40 to 50 years,” Cervantes said.

“It is taking a look at that area and how mobility can be improved

for the future. This involves other entities; it’s connecting a lot of communities.”

The community has the opportunity to learn and share their thoughts on the highway expansion as TxDOT is holding two public outreach events. On May 1, a prerecorded public meeting will be available at 5 p.m. That same day, an in-person meeting will be held at Clint High School from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on May 2 at Western Tech College from 5p.m. to 7p.m. Ximena Cordero is a staff reporter and may be reached at xcordero@miners.utep.edu

The Office of Student Fellowships and Awards supports UTEP students who are applying for nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships to fund graduate school and overseas experiential learning (research, teaching assistantships, etc.).

What is an external fellowship?

Nationally competitive funding opportunities that are:

• Based on academic merit as opposed to financial need

• Open to students from a variety of majors

• Eligibility, application materials, and deadlines vary depending on the award

• Involve a substantial amount of time commitment and careful planning

What do these awards provide?

Depends on the award, includes but is not limited to:

• Funding for overseas experiential learning: research, intensive language study, teaching assistantships, etc., both during undergrad and beyond Funding for graduate school either domestically or abroad

Why should I apply?

The application process is a form of professional development in and of itself:

• Become a more confident writer

• Sharpen interviewing skills

• Think critically about future goals

Is my first or second year too early to start thinking about these opportunities?

Absolutely not! Most applications are due junior or senior year, but joining our Undergraduate Fellows Program as a first-year student or sophomore will help you prepare.

Rio Bosque Wetlands ecologists examine potential impact of TXDOT highway expansion. Photo by Jose G. Saldana/The Prospector

Congratulations Class of 2024

SPRING 2024

Graduate

College of Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy

Mariana Benitez

Omar Hernandez Rodriguez

Alireza Pasha Nouri

Julio Alberto Reyes Munoz

Raul Alejandro Vargas Acosta

Master of Engineering in Civil & Environmental

Engineering

Danielle Madrid

Miguel Angel Mezquitic Velazquez

Michelle Quiroz Cayetano

Master of Science

Rubicela Aguilar

Saira Adazmin Alvarado

Raul Alvarez Lopez

Sabina Stephany Arroyo

Miguel Elias Balderrama

Cristian Banuelos

Adrian Jesus Barbee

Zachary Wayne Barker

Saul Cosme Barraza

Cynthia Bautista

Daniel Belio

Anthony Biakpara

Michael Bletsch

Emmanuel Briones

Aaron Destin Brown

Miguel Adrian Cardoza Hernandez

Catherine Michelle Carrillo

Azalea Castro Martinez

Dominic M. Chavez

Celine Chiong

Julio F. Colon-Gonzalez

Veronica G. Contreras Guerrero

Emiliano Del Rio Reyes

Alan Delgado

Zayra Naomi Dorado

Nicholas Elliott Durand

Christopher David Edens

Stephanie M. Encizo

Adrian Felix

Hannia Ximena Flores

Diana Galaviz

Ernesto Gamboa Tiscareno

Ramon Jesus Gamez

Alejandra Sarahi Gamez Corral

Nahum Jared Garcia

Ashley Mae Gilmore

Dana Victoria Godinez

Ariath S. Gonzalez

Paulie Jo Gonzalez

Ivan Guerrero

Jacob Hampton

Julie Marina Hernandez

Victor Herrera Vidales

Jordan Scott Hitter

Paola Alejandra Huerta Solis

Giovanna Ibarra Bermudez

Mireya Jimenez

Gregorio H. Loi

Eduardo Lopez

Kimberly Lopez

Victor Manuel Lopez Gomez

Luis Alejandro Lopez Ledezma

Md Shahjahan Mahmud

Carlos Eduardo Maldonado

Javier Alberto Martell

Jonathan Martinez

Karla Samantha Medina

Priscilla Annette Mendoza

Parth Jitendrakumar Modi

Andre Molina

Juan Molinar Jr

Marek Musil

Shadman Tahsin Nabil

Alexis M. Navarro

Jorge Abraham Ochoa

Daniel Jesus Olmedo

Luis Armando Orozco Holguin

Abigail Maria Ortega

Oscar Omar Ortiz III

Angel Saul Otero Montanez

William Joseph Palafox

Armando Antonio Pena

Maha Guru Shankar Perumal

Gerard Petit

Uriel Adrian Quirino

Kevin Noe Renteria

Jezzebelle A. Rey

Alfonso Abraham Rivera

Arturo Rodriguez

Jose Santiago Rodriguez

Juan Fernando Rodriguez

Luis Eduardo Rodriguez

Caroline Lyssa Salas

Diego Gerardo Sanchez

Francisco Javier Sanchez

Luz Elena Sanchez Valenzuela

Marcos Silva

Edwin Kipkirui Sitienei

Alejandro Solis

Meeshalle Rosea Sorenson

Josue Emmanuel Soto

Samuel Thuo

Maria Gratzia Tume Fuentes

Alberto L. Valles

Rodrigo Vargas Duarte

Jiri Vojtisek

Saqlain Zaman

Michel Salim Zreik

Master of Science in Data & Information Sciences

Francisco Arriaga Pazos

Natalia Gastelo

Lani Nicole Godenzi

College of Liberal Arts

Doctor of Philosophy

Rebekah Ruth Adair-Russell

Liam John Gleason

Kityara U’Nae James

Angelina Teresa Martinez

Roberto Sagaribay III

Aitiana Ivonne Sanchez-Garciaguirre

RaeAnn Lillian Swanson-Evans

Elena Therese Vaudreuil

Master in Public Administration

Tika Albek

Laqueena Nance Carmack

Cierra Monea Chenault

Amy Josephine Hernandez

Maira Mccoy

Prince Ofosu

Priscilla Tiffany Reyes

Nadya Rosales

Christopher Robert Solis

Fedra Alexia Soto Cazares

Peyton Reece Williamson

Perfecto Zarate Zarate

Christopher M. Zubia Jr

Master of Arts

Adebusola Azeezat Adewale

Rose Lynn Janice Aguilar

Alex Anaya Jr

Andrea Michelle Anderson

Isiah Thomas Araujo

Daniel Alejandro Avitia

Hector Arturo Barrio Gonzalez

Jared Scott Bullock

Ana Paulina Caballero Cortes

Eli Janett Cabanillas

Victor Manuel Campos

Ariana Cervantes- Borges

Luis Colon

Claudia Ivette Cota

Alianza Li-Anna Darley

Joseph Frank De Leon Flores

Glenn Steven Desimon

Korina Salazar Dillard

Melanie Escobar

Eduardo Fernandez

Jennifer Calandria Foliaco

Cristina Garcia

Miguel Andres Garcia

Lizbeth G. Garcia Gonzalez

Andrew Gregory

Ronaldo George Griffiths

Brody Hall

Alana Marguerite Heck

Jesus Hernandez

Stephanie Hernandez

Valerie Marie Hernandez

Stephanie Allison Herrera

Valerie Renee Herrera

Riley E. Hill

Pera Sophia Hunt

Sakira Lacour

Christe Lattimore-Staple

Ashley Marie Lindquist

Robert Leo Lobrano

Eugene Lopez

Adrian Paul Macias

Gerrad Lee Mcdarment

Tyler Alan Mcneeley

Luis Alonso Menendez

Reginald James Miller

Natalia Irene Minjarez Oppenheimer

Miguel Angel Morales

Kayla Noell Morrison

Duane Rae Nielsen

David Nimrick

Erin Marie Portillo

Ana Belen Reyes

Elena Noemi Reyna

Andrea Rodriguez Crespo

Ezequiel Adalberto Salazar

Andrew Konrad Schuster

Michael Paul Schwenk

Darrin David Shirk

Owen Michael Sill

Deandre Singleton

At-Ziry Aileen Torres

Joshua Peter Tractenberg

Brianna Dawn Newton Trejo

Nicholas Aaron Vain

Ashley Marlene Vargas

Carla Sofia Vasquezbenavente

Travis Dwayne Waldroup - Rodriguez

Matthew Steven Ward Ervin Armando Zubiate

Master of Defense & Strategic Studies

Arturo Dominguez

Steve Elias Jasso Jr

Dawel A. Lainez-Aguiriano

Adam Corbitt Rudd

Humiharu Takasugi

Master of Fine Arts

German Barrera Toro

Scott Beggs

Ariella Berkowitz

Maria Laura Bertole

Zazil Alaide Collins

Lawrance V. Cuellar

John G. Dodson

Stephanie Lamas

Sharon Ann Lucero

Zani Alexandra Meaders

Andrew William Moesel

Daniel Dee Monzingo

Natasha Andreina Rangel Torres

Afton Reed

Jonathan Taylor

Israel Terron Holtzeimer Sr

Sarah Joy Nicole Thompson

Allison Brown Torgan

Jose A. Yznaga Jr

Master of Music

Christopher D. Allen

Santiago Emiliano Carbajal

Kody Wayne Jones

Alicia Josephine Lieu

Lauren Lizette Martinez

Ricardo A. Mena

Victoria Nicole Nila

David Khalid Rhone

Noah Walter Schaffrick

Sarah Clarissa Vasquez

Alejandro De Jesus Vazquez Sr

Master of Science

Amaris Bustamante

Destiny Alexa Clark

Paloma De Jesus Flores

Clemente Higareda

Erik Raymundo Lopez

Sandra Michelle Martinez

Jose Alfredo Pinela Jr

Nitzia Julieta Sanchez

College of Science

Doctor of Philosophy

Godwill Asare Mensah Amankwa

Samuel Alexander Castillo

Wenhan Guo

Judith R. Hoyt

Stephanie Rebecca Kehl

Gabriela Elizabeth Molina Aguirre

Elizabeth Noriega Landa

Jeffrey Scott Richards

Eileni Rodriguez Gil

Isela Ana Rodriguez Palomares

Ramon Antonio Sanchez Rosario

Christian Fernando Sandoval Pauker

Karen Alejandra Santillan

Irodiel Vinales Lozano

Master of Arts in Teaching

Bright Boadi

Francia T. Ortega

Luis Pablo Ramirez

Master of Science

Abdul Latif Baisse

Selena Cheyenne Beasley

Dirk Wade Beck

Ratna Jyothi Bolem

Tristan Antonio Chavez-Poeschel

Lindsey Renee Dacey

Kayla Renae Foster

Ophelia Frimpong

Karla Jossely Galvan

Matthew Garrett Guerrero

Santiago Hoyos Echeverri

Amir Husen

Ricardo Alberto Isaac

David Alejandro Lomeli

Daisy Jennifer Lopez

Ashley Obeng

Carley Cecile Oliver

Michael Osei Opoku

Francis Owusu Dampare

Hao Tuan Pham

Jessica Valeria Salcido Padilla

Henry Salgado

Isabela Suaza Sierra

Mia Alexandra Trevino

Augustine Twumasi

Kanishk Yadav

College of Education

Doctor of Education

Charles M. Crouse

Lorena Garcia

Lourdes Garcia

Michele Lee Hudson

Francisco Enrique Huizar Gonzalez

Doctor of Philosophy

Claudia Obregon Cabrera

Laura Jean Salazar

Master of Arts

Kali Lane Antalosky

Jessica Bartlett

Kathleen Marie Decker

Kate Jefferson

Camille Denise Jones

Billy Loftin

Carlos Alberto Napoles Sr

Ashley Marie Ness

Elizabeth Marie Nichols

Nezahualcoyotl Paniagua-Jimenez

Genesis Alexis Pedregon

Bobby Tom Rimas

Elizabeth Zavala

Master of Education

Marisela Acedo

Claudia Janet Adams

Beatriz Marisol Aguirre-Pena

Myrna Alejandra Amaya

Ana Lisa Angerstein

Lila Baeza

Jacqueline Ballesteros

Esmeralda Barraza

Radka Vladimirova Benin

Mayra Shavon Bristow

Susana Carrasco

Emil Carlos Chaparro

Lisa Nicole-Marie De La Cruz

Nishna Esparza

Netzahualcoyotl Estrada

Karyme A. Fernandez

Gabriela Yolanda Garcia

Nina Martinez Garza

Paola Aimee Guzman

John Paul Hensgen

Joanna Hernandez

Noemi Hernandez

Nichole Onyinyechi Igwe

Julie Lynn Ito Morales

Ashlie Hazel Kunschick

Cynthia L. Ledesma

Karma Lhamo

Kendra Nicole Loos

Samantha Jeannine Loya

Sunshine Loya

Giselle Rebecca Marin

Celeste Cortez Martinez

Mayra Martinez

Oscar Mendoza

Mariana Mendoza Del Valle

Elizabeth Miranda

Jessica Ortiz

Ana C. Pacheco

Alan Tyler Peinado

Priscilla Ivy Quinonez

Cody Rabiego

Rebecca Maria Ramirez

Claudia Ivette Rodriguez

Viviana Valeria Saucedo

Rebecca Serrano

Jacqueline Smalls

Stacy Lynne Tarango

Maria Guadalupe Vicuna

Corina Leticia Villarreal

Glenn Madarriss Wyrick

Hiro C. Yapp

Master of Rehabilitation Counseling

Nasser O. Al-Shamesi

Jose Luis Timothy Cervantez

Patricia Y. Diaz

Ginger Nicole Leblue

Oriann D. Mcdermott

Crystal Nicole Orozco

Lawrence Jamel Primus Jr.

Vanessa Sanders

Master of Science

Emily McVety Allen

Amanda Francisca Blanco-Milke

Annette Mary Castellano

Kirstin Arina Tanner

Natalie Chavez Renato Diaz

Bianca Macias

Aylin Pinedo

Sofia Quintero

Alexandra N. Ramos

Roxana Rodriguez

Sandra S. Sierra

Woody L. Hunt College of Business Administration

Doctor of Philosophy Md Asif Ul Alam Angelica Georgina Castro Cardenas Toufiq Nazrul Xue Yang

Master of Accountancy Melody Prestor Vanessa Schreiter

Master of

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO

Penelope Abigail Vega

Deyanira N. Verdeja Sosa

Payton Blair Wall

Timothy R. Worley

Riley Catherine Young

Master of Occupational Therapy

Tasha Nicole Bergstrand

Pauline Marie Matthews

Marcelo Pena

Master of Science

Andronette Opiopio Aila

Stacy Maritza Alcantar

Analaura Amador

Kristen Ashley Apodaca

Michelle Marie Arias

Zoe Beth Augustain

Sofia Carranza

Melissa C. Castaneda

Breanna Alicia Chavez

Lailani Chehedeh

Luis Alberto Diaz

Jacqueline Lizette Duran

Alejandra Yrasema Fanith

Amber Lysette Garcia

Jeannette Karla Gaytan

Bianca Guerra

Ariadna Hernandez

Rafael Magana

Susan Reeves Magana

Briana Alyssa Martinez

Wensdae Renee McNeely

Raquel Andrea Mejia

Gabriel Fernando Narvaez

Jessica Ortiz

David Palacios

Serena Jae Pedroza

Mikaela Maria Reyes

Andrea Rodriguez

Fernanda Rodriguez Loya

Karly R. Sanchez Medrano

Cassidy Brooke Urrabazo

Ariana Alysabeth Valdez

Master of Social Work

Ildamar Acosta

Mireya Lizzeth Aguilar

Karina Anomar Aguirre Torres

Angela Anaya

Kayla Breanne Apodaca

Arturo A. Armendariz II

Krised Yolanda Arriola

Trianna Elizabeth Bergstrand

Mariel A. Bustamante

Kaycee Kenley Carmignani

Amanda Cereceres

Rosalisa Chavez

Karla Contreras

Jacqueline Cortez

Myrna Yolanda Diaz

Tanya Flores

Paulina Gonzalez

Sandra Ivett Hidalgo

Brianna Nicole Holcomb

Briana Cristina Ibarra

Robert Alan Jackson Jr

Marisol Jacquez

Toni Ann Kerr

Karen Kwon

Miguel Angel Lazalde

Melissa Lopez

Valery Giselle Lopez

Alexis Marquez

Gabriela Esmeralda Meza

Viviana Mitre

Catherine Gloria Moreno

Kimberly Olvera-Girard

Alexandra Michelle Polanco Renteria

Virginia Rodarte

Tayde Yolanda Rodriguez

Alejandra Ruiz

Cynthia Marie Salcido

Sonia Inez Santa Cruz

Sipriano R. Serrano

Karina Vianney Sosa

Jaime Sotelo Jr

Ashley Michelle Urbina

Brenda Beatriz Lupe Varela

Daniela C. Vargas

Alicia Villarreal

Esequiel Villarreal

Meagan McKenzie Whitney

Dana M. Williams

College

of Nursing

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Sylvia De La Rosa

Martha Marie Flores

Gabriela Astrid Hildenbrand

Rosa Isela Montenegro

Celina Navarro

Cynthia Yarery Norris Karen Daniela Padilla Sanchez

Leslie Ann Richard

Emily Elizabeth Robinson

Christine Ruvalcaba

Luis Ruben Tellez

Jessica Melissa Vergara

Master of Science in Nursing

Nduka Akom

Andrea Margarita Alvarado

Bernard Nkemaka Asonganyi

Olivia Christine Bridgeman

Celia Guadalupe Camacho

Adela Marie Colmenero

Lynette Yvette Delgado

Janelle L. Deliz

Aiiesa Gabriela Estrada

Anabel Fernandez

Elizabeth Templado Ghadimi

Tionna Lashae Hernandez

Javier Alejandro Herrera

Keyonia Lashay Jackson

Gladys Jimenez

Brittany Camille Keys Amy Klores

Stephanie Templado Kretzschmar

Liliana Lara

Margie Lopez Daniel Marquez

Angela Marie Martinez

Myriam Lizeth Martinez

Cynthia Nayely Martinez Torres

Gretta Short McKissack

Kimika Danielle Medina

Brisa Maria Molina

Alyssa Nichole Murillo

Mario Alberto Murillo Jr.

Natalie Brooke Neufeld

Jenny Nkiruka Okereke

Astrid Ortiz

Alejandro Osorio

Naa Kwale Quartey

Erika Jazmin Rivas

Heather Kayleigh Rivera

Erica Robles

Annie Louise Rocha

Alejandra Rodriguez

Vanessa Rodriguez

Claudia S. Romo

Yolanda Adelina Sifuentes

Lorenzo A. Terrazas

Isaac Alexander Trujillo Fabiola Wegmann Darci Justine Winans

School of Pharmacy

Doctor of Pharmacy

Karla Amador

Rafael A. Andazola

Cristina Aun

Brenda Priscilla Baca

Jose Bautista III

Aliyah Jade Brewer

Juan Carlos Calderon

Bryanna Alexandria Candelaria

Stephanie Annette Chavez

December T. Crew

Ana Elizabeth Edwards

Nazareth Aide Fierro

Cesar Garcia

Janay Gaytan Joshua Hernandez

Viviana Patricia Hernandez

Alice Nicole Herrera

Heather Lynn Howell

Karina Jasso

Delilah Marie Knapp

Bailey Lynn McFarland

Mar Isabella Medina

Josie Meza-Castro

Alonso Monarrez

Samantha Nieto

Stephen Phillip Nunez II

Danika Ortiz

Shaun Patrick Perches

Karla Prado

Cesar Alejandro Primo

Samantha Renae Ramirez

Valerie Gabrielle Reyes

Lizette Sanchez

Jaime Miguel Santiesteban

Jacqueline R. Schwartz

Alyssa L. Trejo

Maria Cristabel Vazquez

Cristian R. Villalva

Jordan William Winfield

Engineering Science/ Interdisciplinary

Doctor of Philosophy

Mary Naadanswa Adu-Gyamfi

Humayra Afrin

Nicolas Chapa

Li Chen

Dominic George Dieguez

Jose Arturo Guerrero

Raquel Haggerty

Sara Joy Hamilton

Mckenna Mae Lin Hitter

Liliana Lozada Medellin

Luis Miguel Martinez Milian

Graduate Studies

Master of

Multidisciplinary Studies

Tamara Leann Hernandez

Candidates Undergraduate

WOODY L. HUNT COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

Bachelor of Arts Economics

Jaden T. Esparza

Josselyn Rachel Molina

Jaime Saenz Jr

Bachelor of Business Administration

Accounting

Kemil A. Aziz

Karime Galindo Baeza

Diana Laura Bustillos

Abigail Campos Arellano

Roldan Guillermo Chavez

Ana L. Cisneros

Viviana Corina Corrales

William Andre Couse

Lizbeth Delgado

Aaron M. Diaz

Anitzel Escobar

Crystal Espinoza

Cesar Antonio Estrada

Jacqueline Victoria Estrada

Julissa Renae Falcon

Miguel A. Falcon

Christopher Joseph Fematt

Carlos Danie Fragoso

Katie D. Galvan

Carlos Garcia

Ever Garcia

Johan Gonzalez

Jacquelin Gutierrez

Judith Gutierrez

Ninelle Cosette Gutierrez

Axel Fabian Hernandez Estrada

Christian Adrian Hidalgo

Grace Hubbard

Cruz Grabiel Juarez Hernandez

Kevin Iram Lara

Gustavo Alberto Lazare

Nelly K. Lopez

Janerie Lozano

Alfredo Luna

Joseph Raymond Macias

Marie Macias

Eduardo Madrid

Juliana Martinez

Vicente David Martinez

Edgar A. Martinez Espitia

Diego Jesus Mendez

Jessica Veronica Montellano

Hector D. Morales

Jairo Pallares

Omar E. Payan

Paolet Payan

Michael Patrick Perez

Juan Francisco Pinon Chavez

Alan Reyes

Oscar A. Sanchez

Carolina Santillanes

Amber Renee Sierra

Michael Alexander Silva

Francisco E. Sotelo

Melanie Torres

Austin D. Walsmith

Jeonghyun Yoo

Santi Zamarripa

Economics

Zoe Alexandra Andritsos

Eduardo Martinez

Valerie Nieto

Antonio Jose Luis Valerio

Alejandro O. Villegas

Niloufar Zarrin Zarei-Chalshotory

Finance

Jacob Zane Adauto

Genaro Alvarado

Brandon Andrew Anzaldua

Gabriel Esteban Balderrama

Bryant Alexander Cachazo

Ana Sofia Carrasco

Manuel Fernando Carrasco-Ramirez Jr

Juan Carlos Carrillo

Ethan Rey Castaneda

Luis Alejandro Coverty

Jason M. Crespo

Argelia De La Cruz

Gabriel Jesus De Los Rios

Valeria Desiree Delgado

Noah M. Desantiago

Estefania Escajeda

Teodoro Esparza

Sophia Fuentes

Eduardo Gallegos

Christian A. Garcia

Marie Raquel Gonzalez

Valeria Susana Gracia

Vidal Guzman-Gonzalez

Jesus Ulises Hernandez

Isaac Nathan Lazo

Jennifer Maresa Lerma

Mario Amet Lievano Jr

Marcelino Lopez Gomez

John P. Lucero

Eduardo Luna

Jesus M. Miranda

Maxon Rene Morales

Fabian Nieves Hernandez

Jacob Zackery Ohara

Luis Eduardo Orozco

Alan G. Ortiz

Lluvia Paola Ortiz

Jose A. Parson Avila

Valeria Perez

Mayra Pulido

Oscar I. Reza

Crystal Rodriguez

Sebastian A. Rodriguez

Cristhian Guillermo Rodriguez Alvarez

Stephanie Jacqueline Rodriguez Alvarez

Palwinder Singh

Leslie A. Valadez

Jose Guadalupe Vazquez Jr

Jordan Isaac Velarde

Jonathan Angelo Vogt

Finance/Marketing

Marian I. Juarez

General Business

Asinde

Information

Ovalle

Sandoval Jr

Information Systems

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Vivian Bridget Rincon

Claudia Miche Rodriguez

Maegan Danielle Rodriguez

Ana Gabriela Rodriguez Irungaray

Viviana M. Saldana

Ismael Soto

Diego Valencia

Sebastian Villalobos

Samonda Wells

Marketing

Albert Aguirre

Jonathan Nathaniel Alvarado

Valeria Arrieta

Elliot Raafat Ayoub

Ana Sofia Barroso-Baca

Juan Carbajal Jr

Christina Carreon

Joey A. Castaneda

Yunuem Castillo-Delgado

Nadia Isabella Chabre

Kelly Cortez

Gisselle Paola Covarrubias

Jose Andre Emiliano Jr

Diego Emiliano Finn

Andrew Galvan

Andrea Sophia Gonzalez

Salma Paulina Hainey

Jack Thomas Helsten

Alyssa Herrera Paloma Herrera

Jorge U. Hinojosa

Oscar Luis Ibuado

Bethany A. Jones

Chelsie A. Lopez

Marian Jisel Marin

Emmanuel Jesus Marquez

Diego Alejandro Martinez

Saul Agustin Martinez

Eduardo Mata

Alan Adolfo Mendez

Izabelle Nadine Mendez

Yamilet Mendoza

Mariana Miranda

Nichoal Soledad Muro

Ingrid Marlene Nunez

Rosa Emma Ordonez

Valeria Palacio

Alan Perez

Sabrina Naomi Perez

Giuliana Poggio

Mariana Isabel Renteria

Catherine S. Rey

Lizeth Salas

Max Frederick Schliesing

Maria Fernanda Tejada Escobedo

Evelyn Alitzel Trujillo

Maria Magdalena Urquidi

Jorge Vargas Jr

Clara Catriona Villasenor

Isabella M. Wallace

Anthony Yanez Jr Operations & Supply Chain Management

Kenia Adelina Bafidis Jr

Frida Sofia Casana

Hector G. Castro Lozoya

Kevin Del Real

Hector Alejandro Gutierrez

Guerrero Alberto Hernandez Jr.

Diego Eli Lara

Hazel Marie Sanchez

Jesus Eduardo Soltero Alvarez

Paige Marie Uptergrove

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

Bachelor of Arts

Applied Learning and Development

Graciela Y. Acosta

Marcela Acosta

Alexandro Alarcon

Ana Laura Apodaca

Alayna Veronica Avila

Sabrina Michelle Beltran

Jesus Manuel Borjas Jr

Nancy Elizabeth Calzada

Estefania Caraveo

Katherine V. Castro

Andrea Chavez

Caroline Correa Evelyn De La Cruz

Sofia De Luna

Dominic De Santos

Mary T. De Santos Andrea Del Toro Elva Socorro Diaz

Joeseph Garcia

Diana Guerrero

Mayra Alejandra Guillen Savannah A’Ishah Gutierrez

Alyssa Renee Hernandez

Araceli Jaime

M. Martinez Krysten Mariah Mizcles

Monsivais

Alicia Navar

Class of 2024

Ari Rosario Pulido

Karla Janette Putens

Damaris Ramos

Balois Rivera Jr

Diana Marlene Rocha

Ricardo Saavedra Villa

Sylvia Patricia Salas

Erika Cecilia Sanchez

Dariana Torres

Paulina Torres

Amanda Victoria Valadez

Melanie Vasquez

Melissa Vasquez

Daniela A. Vazquez

Karina Velazquez-Ortega

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Bachelor of Science

Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering

Angel Josue Arias

Titus Kipkemboi Cheruiyot

Tamara C. Da Silva

Andrea Lizeth Galvan

Stephanie Gonzalez

Saira Estefany Perez Rodriguez

Civil Engineering

Omar Gabriel Aguilar Garcia

Patricia Isabel Aguirre Garcia

Adrian M. Alvarez

Torres

Yessenia Tovar

Roxana Valdez Chaparro

Ana A. Vazquez

Jacqueline Velazco

Bachelor of Science

Education

Jesica Alvarado

Ashley Pristine Anchondo

Isamara Arcos Idali Arevalo

Jessica Mireya Basurto

MariaElena Patricia Calixto

Aylin A. Cardiel

Destiny Ilynn Castaneda

Natalia Chavez Paola Chavez

Karina Alexandra Chavira

Paola Diana Cordero

Carissa Cuevas

Abigail De La Mora

Valeria De La Torre

Amy Lizeth Garcia Buddi Eileen Garcia

Crystal Marie Garcia

Marilyn Garcia

Arely Gonzalez Emma Isabell Gonzalez

Dianey Granados

Jena Sue Guerrero

Jetzely Gutierrez Maria Fernanda Guzman

Gilberto Hernandez

Stephanie Joann Hernandez

Judith A. Ibarra

A. Jimenez Brenda N. Likovic

Jasmine M. Lopez

Veronica Lopez Aranda

Miranda V. Lugo

Hiram Salathiel Martinez

Irwin Mena

Miriam Mendoza

Stephanie Mercado

Xkarette Alejandra Monsivais Alba

Valeria Ojeda

Larissa V. Ortega

Sarah L. Ortiz

Sylvia Ortiz

Ariadna Bernice Perez

Diana Gabrielle Perez

Ella Puente Mascorro

Ana Cristina Anaya

Draygen F. Anderson

Mariaelena Apodaca

Juan Jose Avalos Jr

Harley David Barraza Hernandez

Rebeca A. Bordier

Arturo Elias Camacho

Jessica Leilani Carranza

Myranda Maria Castillo

Ashley Priscila Fierro

Maria Alejandra Galindo

Hector Alexander Garcia

David Armando Gomez

Jordi M. Gonzalez

Antonio Angel Gracia

Eduardo Julio Gutierrez

Melanye Pamela Gutierrez Loya

Irene Elba Hermoso

Angelique Desiree Hernandez

Devin Maximus Klaes

Martha Lopez

Grecia Aida Magdaleno Hernandez

Kaitlin Rae Martin

Marc Daniel Ryo Martin

Ethan Martinez

Abraham Mejia

Ivan R. Morales

Giovanna Munoz

Montsserrat Najera

Michael Nevarez

Jonathan Ostos Espinoza

Jacqueline Rose Pasillas

Aaron Aguirre Perez Jr

Josue Quinonez

Ronald A. Ramos

Kevin Alonso Robles

Claudia Elizabeth Rosales

James A. Shaheen

Victor Alejandro Taboada

Rodrigo Jose Terrazas Jr

Adrian Valenzuela

Carlos Valenzuela

Josue Vega

Paola Daniela Villanueva

Computer Science

Alexis Sib Acosta

Enrique Aguilar

Grant Lauga Aina

Marco Antonio Alanis

Jaime Andrade Jr

Felipe Angel III

Bryan Omar Arriaga

David Antonio Ayala

Jose Luis Barajas Jr

Enrique Bencomo Basoco

Armando Cabrera Jr

Christina Alicia Alejandra Carreon

Jimenez

Rene Alfonso Samuel Cervantez

Cebastian A. Chinolla

Steve Anthony Cruz

Roberto Sergio D’Antoni

Andres De-La-Rosa

Marc Anthony Driver

Lorenzo Escudero Jr.

Jose L. Espinoza Gonzalez

Luis Armando Fierro Jr

Isabella Gaytan

Jacob Austin Gonzalez

Deseree Alexis Guillen

Benjamin Nestor Hansen

Nicholas Archimedes Jara

Miguel Angel Lucero

Daniel E. Lucio

Dimitri Edward Richard Lyon

Nichole Maldonado

Derrick Mapula

Ruben Emman Marquez

Arim S. Martin Del Campo Jr

Bryan Mendoza

Felix Ricardo Millan

Alan Eduardo Ochoa

Mario A. Ojeda

Diana Esmerallda Olivas

Mauricio Ornelas Gutierrez

Victor Orozco Jr

Francisco Parra III

Daniel Pedroza

Nathanael Isaiah Perez

Luis E. Pichardo

Bella Luz Quintero

Nayeli Ramirez

Ian Thomas Ritter

Emilia Rivas

Salvador Robles Herrera Jr

Brian G. Rodiles Delgado

Ana M. Rodriguez

Francisco Rodriguez

Sebastian Rodriguez

Briade Rafael Rodriguez Tatis

Anthony Romero

Gustavo Rubio

Sariyah Richelle Russell

Andres Segura

Avery Anthony Sehic

Miguel Angel Sepulveda

Thomas Anthony Sosa

Ricardo Esteban Tabares

Jorge Topete

Sonam Seldon Tshering

David Akira Vasquez

Javier Andres Venegas

Jeffrey A. Walls

Alexander Shaw Watson

Construction Engineering and Management

Vianey Candelaria

Jasmine Cristine Cazares

Valerie Felix

Eduardo Lechuga

Maria Fernanda Luevano

Julianna R. Portugal

Georgina Ruiz

Sergio Sanchez Beltran

Electrical Engineering

Philip Andrew Acosta Jr

Tomasa Christine Arciniega

Rafael Cardenas

Jonathan Angel Castro

Alfonso Diaz Jr.

Eduardo Diaz

Ever Joaquin Dominguez Rodriguez

Eric Kyle Edwards

Leila Aurora Firestone

Cassandra Galvan Martinez

Angel Efren Garcia

Ylian Neftali Guzman

Oscar

Odom

Porras

Engineering Innovation and Leadership Diego Luis Caldera

OF TEXAS AT EL PASO

Class of

Cynthia N. Solorzano

Joseph Robert Sustaita

Brandon Lavern Switzer

Stephanie Talamantes

Cayman E. Tamez

Isabel Trujillo

Dylan Jon Turner

Brandon Valenzuela

Britney Valenzuela

Andrea Vazquez Zapien

Guadalupe Villegas

Brandon C. Weise

Cesar Leonel Zepeda Jr

Valeria Alejandra Zuniga

Criminal Justice/Spanish

Jaqueline Sarmiento

Digital Media Production

Bianka Danielle Baron

Jesus Andres Castellano

Natalia Covarrubias

Oscar Decena Jr

Maqroll Delgadillo

Omar Alonso Garcia

Savannah L. Garcia

Daemien Gonzalez

Kristofer Guerra

Alvaro J. Hernandez

Xiomara G. Lara-Dupuy

Edward Luna IV

Brandon Taylo Mills

Sebastian Montes

Cynthia Esmeralda Parra

Alejandra Renee Peralta

Jacob Albert Perez

Edward Lee Reyes

Melissa Reza

Christian Fernando Solis

Senekoa Santi Taifane

Jessica Tinoco

Itzel Torres

Rosalva Varela

Daniel Robert West

English

Oscar Castro

Mia A. Cueto

Annette V. Garcia

Celeste Herrera

Ricardo Loera

Isaias Romero

Isabella Sanchez

Rickie A. Smith Jr

Fiona Shayne Gados Tabdi

English & American Literature

Katie Michelle Brown

Giselle Xitlali Cardoso

Alex Ceniceros Jr

Brandon M. Miranda

Oona U. Narvaez

Samantha R. Pena

Rebecca Quevedo

Sonny G. Tucker

Phoenix Villa

French

Sandy Anaid Martinez

History

Michael J. Amezaga

Matthew Robert Antcliff

Angela Grace Armendariz

Joseph Albert Arroyo

Richard J. Caraveo

Gregorio Cardona

Miriam J. Carrillo

William Diego Clapp

Melanie A. Espinoza-Nevarez

Valeria Vianey Granillo

Diego Alejandro Gutierrez

Daniel J. Marin

Justin Tyler Martinez

Jole Ashton Murphy

Ashley A. Napier

Seth Ramsey

Ricardo R. Rodriguez

Linguistics

Class of 2024

Andrea Nohemi Battle Yemili Victoria Chihuahua-Gutierrez

Leticia Cox

Monique Ferna Dominguez

Aylin G. Gonzales

Natalie Nichole Guerrero

Luis Angel Martinez

Briana Gabriela Ortiz

Delia Elysia Rivas

Leslie Amber Salazar

Melannie Crystal Sanchez

Tristan John-Robert Soulier

Linguistics/Chicano Studies

Kimberly Anguiano

Media Advertising/ Communication

Susana O. Arvizo

Rebecca Nicole Baird

Laura Esthela Benavente

Jazmine Chihuahua

Lauren Nicole Crotte

Stephanie Delgado

Nicholas M. Favela Jr Victoria Hernandez Ricardo M. Hinojosa Mariana Lopez Arturo Luna Jr

Brianna Victoria Orozco

Mariana Porras

Alfredo Reta Jr

Joe Tienda Jr

Andrew Evan Vera

Lizeth Villasenor

Multimedia Journalism

Erik M. Acosta

Alicia Barron

Julia Paulinne Bass

Isis Cassandra Fierro

Gabriel Guzman

Karen Lozano

Paola Marquez

Isabela Carolina Martinez

Alyson Elizabeth Rodriguez

Stephanie Serrano

Alan Tiscareno

Organizational & Corporate Communication

Lourdes E. Aleman

Victoria Danielle Castillo Imperio Castro

Kerry Thomas Elevier Jr

Alan M. Garcia

Anakarina Kassar

Armida Martinez

Laura M. Olivas

Phillip Hector Ontiveros

Sarah Santini

Jessica Alejandra Villanueva

Axel Zafra Rivero

Philosophy

Patricia Amarantha Covarrubias

Hector Andoni Eugui Ortiz

Dominic Paul Reyes

Political Science

Brianna Rae Bazan

Alexis Corona

Priscila Daher

Destiny L. Doyle

Cheyenne Noelle Escarcega

Emilio Uriel Fitzmaurice

Sarah Gonzalez

Kevin James O. Hewitt

Gavin Sean Hinojos-Tomeny

Paola Lara

Alyssa Savannah Martinez

Alex Ivan Milian

Joshua A. Moreno

Jessica Marie Perez

Maria F. Pliego

Cristian E. Ponce

Jorge Adrian Quevedo

Homero Raoul Quinonez

Armando Renteria

Marian Sophia Reyes

Christian Uziel Samaniego

Nathan Sanchez

Benjamin Adam Shipkey

Brianna Itzel Soto

Cira E. Vera

Political Science/French

Ximena Zaragoza

Political Science/ Organizational & Corporate Communication

Eduardo Alberto Flores

Psychology

Noe Manuel Aguilar

Angelica Paulette Aguirre

Michael Jeffrey Alarcon

Tessa M. Aldana

Roberto Alfaro Lagarda

Annalyse Crystal Arriaga

Fatima Jazmin Banuelos

Andrea A. Becerra

Sirena Belen Bermudes

Phoenix Dawn Brownlee

James J. Bryan

Angela Bustillos

Melannie Camarena

Ana Victoria Camargo

Genesis Camarillo

Alondra R. Cano

Jaime Andres Carbajal

Jesus Javier Carreno

Karen G. Carrillo

Issabela Castaneda

Briana Versace Castro

Esmeralda Castro

Vanessa Cazares

Melissa Cerino

Ivan Eduardo Cervantes Ochoa

Abby M. Chavez

Andres Pablo Chavez

Layla Amy Cortez

Arejay Juno Domingo

Monica Dominguez

Leslie Duarte

Donna Sujey Elizalde

Karla Marina Escobar

Jasmine Escobedo

Karina Fernandez

Claudia Sarai Flores

Ana G. Franco

Shai’Enne Danielle Franks

Christopher Gastelo

Michael Gorges

Ashley Saman Hernandez

Gianni Hernandez

Said D. Hernandez

Judith Maria Hinojosa

Victoria I. Holguin

Hanna Mariel Ibarra

Khendra Goerg Jacome

Elizabeth Jakobsen Alvidrez

Andrea Jurado

Taila Genesis Kwok

Valeria Ledezma

Jasmine Marie Lopez

Alondra Pamela Lujan Kramer

Alexandria Eliza Macias

Josue Madrid

Cindy M. Martinez

Daniela M. Martinez

Alondra Mendoza

Cecilia Brielle Mercado

Daniela Minjares

Savannah Idaly Minjarez

Sarah Sanders Morales

Isabel Moreno

Lourdes Mariana Nakamura

Yubia Fabiola Negrete

Beatriz Isabel Orozco

Angela Nichole Ortiz

Brianna G. Ortiz

Destinee A. Paez

Daniela G. Palma

Vivian Giselle Peoples-Sandoval

Clarisa Monique Perez

Mariana Perez

Alexa Fernanda Perez Ramirez

Julianna Victoria Pluma

Bailey Camry Purdon

Andres Quintanilla

Natalia Quiz

Miyah M. Ray-Morales

Valeria Reyes

Vanessa N. Reyes

Alejandra Rios

Jennifer Rios

Erick Israel Rodriguez Rodriguez

Irene B. Rubio

Emily V. Saenz

Lizzete Salaz Salazar

Neida Salcedo

Vanessa A. Sanchez

Jennifer Ashley Santaella

Cassandra Julianne Shreve

Celeste Virginia Skrzynski-Balderrama

Yessenia N. Solis

Alyssa Briana Soto

Jesus Ruben Talancon Moreno

Hannah Tavares

Izry N. Tovar

Lilia S. Tovar

Annie Tsai

Maria J. Urbina Salas

Cynthia Gabriela Valles II

Anahi Velasco

Sergio Villarreal

Sheena Viramontes

Jennilee Ariel Wisselman

Jashdai Zuniga

Psychology/Criminal Justice

David J. Klein

Mia Nicole Vasquez

Psychology/Sociology

Benjamin Sanchez Jimenez Jr

Security Studies

Kurt Allen Jenne

Yuri Kim

Gairy Giovanni Loten Jr

Michael J. Montanez

John B. Sanchez

Roberto Carlos Varela

Sociology

Kaitlyn Alexys Castillo

Miriam P. Chavez

Azizi Taj Henry

Adriana Isela Olivas

Spanish

Carolina Martinez

Amely Quinonez

Spanish/Linguistics

Alejandra E. Valles

Technical Writing & User Experience

Isaiah Armon Peebles

Women’s and Gender Studies

Nayeli Yasmin Alvarez

Fernanda Porras

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Dance

Rhaymee Marie Arch

Aria Sofia Duenas Lopez

Kayla Rachael Kuhajda

Chandell Tiffany Molinar

Victoria Padilla

Noemi Quinonez

Studio Art

Elena Aguilar

Lidia Almendariz

Barbara M. Barbosa

Ana C. De Alba

Andres David Delgado Villarreal

Yoatzin Magali Gutierrez

Desiree Andrea Hassoun

Christopher Daniel Hurtado

Valerie F. Leiva

Karla Paola Martinez Echavarria

Alexis T. Montes

Kastell Alyssa Pintado

Vicente Romero

Stephanie Marie Ruiz

Aldo Solis

Alexis Velazquez

Joseph I. Villa

Theatre

Edmy Dalet Montes

Theatre Arts

Alyssa A. Bustillos

Leonardo Andre Gutierrez Basurto

Brianna Lee Mendoza

Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies

Fredo Alejandre

Rocio Alvarado Mata

Manuel Arturo Avila

Sharron Baker

Oscar Jose Baldassari-Vera

Arts & Culture

Avery Escamilla-Wendell, editor

Journalists of the Future: Writing their stories one word at a time

As grad season rolls around and graduates begin to reminisce on the last four years, there is always one question left to answer, “What’s next?” Whether it’s graduate school, a new job or a moment to rest after college years, these students are the next generation of doctors, engineers, educators and of course journalists.

After four years of photo essays, news writing, and storytelling, UTEP’s multimedia journalism students will make their way to the forefront of modern-day journalism. So, what does the future look like for these students? To help answer this question, two upcoming multimedia journalism graduates put down their pens and stepped out from being behind the cameras to give a vision of what it is like for them.

Paola Marquez, a multimedia journalism major and creative writing minor, says journalism has always been her calling in life.

“I’ve always wanted to be a journalist for as long as I can remember, and I remember I used to have the journalist Barbie,” Marquez said. “It’s always been a thing that I have been interested in, and I love writing, so it all fits in together.”

Initially, Marquez pursued journalism because she hoped to meet new people and learn more about who she worked with. However, after taking a variety of courses pertaining to different areas of journalism, Marquez grew to love photography and the intercultural aspects of the craft.

She says that after she receives her bachelor’s degree this semester, she plans to attend

has to do with culture, and culture doesn‘t actually have a meaning,” Marquez said. “It’s a different type of psychology and sociology, but with something that is still interesting to me, like with marketing, public relations, and journalism as well.”

For Marquez, connecting with professors allowed her to understand that a degree in journalism

going straight into journalism or an academic route,” Marquez said. “I got to see two perspectives.”

Marquez says having the chance to walk across the stage to receive her diploma is a dream come true.

“To be able to fulfill this goal that I’ve had as a kid into an adulthood, it feels weird and still surreal.” Marquez said.

For Alan Tiscareno, a multimedia journalism major and Chicano studies minor, journalism opened the doors to a new beginning. Tiscareno moved to El Paso in 2018 from Veracruz, Mexico after his high school graduation. Although he had interest in the subject since middle school, Tiscareno says it wasn’t until he took a photojournalism course at El Paso Community College that he truly discovered his love for journalism.

“It was a challenge, and I did all of it,” Tiscareno said. “It was just a realization that, I’m good at this, I’m good at communicating and good at talking with people.”

Within two years of being at UTEP, Tiscareno was selected as the city editor of Borderzine and interned with The Texas Standard. From these experiences, Tiscareno says he learned a valuable lesson about himself and his fellow journalism peers.

“Probably the biggest lesson was that I was resilient and I can adapt

to change. It’s super easy to summarize my life story in five minutes but, you know, I experienced all of that,” Tiscareno said. “UTEP students are resilient, we have this thing where we can have nothing, but we make gold with it.”

After graduating with Magna Cum Laude Academic Honor this semester, Tiscareno will accept a freelance position with the BBC and hopes to continue a career in radio and sports journalism.

“Anything that comes, I am going to take the opportunity,” Tiscareno said. “My whole

dream or my whole journey with journalism is just doing whatever it takes.”

Marquez and Tiscareno will graduate together from the College of Liberal Arts on Saturday, May 11 at 1 p.m. in the Don Haskins Center.

Alyda Muela is a contributor and may be reached at armuela2@miners.utep.edu; @alyrose.photos on Instagram.

Future investigative journalist, Paola Marquez says that journalism has always been her calling. Photo by Dominique Macias/The Prospector

Future sports journalist, Alan Tiscareno, discovered his passion for journalism after taking a class at El Paso Community College. Photo by Dominique Macias/The Prospector

CONTRIBUTOR THE PROSPECTOR

ALYDA MUELA B Y

These future journalists hope to conquer their world of journalism one story at a time.

Photo by Dominique Macias/The Prospector

‘Mining’ towards a golden future

From playing hide and seek during recess to walking across stage to graduate, 12 years of education ends for some, while others may choose to continue to earn a higher education. The dream of wanting to become a doctor, astronaut, scientist, or artist, finally becomes a reality once students start their college careers. From elementary to middle school then high school, the choices are endless when it comes to thinking about the future of higher education.

As graduation is on the horizon for many high schoolers or those early in education, thoughts about their own future comes to mind.

Seven-year-old Zoe Lopez aspires to be a math or science teacher.

“My favorite part of going to school is when I start the class, but my favorite class is science,” Zoe Lopez said. “You can do a lot of things in science.”

Even as a second grader, Zoe Lopez has big dreams. She says she is excited to attend UTEP one day and be like her big brother who is also attending UTEP.

Students in middle school are also getting ready to prepare for high school. 12-year-old Abigail Lopez wants to pursue a career in working

for the justice system as a lawyer, and she hopes to attend UTEP.

“I would like to be a lawyer when I grow up because I would like to work for justice,” Abigail Lopez said. “I think it’s important because you can expand your education.”

The daunting feeling of crossing the stage to earn a high school diploma isn’t so scary for Amelia Guzman. Graduating from high school at 18 years old, Guzman hopes to attend Texas State University.

When it comes to making a college decision, it can be difficult to want to leave one’s hometown to go somewhere else, especially when being family oriented or having close friends from childhood.

“I want to leave, but I also don’t know where to go and then I was scared to leave so I was like, I’m going to stay,” Guzman said. “Then I was like, no, I can’t let fear stop me.”

Guzman is feeling the roar of different emotions as she is getting ready to cross the stage.

“I feel I’m a very responsible person, so I think I’m already a person that’s ready for college, so it’s also hard, but at the same time, it’s exciting and fun, but also sad because I’m not ready to leave high school,” Guzman said.

Having no set major in mind,

Guzman is changing her mind as her interests in different areas. Guzman’s number one thing in mind is to be a pilot in the Air Force.

“I’m thinking about engineering but the number one thing on my mind today is being a pilot in the Air Force,” Guzman said.

“I don’t know what I want to major in yet, I’m thinking about engineering, so if I’m not able to be a pilot, I’ll be an engineer in the Air Force, but I just know I’m set on going to the Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) and finish College as an officer.”

Guzman believes that college is essential to be able to succeed in life.

“Pursuing higher education is important because there’s so much to learn,” Guzman said. “What makes it is the people you’re around, but I always want to learn new things. High school sets you for life and college sets you for your future and it’s important to learn so you can succeed.”

Starting from elementary to high school, life changes so fast, but the dreams of these students are ones that they are willing to chase. Congratulations to those moving on and may the dreams continue to live on.

Circling back on life

Student Support Services helps students on campus

Being a first-generation student can be a stressful and confusing experience for many. UTEP consists of 50% first-generation students, according to the university’s academic catalog, who are looking for a program that can help guide them through college life. UTEP’s Student Support Services Program is a resource available to help. According to SSSP, the program provides services to first-generation and low-income students. Serving over 200 students annually, the goal of the program is to ensure these students stay in school, graduate and are ready for post-graduation life with access to resources for life.

MIDDLE:

BOTTOM:

First-generation UTEP student, James Rosberg is majoring in mathematics and is set to graduate in the upcoming fall semester, SSSP has helped him navigate the different resources that UTEP offers.

“I was the first one in my family to start going through everything, so it was a challenge to find assistance with certain things (and) understanding how everything works,” Rosberg said. “Now I’m more familiar with all the departments on campus, I know how the Miner Learning Center and the Writing Center works and I know that CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services) is available for students.” Kinley Wanghcuk is a first-gener-

JORGE GUAJARDO B Y

STAFF REPORTER THE PROSPECTOR

With every end comes a new beginning, perfectly paralleling the life of a soon-to-be graduate and in an almost cosmic connection, for some, graduation takes place during spring, the season of rebirth.

Yet, for the thousands of students at UTEP, life may not seem like it’s on such a steady cyclic course. Still, many can look back on their completion of a degree and appreciate how closely the start and the end of things resemble each other. At the end of the circle, one may find a gap, an empty space where the future lies, waiting, unfinished and unwritten.

Soon-to-be graduate Alex Peralta described those very emotions.

“I’m excited, and I’m also kind of sad because it’s a turning point in my life, and I don’t know what’s coming next. But that’s also the cause of excitement. I don’t know what’s coming next and I get to figure it out. It could be anything, right? Whatever you want it to be. And that, that’s exciting. I’ve got so many opportunities open to me, and I just got to figure out how and when to take them.” Peralta said. Many graduates will tell you that their lives have, in many ways, not even closely resembled a perfect circle, it’s been imperfect or wavy, yet they have arrived now staring at the future and what will be. The journey around had some bumps; as graduating senior Damien Gonzalez put it.

“I stopped at an associate’s degree. I finished EPCC, and it was done, but then I had a feeling I didn’t know what to do anymore. I could start working right away, but it felt incomplete. My friend told me about digital media production at UTEP, gave it some thought, but there were some issues with the degree plan, some classes aligned, but majority of them didn’t. So, I was

see CIRCLING on page 21

ation international student who is majoring in rehabilitation sciences and is part of the SSSP program. The program has helped him overcome challenges like language barriers, finding financial aid resources and the struggle of finding a community in another country.

“As a first-generation student, the SSSP program has helped me a lot since I could make a lot of friends and even get engaged in UTEP programs (as) it helped with my resume and getting a job,” Wanghcuk said.

“With the financial situation, the advisors, the manager and supervisors have helped me a lot to overcome the situation and see how I can pay my tuition fees.”

Avery Escamilla-Wendell is the arts & culture editor and may be reached at amescamilla@miners.utep.edu or Instagram @by_avery_escamilla.

Students across El Paso are progressing academically and creating hope and dreams for their future. Photo by Iziah Moreno/The Prospector

STAFF REPORTER THE PROSPECTOR

XIMENA CORDERO B Y

TOP: Zoe Lopez wants to be a math or science teacher because she likes school.

Abigail Lopez wants to be a lawyer when she grows up.

Amelia Guzman is excited to walk across stage and earn her diploma.

Photos by Iziah Moreno/The Prospector

CAMPUS AID on page 21

ZOE LOPEZ, SEVEN-YEAR-OLD, SECOND GRADER

ABIGAIL LOPEZ, TWELVE-YEAR-OLD, SIXTH GRADER

AMELIA GUZMAN 18-YEAR-OLD, HS SENIOR

starting over.” Gonzalez said.

Life is full of other paths and connections that intertwine. Attending UTEP could be cyclical, but uncertainty and individuality are also ubiquitous, and the idea of life as a circle should also reflect these aspects as well as the experience these graduates would have had at UTEP. What should be remembered is the start, as Peralta reflects on the importance of looking back.

“I think it’s important to look back because, when you see where you come from, you see all the struggles you’ve gone through, especially if you want to go really far back in the past, it’s like, what do I want to do with my future? How do you figure that out? And in that, if you’ve kind of lost your passion in the present, looking back can help you find it again. This is why I’m doing this. This is, this is what I want to do. This is why I got this degree.” Peralta said.

Reflections take different paths, for Gonzalez, his reflections brought him back to thinking about his Latin professor, Dr. Bench.

“Dr. Bench is an awesome guy; I was thinking this was going to be the easiest semester of my life. It was the hardest semester of my life, and it was the only class I took, but him being available during his office hours helped me get through, and I picked up a cool language because of it.” Gonzalez said.

For Peralta, her reflections brought her to a familiar person.

“I’m going to be thinking of my mom because she’s always been there from day one of my journey into college. It’s just part of life, she’s helped me walk each step of the way, and every time I falter, there’s no way I can do this, I am not good enough for this. She was there, and it’s important to look back at the ones that supported you and like you’ve got this degree for yourself but it’s also for them to show that they were right to have that faith in you. It really is an unbelievable journey.” Peralta said.

Graduation is a reminder that nobody’s path is set in stone, new beginnings and new journeys await. Students will move on from finals and grades to, hopefully, the lives of their dreams full of success prepared by the uneven nature of their circular path for what lies ahead.

Jorge Guajardo is a staff reporter and can be reached at jiguajardo@miners.utep.edu

How this upcoming graduate ‘scaled’ into her future in piano

The SSSP page shows the different resources the program offers such as tutoring, peer mentoring, academic support and guidance, advocacy and personal support, college success workshops, computer labs and study rooms, free testing supplies, assistance with financial aid, and career readiness workshops.

For Rosberg, the service that has helped him throughout college has been the peer mentoring program.

“It’s like another outlet whenever I’m talking about things since the appointments are confidential,” Rosberg said. “I feel more comfortable sharing about things going on and how I’m feeling about certain classes and experiencing burnout.

Wanghcuk shares the workshops SSSP offers have been the most beneficial for him as they offer help academically but also prepare students for their post-graduate lives.

“The most impactful resource the program provides for us are the workshops,” Wanghcuk said.

“They have tons of workshops every semester, like three to seven workshops in a week which is beneficial for us.”

Rosberg shares the SSSP has prepared him on his journey to graduation with new experiences.

“The program helps me a lot with the experiences that I’ve had, it makes it more enjoyable because I got to take part in graduate school tours and the SSSP retreats as well

Artists or individuals with a creative outlook knows that being recognized for their craft is the ultimate goal. To be seen for their hard work and extensive amounts of trial and error is what most dreamers and achievers desire. Upcoming graduate student Lauren Martinez achieves her successes by staying true to herself and her music.

Martinez will be obtaining her Master of Music degree in piano performance this spring. Within the last five years, Martinez has been studying and researching the works of Cuban pianist, Ernesto Lecuona. Lecuona’s work comprises of Latin, jazz and classical repertoires, influencing Martinez to follow the path her muse did, allowing her to dive into an immersive musical experience.

Martinez performed 18 works that featured her own arrangements and even debuted a composition at her most recent recital.

Martinez has been playing piano since she was seven-years-old. It all started after visiting her grandmother, who owned a piano.

Martinez reflects on growing up learning Lecuona’s craft.

“When I was younger, (my grandmother) would always tell me that one day she’d like for me to play the music of Ernesto Lecuona. I’m now doing a whole lecture recital on his work. It’s crazy to see how full circle everything’s come.” Martinez said.

Martinez says she was even able to meet Lecuona’s family and they have travelled to see her play.

She says building her talent over a course of 16 years has been beneficial as she grows connections with the one who inspired her the most.

“I wasn’t exactly sure what route I wanted to go with, the performance route or the teaching route. But by being here at UTEP and

as the workshops where they’d have either academic or just stress relief-based sessions,” Rosberg said. “Overall, SSSP has helped me be where I need to be.”

As Wanghcuk graduates this spring, he reflects on how SSSP helped him since the beginning of his college career.

“SSSP was part of my achievements, since it has helped me a lot, when I joined program, I didn’t know a lot of people except for my friend back home and I used to only speak my own language,” Wanghcuk said. “When I came to SSSP I got to communicate a lot and it prepared me for classes, job interviews and I feel ready.”

For students interested in joining

being inspired by so many excellent professors that we have in the department, I’m now looking at going down the research route of musicology.” Martinez said.

As graduation approaches, Martinez shares her goals for after commencement.

“What comes next is probably just more research in the field of music,” Martinez said.

“My number one plan would be to write a biography that is accessible on this composer. Just to spread awareness of his life and his beautiful works that he’s composed, and it’s so important here too in El Paso because we’re right on the border of Mexico.”

She said working creatively is liberating but sometimes motivation can be hard to find. To stay motivated, Martinez said she has the ability to connect with people without saying anything verbally.

“What keeps me so motivated is being able to touch people’s hearts no matter what language they speak or anything,” Martinez said. “At the end of the day, the music, it’s so universal and I get to play a part in that is really just the most amazing thing.”

Any student who is graduating soon, Martinez shared advice with those starting out on their journeys.

“It comes down to two things,” Martinez said. “You have to be prepared, preparing as best as you can because it’s not an easy degree. Another thing is just to really stay true to who you are.”

In music, it is easy for an artist to get lost in their mind and contemplate their craft, but showcasing self-identity through the music performed can touch and inspire many people.

Marco Hinojosa is the audience and engagement editor and may be reached at mhinojosa4@miners.utep. edu

the program, SSSP recruits new students at the beginning of each fall semester or on a case-by-case basis. Eligibility requirements to join the program and applications can be found on the SSSP website.

Ximena Cordero is a staff reporter and may be reached at xcordero@ miners.utep.edu

A&E EDITOR THE PROSPECTOR MARCO HINOJOSA B Y

Lauren Martinez finds a way to express herself through playing piano.

Photo by Gianluca Cuevas/The Prospector

SSSP helps students to be successful after college. Photo by SalmaPaola Baca/The Prospector

CAMPUS AID from page 20

Finding your passions regardless of age

Not all college students take the traditional route of starting college after high school, some start but then decide that their aspirations lie in a different place, and for others life and its challenges get in the way.

UTEP student Mariah Morales did not intend to be a non-traditional college student. With a full ride scholarship to Saint Mary’s University in San Antonio, Morales said she completed her first semester at the university, however a near-death experience in a drunk driving accident caused her to reconsider her path.

After the accident, Morales moved back to El Paso and decided to follow her lifelong dream of becoming a hair stylist and enrolled in cosmetology school.

Morales has been a hair stylist for 12 years and started her own business but, a new spark in her life pushed her to restart her career.

“The biggest reason why I’m in school right now was because I have a very deep calling and purpose for it now that I did not have when I was 18,” Morales said. “I don’t feel old, so I was like, I’m going to do this thing.”

Morales is a senior majoring in kinesiology and is graduating in the fall, though she had to overcome obstacles.

“One of the big challenges was

to show up as myself, because I’m a naturally friendly and outgoing person and I’ve been a business owner for a long time and I felt like the younger generation was very detached,” Morales said. “I’m 31 and I’m used to having to talk to people and having to be outgoing and be myself, and I felt people thought it was weird.”

Morales found it hard to know who and where to go to if she needed help with financial aid, advising appointments, registering and class work. Financial responsibilities outside of her college life made it difficult but she got through it by seeing these obstacles as blessings and relying on her family and friends.

“I want to do this, so I don’t see them as obstacles because I asked for this, to me those are blessings,” Morales said. “Now it’s just a to-do list, when I was 18 everything was an obstacle.”

The challenges that came from being an older student and having to readjust to a college environment, Morales found positives as she felt more prepared with skills, she lacked at 18.

“As you go on through life, it gives you a lot. When financial aid doesn’t work, I keep calling until I get it done and I didn’t have that skill when I was 18,”

Morales said. “It takes patience, but it’s patience that I have now

and tenacity that I have now. The older you are, the more you’ve been through, so you know how to not take no for an answer.”

While Morales may not have taken the traditional college path, she is taking full advantage of the opportunities she has been given and, just like she followed her first passion of being a hair stylist, is now following her passion to help people through kinesiology.

“I’m always an encourager of whatever you want to do in this life, you should do it,” Morales said. “Do it for you.”

Ximena Cordero is a staff reporter and may be reached at xcordero@miners.utep.edu

Congratulations Class of 2024!

Daniel Adame BA Political Science-Concentration in Law & Politics/Legal Reasoning

Juan Avalos BS Civil Engineering

Andrea Chavez BA Applied Learning and Development-EC-6: Bilingual Generalist/Primary Grades Educations

Tatum Flores BS Biochemistry

Aliyah Garcia BS Nursing

Carmen Guerra BA Criminal Justice/Legal Reasoning

Marali Hernandez BS KinesiologyConcentration Exercise Science

Alexandria Ledesma BS KinesiologyConcentration Exercise Science

Miriam Limones Bachelors of Social Work/ Health Promotion

Edward Luna BA Digital Media Production

Federico Moncada BS Kinesiology-Concentration Physical Education Teacher/All-Levels Education

Maria Pliego BA Political Science/Legal Reasoning

Marco Rivera BA Communication Studies/ Leadership Studies

Nemesis Rodriguez BA Creative Writing/Translation

STAFF REPORTER THE PROSPECTOR

XIMENA CORDERO B Y

Morales has learned how to balance life and college. Photo courtesy of Mariah Morales

Mariah continues to follow her passions in kinesiology and cosmetology. Photo courtesy of Mariah Morales

Nicholas Maes, editor

UTEP Beach Volleyball leaves everything on the sand as season ends

MELISSA

CONTRIBUTOR

The UTEP Miners headed to Youngsville, LA to compete in the Conference USA (C-USA) Beach Volleyball Championship on April 25 at the Youngsville Sports Complex. The Miners were ranked in the tournament as the No. 6 seed. The UTEP Beach Volleyball season ended on day one of the tournament, following a consistent performance on the sand court.

The tournament was divided into three days, from April 25 to 27, where the bracket followed a double-elimination style format and a single-elimination final match, according to the C-USA website.

The tournament was filled with exceptional talent from nationally ranked schools such as Texas Christian University Horned Frogs (TCU), Florida International University Panthers (FIU), and Florida Atlantic University Owls (FAU).

The Miners season wrapped up on Thursday morning after falling 3-0

to FAU and persevering through a close 3-2 loss against Missouri State University Bears.

Match One

As the gleaming sun filled the Youngsville sky, the Miners kicked off their first match on Thursday morning against the No. 3 seed of the tournament, FAU. After a tough battle, FAU swept UTEP 3-0.

On courts 2 and 5, the Owls took a strong lead over the Miners. Graduate student Summer McDonough and junior Madison Hills of the Miners ended their last game, losing 21-12 and 21-11. The freshman pair of Alexis Massey and Adriana Oporto also lost their game 21-13 and 21-11.

However, on court 4, close efforts from junior Ema Uskokovic and freshman Mila Popovic increased the tension on the sand by climbing up the score ladder. Yet, the Owls won the game in two sets, 21-19 and 21-18.

Even after the Miners battled hard, FAU finished on top, dominating, and did not drop any sets

to the Miners. The Owls claimed a spot in the winner’s bracket by getting wins in courts 2, 4, and 5 and leaving courts 1 and 3 unfinished. Match Two

In their next match, UTEP faced the No.7 seed Missouri State. The Miners‘ persistence and determination pushed the game to extra points, but ultimately, the Bears rose and won 3-2.

Missouri State got an early lead on court 5, but on court 1, sophomores Krista Paegle and Paulina Acuna gave the Miners their first win of the tournament, winning

21-18 and dominating the second set with a nine-point lead. Their win put the Miners on the board 1-1, ensuring they did not leave empty-handed.

Shortly after, UTEP gained a 2-1 lead with a win from McDonough and Hill, who faced a close match, winning by a mere two points in the first set. The Bears responded and ended victorious in a tight game on court 5, tying the overall match 2-2. Seniors Katie Martin and Marian Ovalle played in an intense game that went to extra points in the second set.

Uskokovic and Popovic found themselves in the tie-breaker match. The winning team would move onto the contender’s tournament bracket, and the losing team’s season would end.

The duo rallied and were neckand-neck with the Bears throughout the match. Despite their consistency and going to extra points, the Miners fell short and lost by a thread in both sets.

In a press release, associate Head Coach Daniel Foo expressed his contentment with the team‘s achievements they collected this season, especially as a program that is younger and inexperienced.

“I am so incredibly proud of all these ladies. We made huge strides in our style of play, both offensively and defensively. We are bringing an exciting brand of volleyball, and it was great to have a winning season,” Foo said.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of experience in post-season play, and I think that cost us a bit. It won‘t happen again, and I know this team will be better next year.”

The Miners Beach Volleyball program collected 12 wins this season, a remarkable growth following their rookie 2023 season. According to a press release courtesy of UTEP Athletics, the Miners were resilient and earned the program’s first wins in a conference tournament. The UTEP Beach Volleyball program has wrapped up the 2024 season filled with immense growth and stepping stone moments.

Melissa Herrera is a contributor and may be reached at mherrera36@miners.utep.edu

Softball pulls through, earns ticket to C-USA post-season tournament

The UTEP Softball season is inching toward its end after players stepped out to the field for their last home series. The Miners picked up their bats and gloves for the last time this season at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex, where they faced the Conference USA (C-USA) softball standings leader, Liberty University (LU) Flames.

The Miners’ best efforts fell short in the first two games after they lost to the LibertyU Flames. However, on Sunday, they swung away to victory, putting a positive finish to their “Senior Weekend.”

Game One

On Friday night, the Miners and the Flames played an intense game full of hits and runs. UTEP got an early lead in the first inning after sophomore outfielder Halle Hogan hit a solo home run. Yet, that lead was quickly lost in the third inning once the Flames took advantage of UTEP’s throwing error and hit a two-run home run. The Miners swiftly gained control of the score again and put four

additional runs on the scoreboard, resulting in a score of 5-3.

Tension increased as offense on both teams created an even playing field. By the time the fifth inning wrapped up, they were tied 6-6. The Flames were successful in the top of the sixth, accruing three more runs and ultimately granting them the win.

The Miners would put two runners on base in the bottom of the sixth as they tried to overcome the three-run deficit, but they could not bring the runners home. The final score was 9-6.

Game Two

The following morning, the Miners played a short five-inning game after succumbing to the Flame’s offensive power.

In the first inning, Miner batters appeared first. Seniors Lexi Morales and Autumn Scott got on base at the start of the inning after being walked at their at-bats. A single to center field by junior Ajia Richard allowed Morales to score the Miner’s only run.

The Miners could not score in the later innings, even after putting a few runners in scoring position.

The Flames’ offense dominated the game. LU gained the lead in the top of the second inning with a two-run home run. They batted in 10 runs in the third and fourth innings, creating a 12-1 lead against

Game Three

The C-USA Beach Volleyball Championships took place April 25 to 27 at the Youngsville Sports Complex. Photo courtesy of UTEP Athletics

Graduate student Summer McDonough and junior Madison Hill congratulate each other April 25. Photo courtesy of UTEP Athletics

Senior outfielder Aaliyah Rebolledo celebrates senior day with her family. Photo by Joel Molina/The Prospector

the Miners. The game was cut short because the mercy rule was declared.

The Miner’s drive continued Sunday as they faced the Flames for one

last time in this series. UTEP made a comeback and ultimately finished the series with a win.

Elena Dibattista: causing a racket for UTEP tennis

JORGE GUAJARDO B Y

As the semester winds down and graduation approaches, Elena Dibattista, a native of Italy, is returning life’s serve and leaving her mark on at UTEP as an accomplished tennis player and dedicated student.

During her time at UTEP, Dibattista has led by example both on and off the tennis court. Dibattista served as the team captain for the 2023-2024 season.

She also compiled over 50 victories between singles and doubles action during her four and a half years as a Miner and received academic honors in 2021 and 2022 from Conference USA (C-USA). She was recognized as the 2021 C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Medalist. Dibattista also helped lead the Miners past the first round of the C-USA Tournament for the first time in 15 years.

Dibattista intends to contin ue to play tennis, perhaps not

on a professional level, but wants it to be a part of her life.

“I was thinking about coaching or, but for sure, I’m going to keep playing 100 percent.” Dibattista said about her tennis-playing prospects. “Even at a high level, I would still want to play some tournaments, singles, or doubles, I have so much fun playing tennis.”

Dibattista, set to graduate with honors, has never shied away from any challenge, including the academic challenge that comes along with being a student athlete.

“I always had to balance being an athlete and a student, since when I was a kid,” Dibattista said. “Being in university is different from being in high school, so I did have to adapt a little bit, but it wasn’t a shock. In the morning, we had classes and then practices from one to six, basically. Then I would come back, shower, and eat. And then, I would just go straight back to studying and homework. It took a lot of men-

tal strength,” Dibattista said. Graduating is an intimate time where one can finally look back and realize how far they have come; this was no different for Dibattista as her reflections made it clear that coming to UTEP from Italy was always going to be the right decision for her life and career.

“I will remember all the time that I spent on the court with my teammates. I feel very blessed for each and every one of my teammates. I had the honor of being the leader this year on my own team,” Dibattista said. “The El Paso community just welcomed me in a way that made me feel like I was home. Obviously, at first, I was still struggling, but now everyone, every single person on my team, my coaches, all the people that I’ve, you know met around in the training room and, just around campus. they’re making saying goodbye to El Paso so hard.”

As Dibattista’s college career comes full circle, she reflects and wonders what she would tell her freshman self if she had the chance to meet her.

“I would tell her to enjoy every single moment. It doesn’t matter if it’s a bad moment that you’re going through, if it’s a tough one, if it’s a happy one, just enjoy it because it’s going to go by so fast,” Dibattista said. “You know it seems like it was yesterday that I was just arriving here at UTEP and I’m a senior

about to leave, so enjoy every single moment.”

Overall, Dibattista’s legacy at UTEP will be remembered for her outstanding achievements on the tennis court, her leadership skills, and her dedication to her studies. As she prepares to graduate, Dibattista is excited to lead a fulfilled life where the future is bright. She will use her experience as a student-athlete to inspire and inform others about the world of tennis.

“The future is going to be bright. I know it’s going to be bright, but like these, these past four years are not coming back,” Dibattista said. “It’s going to be a completely different lifestyle, a completely different experience that I’m going to enjoy, but I know that I’m going to think back to all these experiences, and I’m going to be like, ‘I miss it.’”

Jorge Guajardo is a staff reporter and can be reached at jiguajardo@miners.utep.edu

Challenges were never an obstacle for Elena on the court or in the classroom. Photo by Gianluca Cuevas/The Prospector

Elena Dibattista was a team captain for the 2023-2024 season. Photo by Gianluca Cuevas/The Prospector

Dresden McIver-Brown: Gridiron to graduation

ESTEBAN CORONA B Y

STAFF REPORTER THE PROSPECTOR

From the field to the classroom, life as a student athlete can be busy. Balancing practice, games, homework, and a social life can be overwhelming to some student athletes. However, with dedication and support systems, student athletes can juggle their busy lives, like UTEP graduating senior and Football’s defensive end Dresden McIver-Brown.

Having roots in Selma, Texas, McIver-Brown’s football career started at the age of six.

“When I was six, my dad wanted me to start playing football, so he made me start playing then,” McIver-Brown said. “He was the head coach, so I really had no choice at that time.”

While one of his focuses was football, McIver-Brown began his

college career in 2020 studying occupational therapy.

“My concentration in occupational therapy is rehab sciences,” McIver-Brown said.” I was originally here to be an architectural engineer, but then I took a career test one of my advisors told me to take, and my number one option was occupation therapy. I thought it was kind of interesting and wanted to see what that was about.”

Though he was unsure about his career, McIver-Brown found his passion in occupational therapy. He said with the clinical hours, he found he enjoyed helping people in need.

“The aspect of helping people and learning different ways to help with different issues and types of disabilities,” McIver-Brown said. “Being a great mentor or role model in that for people who are struggling.”

McIver-Brown made his first

appearance as a Miner in UTEP’s home win over Abilene Christian University was McIver-Brown‘s first appearance as a Miner.

“UTEP was the first school to take a big chance on me.” McIver-Brown said, “I never really thought, growing up, I would be even a high school player. I got to a point where I started getting offers and UTEP was the biggest offer I got.”

He says he learned a lot about himself outside of football and while being a part of the sport that shaped him. He says the challenges of football shape each player differently.

“With football, I had a lot of injuries. My first year here, I tore like three different things in my knee, so I had to get surgery for that. Then I came back, broke my hand. Then I came back and pulled my hamstring,” McIver-Brown said. “It’s been a lot of things that have been hard on me mentally, but it helped me grow.”

McIver-Brown said his mom has been his biggest motivator throughout his academic and athletic career, pushing him to strive for more.

“My mom is my role model. She worked real hard raising me and my older sister,” McIver-Brown said. “She’d support me through anything as long as I finished my degree. My dad and her have been the same way about me finishing my degree. My mom has always

been my biggest role model, she got a master’s degree and so I got to at least match her or come to close to it.”

McIver-Brown says he has noticed what has evolved on and off the field.

“Just this last year, since we got a new coach, the mentality and intentionality of a lot of things changed a lot. The culture is definitely changing, where people have more of the athletes supporting each other more,” McIver-Brown

said. “We’re more active in the community by doing different projects.”

As an outgoing senior, McIver-Brown says he has some advice for incoming student-athletes.

“Pay attention to detail, details are huge. Set up a good schedule, no matter how much is piled on you. Pace yourself. It takes some time to get used to, but once you do it’s the easiest process you can do.”

Esteban Corona is a staff reporter and can be reached at ecorona8@miners.utep.edu

Dresden McIver-Brown’s mom was the root for his academic and athletic successes. Photo by Gianluca Cuevas/The Prospector

McIver-Brown found his passion in occupational therapy as he enjoys helping people in need. Photo by Gianluca Cuevas/The Prospector

Arianne Morais: The javelin reaches its final destination

As the spring semester quickly speeds to the finish line, many college seniors are scrambling to make sure they have everything right in their academic and per sonal lives to graduate on time. For some UTEP graduates, it will be their last time playing flute for the university jazz band, for others, it will be their last time stepping into a lab to look at cells through a microscope.

For Arianne Morais, a senior athlete at UTEP, said it will be her last time throwing a javelin in the air for UTEP track and field. The UTEP track and field program has been essential to UTEP athletics, showcasing many talented students and their ability to run, sprint, jump, and throw. It’s a program that can sometimes be overlooked as many of its meets are nation wide, and many components are involved in the events.

One person who has made a tre mendous impact on the program is Morais, who has competed in javelin for all her time at UTEP. Soon, she will graduate with her master’s degree in leadership studies, focusing on community very young when she joined

I threw, which motivated me to train

UTEP Track and Field mines gold ahead of championships

H. CATCHING MARGINOT

CONTRIBUTOR THE PROSPECTOR

UTEP Track and Field finished their regular season at the Arizona Desert Heat Classic at Roy P. Drachman Stadium in Tucson, Ariz. The meet was an all-day endeavor, with both men’s and women’s events that included hurdles, hammer, javelin, discus, shot put, pole vault, and sprints. Many athletes competed in the meet, with many notable highlights from UTEP.

Women’s Events:

Junior sprinter and hurdler, Marisa Simpson ran a 13:08 time in the women’s 100-meter hurdles, placing second overall in the meet. Freshman sprinter Princess Uche managed to pull off her personal best time of 54.46 in the women’s 400-meter dash. She was tied for sixth before entering the meet. Freshman distance runner Sandra Maiyo ran her first career 3000-meter race, racking up a time of 9:45.44.

Senior distance runner Ruth Jerubet made her season best with 11:19.19 in the women’s 3000-meter steeplechase, placing first in the event. She would then be ranked third in C-USA with a time of 11:19.39. Senior sprinter Niesha Burgher made a time of 23.49 in the women’s 200-meter dash, finishing fourth behind three Tennessee runners.

In non-running and hurdle events, redshirt junior Natalie J. Murillo did personal best in two events. She threw 48.38 meters in the women’s discus and did her best in the hammer with a 50.92-meter throw.

Senior Arianne Morais immediate-

ly placed first overall in women‘s javelin, a throw of 53.36 meters in her first event attempt.

Men’s Events: The men’s 4x100-meter relay team made a time of 39.76, just trailing ahead of Oregon’s time. Junior sprinter, Stephen Carreto made his season-best of 53.85 in the men’s 400-meter hurdles, beating his pre-

vious time of 54.02, making sixth in C-USA.

Junior high jumper Jakub Belik placed second in the men’s high jump with 2.13 meters. Junior discus thrower Maurice Westmoreland scored his season-best with a 56.62-meter throw in men’s discus.

Junior distance runner Aron Tanui put in his season best of 1:48.93 in

Though Morais has many accomplishments on the field, she said she cherishes the friendships she’s made along the way even more. “I wouldn’t say my favorite part is a specific memory, but I think it is the friendships I have developed on this team and the people you will take with you for the rest of your

In such a physically demanding sport, injuries are bound to occur, and Morais has had her fair share of them. In a field where someone like Morais has many injuries, many schools have had to turn her away. However, UTEP stepped up to the plate, embracing the young talent with open arms. Morias had to have a physically stacked training regime as well as a regime for training the mind. Morais speaks about what throwing for UTEP has meant for her on this journey. “It meant a lot because I come from a background where I’ve had so many injuries, and there weren’t a lot of schools willing to take me on because of that,” Morais said. “Learn to pritorize what’s important to allocate your time, but also to enjoy it. Like it’s only four years of your life, so enjoy the time and H.

from page 23

The Flames started off strong with a double that brought in a run in the first inning. The Miner’s offense rose to the challenge with a runs batted in (RBI)single from Richard to tie the game. The game was tied once again at the end of the fifth inning following RBI doubles from LU and UTEP making the score 2-2.

The Flames got a one-run lead as the tied game neared its end in the seventh inning. Despite being down 2-3, the Miners persevered through. After Morales got a walk, Richard hit a triple to right field that drove Morales home, tying the game again.

In an exciting fashion, the Miners walked off the game with a single from senior Marjin Crouwel that allowed Richard to score.

The Sunday game brought the Miner’s conference wins to 10, the first time since 2019, and clinched a ticket to the C-USA post-season tournament, according to a press release.

The Miners will head off to Kentucky to play Western Kentucky University from May 3-5 to finish the regular season.

Melissa Herrera is a contributor and may be reached at mherrera36@miners.utep.edu

the men’s 800-meter, even coming into the meet ranked No.1 in C-USA.

UTEP will host the 2024 C-USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Kidd Field in El Paso, Texas, from May 10-12.

H. Catching Marginot is a contributor and may be reached at hcmarginot@miner.utep.edu

Senior Javelin thrower Arianne Morais readies her javelin to throw across the field. Photo by H. Catching Marginot/The Prospector

Pitcher Taja Feler winds up the ball in preparation for the pitch.

Photo by Joel Molina/The Prospector

SOFTBALL

UTEP track and field completed their regular season in Tuscon, Ariz, competing in the Arizona Desert Heat Classic, April 27. Photo courtesy of UTEP Athletics

Jane Asinde: From court to commencement

both on and off the hardwood.

As the final buzzer sounds on her collegiate basketball journey,

Growing up, Asinde says she was a shy girl in Kampala, Uganda, bullied for being quiet and taller than the other kids. Through playing basketball and meeting other people who were her height, Asinde’s confidence began to

Asinde found her passion for basketball that was ignited by her older sister, who represented Uganda on the national women’s basketball team. Through her sister’s connection, Asinde was introduced to a coach in the United States, marking the beginning of her basketball

She joined the UTEP basketball team in August 2023, but before she had played at Wichita State in Kansas for two years, Asinde played in 60 games and was a starter for 53 of them. During her sophomore year, she played at Grayson College. Asinde said when she visited UTEP she knew immediately that it was the place where she wanted to finish her collegiate basketball career.

“When I came to UTEP for a visit I immediately fell in love with

the place,” Asinde said.

“The environment kind of resembles back home. I also went to Track One when I came to visit, and I loved the chicken, and I was like you know what? I gotta be here.”

During her time at UTEP Asinde played in the forward position. As a senior, she was a Third Team All-Conference selection, averaging a team-high 13.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. She also had 26 blocks and 59 steals recorded during the season.

When asked what her favorite part of being on the UTEP basketball team was, she said it was meeting new people.

“Getting to meet my new teammates, people, and being coached by one of the greatest female coaches that has ever coached me,” Asinde said.

“The fans are amazing and they love so much. The best part about being on this team was that I was able to be myself.”

Asinde was a part of head coach Keitha Adams’ first team since she returned to UTEP. Even though Asinde only played one season with her, she said that coach Adams had a huge impact on her and taught her many important lessons on and off the court.

“I have learned a lot from coach Keitha Adams,” Asinde said.

“She is very goal oriented, and she knows what she wants. She makes

me want to be successful in what I do. She always pushed me to be the best that I can be, she knows that I can produce and get to the place that I need to be.”

The future is bright for Asinde, she said that she has been waiting for this day for a very long time.

Asinde will be graduating with a degree in general business, and she plans on opening a laundromat in Uganda with the business skills she learned in her classes.

After graduation, Asinde said she will be moving back home to Uganda to spend time with her family for a while and then she will play professionally wherever God needs

her. If she gets drafted into the WNBA she wants to play for the Los Angeles Aces, and if she plays in Europe she plans to play in Italy.

“I’ll miss my teammates, my coaches, the fans, the food, and everything about El Paso,” Asinde said.

“I want people to know that I am going to miss them and I love them, mostly the basketball fans for the women. They really have a special spot in my heart right now. I just want them to know that I appreciate them for going to the games.”

Alyson Rodriguez is a contributor and may be reached at prospector@utep.edu; @alyson_rod1127 on X

Special thanks to

e Prospector’s Graduation Issue Sponsors

Center for Accommodations and Support Services

College of Health Sciences

College of Liberal Arts

College of Engineering

College of Nursing

College of Science

Dean of Students

Housing and Residence Life

Office of International Programs and Study Abroad

Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Office of Student Fellowships and Awards

Office of The President

Recreational Sports Department

School of Pharmacy

Student Engagement and Leadership Center

Student Government Association

University Events

Union Services

Vice President for Student Affairs

Foward Jane Asinde attempts to shoot over the defense of LA Tech, Jan. 25. Photo by Joel Molina/The Prospector

Jane Asinde works the offense against MTSU Feb. 17. Photo by Joel Molina/The Prospector

CONGRATULATIONS TO UTEP’S

DOCTOR OF PHARMACY GRADUATING CLASS

Karla Amador

Rafael Angel Andazola

Cristina Aun

Brenda Priscilla Baca

Jose Bautista III

Aliyah Jade Brewer

Juan Carlos Calderon

Bryanna Alexandria Candelaria

Stephanie Annette Chavez

December Tunisia Crew

Ana Elizabeth Edwards

Nazareth Aide Fierro

Cesar Garcia

Janay Gaytan

Joshua Hernandez

Viviana Patricia Hernandez

Alice Nicole Herrera

Heather Lynn Howell

Karina Jasso

Delilah Marie Knapp

Bailey Lynn McFarland

Mar Isabella Medina

Josie Meza-Castro

Alonso Monarrez

Samantha Nieto

Stephen Phillip Nunez II

Danika Ortiz

Shaun Patrick Perches

Karla Prado

Cesar Alejandro Primo

Samantha Renae Ramirez

Valerie Gabrielle Reyes

Lizette Sanchez

Jaime Miguel Santiesteban

Jacqueline Rose Schwartz

Alyssa Lynn Trejo

Maria Cristabel Vazquez

Cristian Ruben Villalva

Jordan William Winfield