The Prospector 11 29 2022

Emily Autumn Velasquez, editor-in-chief

Parting ways with The Prospector

BY EMILY AUTUMN VELASQUEZ The Prospector

The day of saying goodbye to the University of Texas at El Paso has come and it is never one that I thought I would dread, at least not for the reasons I currently do. Sure, everyone fears the idea of starting a new career or forging a new path, but never did I fear that I would want to stay longer at a place that is focused on academics.

Upon reflection, my time at The Prospector has given me so much more than experience in the field of journalism. It has provided me with not only friends, family, and connections, but a place to leave behind a legacy. I never imagined that I would leave behind something as amazing as the staff I have formed today, nor did I ever think it would feel like leaving a piece of myself behind. I am so proud of every piece of work that I have contributed to this publication, and I know its success will continue even after I part ways with it.

In the Fall of 2021, I became the sports editor and it felt as if I had been thrown into a fire. I had never worked in a newsroom outside of high school yearbook and I was petrified. However, I found success with the help of my colleagues and decided to take the next step. At the end of May, I decided to apply for editor-in-chief and started my new position in June. Imagine my surprise when I was just as scared as when I first joined the publication.

There were plenty of stressful situations and late nights spent at the office in my time as editor-in-chief, having to find new team members to fill my staff and panicking when things were not working out as I intended. However, I would not take a single one back as it led me to the place and person I am today.

I would consider my time here a success and it is due to the people that helped me along the way.

Thank you to my family for providing me with the unconditional love and support necessary for me to embark on this adventure and find success in my time at UTEP.

From the rides to and from events to the reassurance offered when I

felt overwhelmed. I could not have done it without you. To my mom and my aunt Connie, your support throughout my life has allowed me to see that I could do whatever my heart desired, even if my mind changed a couple times along the way. My only hope is that I continue to make you proud in my future endeavors.

Thank you to my close friends outside of the publication that supported me and pushed me to be the best version of myself. You all offered me love and support in the best ways and I will forever be indebted to you for it.

Thank you, Nathaniel, for being the first person to hear me out when I wanted to pursue this journey and encouraging me to take the step and apply for editor-in-chief, it means more to me than you will ever know.

George and Crystal Enriquez, you two have become so important to me in such a short amount of time and I will never forget the way you

VOL. 108, No. 8 November 29, 2022

took me into your family with open arms or the way you exhibited such excitement when you found out about my new position at the paper. I am so lucky to have you guys in my corner and I truly cherish the bond we have.

Thank you to my previous adviser, Michelle Martinez Rivera. It is with your confidence and support in me that I found my love for journalism. Without your continued support and advice, I would never have been able to be half the person or journalist I am today.

Thank you, Itzel (Fifteen) Giron. There are not a lot of souls that are as pure and amazing as yours, and I am so lucky to have found not only an amazing reporter and multimedia editor in you, but also a best friend. The things you have done in your time here have been amazing and I cannot wait to see what you continue to do after I leave here.

You always talk about how hard it will be for you when I leave, but I have never talked about how hard it

is to be leaving you behind. Working and leading a successful publication with my best friend has been a pleasure I will cherish forever. I know in my absence you will do nothing short of amazing work. Thank you Victoria (Nicole) Almaguer. The day we met, also known as the day you addressed me by the wrong name, never did I imagine that we would get as close as we have. You have been my confidante, my light on a dark day and one of the greatest supporters during my time here. Every time I had doubts, you reassured me and reminded me I could do anything I set my mind to, and for that I am forever grateful to you.

Thank you, Maria L. Guerrero Duran. When I joined the editorial team here, I never thought we would get as close as we have, but in you I found a soundboard, someone to rely on, and someone who was always willing to listen and help in any capacity possible.

Seeing you grow as a writer and opening up with each passing day was a treasure to witness, but there was nothing that made me happier than seeing you grow an admiration for football. You are an amazing individual and an extremely hard worker, and I cannot wait to see what you do from here.

Thank you, Anahy Diaz, for being the role model that I never knew I needed. While my confidence was a red flag to you, the confidence you have in yourself and in me is one that I will forever thank you for. Seeing you make all your dreams come true, one step at a time, is the reason you are one of the biggest inspirations I have had the pleasure of meeting. I miss you every day, but I love knowing that if I ever need you, you are only a message away. Thank you, Victoria Rivas. You may be one of the smallest and most dramatic people I know, but in knowing you I have encountered one of the biggest hearts. Your contributions after a graceful exit in the spring meant more to me than you will ever know. I am so proud of you for juggling all that you have, and I cannot wait to see what you continue to do.

Thank you, Annabella Mireles.

SPEAK YOUR MIND!

ADMINISTRATION

CONTRIBUTORS

You are an astonishing photographer who happens to be not only a fashion icon, but a friend near and dear to my heart. I may not always show my love for you, but to begin to describe how much your friendship means to me puts me at a loss for words. You are a light every time you walk into the office and an amazing photo editor, I can’t wait to see where your photos take you.

Thank you, Veronica Gonzalez (and bestie llama). You and the front staff helped me with so much more than I could have ever anticipated and welcomed me into this position with open arms. Every step of the way you have supported me, guided me when necessary, listened to me, shaped me into the person I am today, and you have been an astonishing mentor whom I am grateful to have grown so close to.

Thank you, Tracy Roy, for being a major part of the person I have become in my last year at UTEP. Not only did you help shape me into an amazing editor, but you contributed to me becoming a better person. You never made me feel like any of my ideas were bad, even when they were, and you were here every step of the way.

Thank you, Isabel Castillo. Upon meeting you, you immediately intimidated me, and never did I think that we would develop such a strong bond. You have listened to me, even when I would talk in circles or make choices that you did not necessarily agree with. You are a mentor, someone I care for, and someone I will admire even after my departure.

Thank you, Amy Bocanegra. Your constant hard work around the office has never gone unnoticed by me. You are always willing to help in any capacity you can and for that, I am grateful. We both started working here at the same time and I enjoyed every moment we had together throughout my time here.

Thank you to the rest of my team: Fatima Alvarado, Maya Alvarado, Josie Avila, SalmaPaola Baca, Jasmin Campoya, Roman P. Carr, Gianluca Cuevas, Alberto Silva Fernandez, Eduardo A. Flores,

…and submit a letter for publication. Please include your full name, street address, telephone number and e-mail address, as well as your student major, classification and/or titile if applicable. Write to us at 105 E. Union, 500 W. University Ave. El Paso, TX 79968; email us at prospector@utep.edu, or call us to 747-5161.

Personal information (phone numbers and address) will be used for identification only. Letters are subject to editing to fit available space, clarity and brevity.

The Prospector is provided to students through student fees. First copy is free. Any additional copies, if available, must be purchased for $1 through the Department of Student Media and Publications. The Prospector is not responsible for claims made by advertisers. Additional policy information may be obtained by calling The Prospector at 915-747-5161. Opinions expressed in The Prospector are not necessarily those of the university.

Elisha

The real treasure is the friends we got to make along the way

BY KRISTEN SCHEAFFER The Prospector

As I am sitting here at my laptop, typing away at what may be the most sentimental piece I have writ ten for The Prospector, I cannot help but see the faces of my fellow writers. We all met and became friends because of our passion for words, news and photography. These students welcomed me when I, a non-native of El Paso, was trying to find a place with likeminded individuals who I could call friends. My first semester with the paper was the semester back after COVID-19. Julian, editor-inchief at the time, saw my potential and gave me a chance.

As my time progressed, I slowly became more acquainted with the others, and I will be forever grate ful for that. When I became staff reporter in my spring semester, I became more acquainted with each and every one of my coworkers. Some saw me cry, some heard me laugh, and I opened up to others.

I would not be able to shout out to everyone because this story would go on for more than 700 words, but I do want to reach out to those I have known since the beginning or worked closely with.

To Itzel and Emily, I will remem ber how you inspired me with your tenacity for your work. I was left in awe of how you two could juggle everything without breaking a sweat (or a nail). To Annabella, you were one of the first people to go out of your way to become my friend and you are one of the sweet est people I know. I will also be forever envious of your style.

To Maria and Katrina, you guys found a friend in me when I discov ered we shared a passion for books. You both are phenomenal people and will go on to do great things. Albert, you were the first person I cried to. You made me feel comfort able when things got stressful.

Alyson, my road trip buddy for life. Keep writing because your words will soar. To Eli, Josie, Brandy, and Ethan- I did not really get close with you guys until this semester, but I feel like we lost time because of it. Hopefully we cross paths again with the internship.

Emmanuel, Meagan, Jasmin and Roman, I am sorry we only got to know one another for the semester.

I enjoyed our conversations and I hope you guys thrive in your future endeavors and I will miss you.

Vero, Isa, and Amy, you guys have been an amazing support system for us as we tried to become stronger writers. You will be greatly missed.

Tracy, I already miss you and thank you for the one-on-ones we had when I was stressed. Last, but certainly not least, Professor Gan non, as my semester and my time at UTEP is coming to an end, I am realizing how much I have learned. I will probably still second-guess myself, but you pushed me to do things I was not sure I could do.

Maybe I should have said some thing more profound, but I am the person I am today because of the people around me. I wish I had space to say everything I am feeling. Every one of these people became my family away from home, and I could not ask for more in a com munity. With graduation around the corner, my family prepares to relocate and I will have to start over. I don’t know if I am ready, but I do know these guys have my back.

What the next chapter holds for me, I am not sure. I can only hope grad school is somewhere in the mix. It is now that I prep the essays, prepare the resumé, and ask around for letters of recommendation.

When all is said and done, El Paso taught me so much about family and community. I can only hope to take this with me on whatever my next big adventure is. I may not be a true El Pasoan by birth, but I am one by heart.

Kristen Scheaffer is a contributor and can be reached at kmscheaffer@miners.utep.edu.

Meagan Garcia, Angelica Gutier rez, Joel Molina, Elisha Nuñez, Rocio Rivera, Alyson Rodriguez, Karina Saldana, Kristen Schaefer, Emmanuel Rivas Valenzuela, So phia Villalobos, and last but by no means least, Katrina Villarreal.

All of you helped make my jour ney as editor-in-chief feel so easy, you have made the work we com pleted such a proud moment for me to look back on. If journalists like you continue to exist, I know the publication will continue to thrive and tell the stories that need to be heard. The memories, laughs and stories we can tell after this semester will be keepsakes I cherish forever.

In my year and a half at this publi cation, I have grown in many ways, both personally and professionally. I have become a better journalist, leader, person and friend. I will forever be indebted to The Prospec tor and can never truly express my solemn gratitude for it becoming the one place at UTEP where I felt both seen and heard. Everything that I have done in my time here has allowed me to feel ready to graduate and leave the publication in the hands of those after me.

As I prepare to embark on a new journey, I will end this column with a quote, rather than a goodbye.

“Be clear in your own mind as to what you stand for. And then stand up for it,” said Bill Walsh, one of the greatest coaches in National Football League history.

Emily Autumn Velasquez is the editor-in-chief and may be reached at eavelasquez@miners.utep.edu; @ byemilyautumn on Instagram; @emilyautumn20 on Twitter.

“Every one of these people became my family away from home, and I could not ask for more in a community.”

Kristen Scheaffer Contributor, The Prospector

Saying goodbye is a chance to say ‘thank you’ for it all

BY TRACY ROY The Prospector

Goodbyes are an opportunity to express gratitude to those to whom you are bidding farewell. It is exceedingly difficult to leave my role as assistant director and edito rial adviser in Student Media and Publications, and there is simply no good time to depart from my students. The timing would be ter rible whether it was in two weeks or two years.

By the time you read this, I will al ready be gone to my new town and new role. I have a wonderful op portunity in Albuquerque to work as a magazine editor, which will allow me to live in the same town as my husband, spend more time with my children and take care of other responsibilities. While it is difficult to leave a job I love, the change is necessary to set up my life in a way that functions better for everyone in it. I want to take a moment to give a nod to the wonderful students and talented professionals I have had the pleasure of working with during my time at UTEP.

When I first started at UTEP, Claudia “Gigi” Flores was at the helm of the student newsroom as editor-in-chief, and to this day, her leadership, creativity and kindness shine as she completes a gradu ate degree in creative writing. She helped me build trust with the students as a first-time student media adviser; some of the other students were most certainly unsure of me. Daniel “Curley” Mendez as sports editor kept everyone laughing through the change, and I remember coaching the students through a Trump rally in which Beto stumped across the street. The talented Brianna Chavez, now a reporter for KVIA ABC-7 in El Paso, worked with me until nearly midnight on her story. It was an extremely chaotic day.

Of that first group, Isaiah Ramirez was a steady presence as a sports reporter and was here longer than most. Another longtime sports re porter who will be missed is Daniel “Danny” Alec Lopez. This is where I also need to mention sports editor Michael Cuviello. He was a huge presence during my time here, and although I was in the mentorship role to the students, Michael men tored me plenty of times as well. He is a good person and a great friend. Valeria Olivares, Grecia Sánchez, Marisol Chávez, and Maria Ramos Pacheco were exceptional women and leaders in the newsroom dur ing my time as adviser. I will never forget the trio of Victoria “Vicky” Almaguer, Glenda Avalos, and Noah Sarabia. Vicky continues to be a welcomed presence in the office, often visiting and mentoring the current staff. Paulina Spencer, Alexia X. Nava Carmona, Sasha Minjarez, and Noelia Gonzalez made their mark on me in those

early days, as well. One editor-inchief, the particularly impressive Bryan Mena, went on to intern at The San Francisco Chronicle, The Texas Tribune in Washington, D.C., and is now a reporter for The Wall Street Journal. Former podcast manager and multimedia editor Margaret Cataldi holds a special place in my heart; she is not only talented but super cool. I wish her the very best life has to offer.

Former editor-in-chief Julian Herrera had a gentle presence and endless amounts of patience that were necessary instruments in the newsroom during our transition back to the in-person learning. The lovely Victoria Rivas has gone on to graduate school and graciously continues to contribute her perfect prose. Just last semester, designer extraordinaire Hugo Hinojosa and now-NBC News Page and Top Ten Senior Anahy Diaz earned their Student Media and Publications stoles through our freshly minted departmental curriculum.

There are not enough words and not enough space for me to say everything I would like to the current staff at The Prospector and Minero Magazine. To the editorsin-chief of The Prospector and Minero Magazine this semester – Emily Autumn Velasquez and Brandy Ruiz, respectively – I have so much respect for you both. I see you as natural leaders and I have no reservations about leaving the lead ership of the publications squarely in your hands as I depart. The rest of you have received my comments individually and I have gathered all your numbers to keep in touch, but overall, I want to say something to the group. Fatima Alvarado, Gibel Amado, Josie Avila, SalmaPaola Baca, Diego Ballesteros, Jasmin Campoya, Roman Carr, Carlos Castro, Gianluca Cuevas, Alberto Silva Fernandez, Eduardo Flores, Abril Garcia, Meagan Garcia, Itzel Giron, Maria L. Guerrero Duran, Angelica Gutierrez, Annabella Mireles, Joel Molina, Elisha Nuñez, Christopher Renteria, Alyson Rodriguez, Yoali Rodriguez, Karina Saldana, Kristen Schaeffer, Em manuel Rivas Valenzuela, Ethan Thomas, Sophia Villalobos, Katrina Villarreal and Brianne Williams: I adore every one of you and I thank you for being here. It is admirable

that you have taken the steps to get experience and bolster your future careers through working at Student Media and Publications.

I would like to thank Amy Bo canegra for being such an organized administrative leader in the depart ment. You do a lot, and your hard work is appreciated. Isabel Castillo, thank you for your never-ending patience and moral support. You have known me since my early 20s and through all my changes as well as all the different scenarios we have encountered in the department, you are always there with your infinite wisdom and steady help. I will miss you tremendously.

Veronica Gonzalez, you have been the most amazing boss. It truly could not have been a better experience with you at the helm of this department. I have watched the students turn to you time and again for everything under the sun, and you never waver in your com mitment to them. You are patient, helpful, empathetic, and above all, always kind. Over the 20 years I have known you, you have always been understanding, thoughtful and caring toward everyone. Your reliability and patience – not just with the students but the staff, too – are unparalleled. I admire you. Thank you for everything and I will miss you.

I will cherish the experience I have had here at UTEP and in this role and will be forever grateful for the opportunity to serve students.

Tracy Roy was the editorial adviser and may not be reached at trroy@utep.edu

A farewell letter from talented Joel Molina

BY JOEL MOLINA The Prospector

When you graduate high school, if you desire to go to college then you know what your next step in life is, but after you graduate college unless you have something lined up right away, it may be the first time in your life that you do not know what is next, and that is where I am at in my life.

I am unsure of what the next step is, but I am sure it is just the next part of the journey. A journey that I feel extremely lucky to have inter twined with the University of Texas at El Paso and The Prospector.

My journey began when I read my first book and watched my very first movie. I remember being impressed with how transportive they each were, even at a young age. While I cannot say I knew I wanted to be a storyteller then, it was some thing that I feel was engrained in my mind from that moment on. It was not until I started my journey at UTEP that I was fully able to realize that storytelling was the pathway I wanted to take.

Although my time at UTEP was not a normal one due to CO VID-19, the multimedia journal ism program helped me express my desire for storytelling in multiple ways. I got to learn from professors who have years of experience in the journalism field and I was able to pick up skills and techniques that I will use for the rest of my career.

As college students or students of anything for that matter, we have a vast knowledge of how stressful class can be when you have a sub stantial amount of work, incredibly high-weight exams or short dead lines. I sure could complain a lot about it, but if I could do it all over again and make the experience any easier, I would not because I would be doing a disservice to myself. Al though it did not seem like it at the time, those hard times were helping prepare me for the future and I feel all the better for it now.

If I have one regret in my college

career, it would be not joining The Prospector sooner. In the short time I was a part of it, I was able to put what I learned in class to use, and I was able to work with and learn from some of the most talented and brilliant people whom I am excited to see what the future has in store for.

I still remember the first time my name was published on a story. My parents and I were excited to see something that I had worked on and that was a feeling I will never forget. While it is my regret I did not join sooner, I am sure glad that I decided to turn in the application and join. It will always be a point of my life I look back fondly at and will not take for granted. When I find success in my career, I will owe that success to The Prospector and the incredible people there.

Four years go by in the blink of an eye, it feels like it was just yesterday that I was at my UTEP new stu dent orientation. The cliché thing to say is that you should savor every moment because you can never get it back. I for one have heard that a lot and I always find when you are in the moment, that is not what you want to hear. Once you get out of that moment, however, you realize that you should have savored it. So, I am going to say the cliché thing and tell you to savor each and every moment, whether you are in college or not, because it truly goes by quicker than you think .

Joel Molina is a photographer and may be reached at jmolina16@miners.utep.edu.

“I will cherish the experience I have had here at UTEP and in this role and will be forever grateful for the opportunity to serve students.”

Tracy Roy, Former Prospector Editorial Advisor

UTEP graduate is a hero in the making

BY ALYSON RODRIGUEZ The Prospector

UTEP nursing student David Moreno is one of the many students graduating during this fall com mencement. Moreno is ready to serve in the workforce and pursue a career of serving his community, which he already has extensive experience in doing.

Moreno is majoring in nursing and minoring in aerospace studies. He was inspired to become a nurse after seeing his mom pursue the selfless career during his childhood. He began pursuing this dream by attending Silva Health Magnet High School where he received his Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification.

“I can’t believe that I’m at this point now,” Moreno said. “It’s kind of crazy to think how far I’ve come, knowledge and skill wise.”

The nursing program is one of the most intense and competitive programs one can go through at UTEP. The curriculum includes countless hours of studying pharmaceuticals, interventions, procedures and participating in clinicals to utilize and practice the skills learned in the classroom.

When Moreno is not tackling the classes in his degree plan, he is an active member of UTEP’s Air Force ROTC detachment 505, originally based out of NMSU, but UTEP

has a wing as well.

“I’m basically contracted to work as a nurse in the Air Force starting in Oct. 2023,” Moreno said. “One of my best friends and mentors essentially told me that I should really consider the military if I was looking for that brother/sisterhood and that desire to serve beyond what a normal nurse would do. It’s a career of servitude. I just wanted

something else. I also wanted to do battlefield nursing and more dangerous opportunities.”

Moreno likes to challenge himself physically and mentally. Aside from studying to be a nurse, being a certi fied EMT and a member of the Air Force, Moreno is also a volunteer firefighter in his spare time.

Moreover, Moreno enjoyed living regular college experiences such

as studying in the library with his classmates and attending tailgates with his friends.

“Some of my favorite memories have definitely been going to the tailgates with my best friends,” Moreno said. “Lots of really funny memories I have include being with my nursing group in the library. We basically lived there for two and a half years and lots of funny

conversations were had there. I’m definitely going to miss hanging out with my nursing group and suffer ing and stressing together.”

The future is bright for Moreno. His future plans include saving lives, serving in the Air Force and learning in critical care settings. His dream is to be in flight nursing in the Air Force, which consists of critical care transport teams. He re ally wants to be a part of the special operation’s surgical team.

People who are a part of this elite team are trained in combat opera tions, techniques and medicine and use their skills to help victims on the battlefield. After accomplish ing that, he would like to go back to school and become a CRNA, which is a nurse anesthetist.

“Take accountability and owner ship over your life,” Moreno said.

“If you dig yourself into a hole or put yourself where you find yourself in a negative situation and you con stantly blame other people for your circumstances then you are putting yourself in a powerless position.

By taking ownership and account ability of the situation you’re in and saying ‘okay, I put myself in this hole and I can get myself out’ then you are giving yourself the power to make the changes necessary. That method of thinking completely changed my outlook on life.”

Alyson Rodriguez is a staff reporter and may be reached at aerodriguez20@miners.utep.edu; @alyson_rod1127 on Twitter.

OF TEXAS AT EL PASO 2022 Fall Commencement

DON HASKINS CENTER

Nursing student David Moreno is ready to serve in the workforce and pursue a career in the medical field.

Photo by Annabella Mireles/The Prospector

UTEP grad stems into the field

BY ANNABELLA MIRELES The Prospector

According to the scholarly article “Running out of STEM,” there has been a high rate at which students in the science, technology, engi neering and math departments drop out.

However, students like biochem istry major Stephanie Chavez are going against those odds and graduating this Fall.

Chavez says that UTEP has helped her toward her goals of be coming a physician and neurologist.

Chavez says that UTEP’s Fresh man Year Research Intensive Sequence (FYRIS) helped her achieve a lot in only her first year as a college student.

“I got to be in a lab and work un der Professor Narayan for a whole year,” Chavez said. “I was able to get published in a paper, and I don’t think any other freshman can prob ably say they’ve been published like that, and that’s one of the things that I’m very grateful for at UTEP.”

Chavez was published in the National Library of Medicine for a collaborative piece titled “Nanocar riers as Potential Drug Delivery Candidates for Overcoming the Blood-Brain Barrier: Challenges and Possibilities.”

While taking part in research with several professors and being a biochemistry student.

Chavez stresses the importance of joining organizations, and how they fulfilled her college experience.

“I feel like we’re like a hidden gemstone, but there’s so much go ing on in this university,” Chavez said. “We’re a commuter school, and people come to class and then they just go home, but if you get involved and you join clubs or organizations, you’re going to have a blast and get so much out of it.”

Chavez was a part of organiza tions such as the Miner Ambassa dor’s program, the American Medi cal Student Association (AMSA) and the Minority Association for Pre-Medical Students (MAPS).

Chavez says she plans on going to Paul L. Foster School of Medicine or another medical school to help her achieve her career goals.

Chavez says she was inspired to become a neurologist due to her medical history.

“I had brain surgery during the Spring of 2020,” Chavez said. “It was just a cyst, nothing crazy, but I was just so fascinated on how they were able to go into my brain through my nose. I just think it’s awesome how this tiny little thing

that’s only a few centimeters big can have this huge impact on your entire body. I was undecided on what I wanted to do in the medical field before this, but this made me realize what I wanted to do.”

Chavez says that El Paso and other communities are medically underserved. She wants to continue her education in order to be able to educate people on what is happen ing with their bodies and help them get the treatment they need.

Since she is graduating, Chavez wanted to share some advice, specifically for other STEM majors, who are going through a tough time finishing up their degrees.

“You’re not alone,” Chavez said. “The Pre-Med field is so competi tive, and you want to try to be this perfect person on paper, but there’s no such thing. If that’s what you want to do, keep working towards it and keep pushing through because at the end of the day, it’s going to work out, and then you’ll look back and think about how easy that class was and ask yourself why you were crying about it. You have to remember there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”

UTEP staff member makes impact in human resources

BY KRISTEN SCHEAFFER The Prospector

David Sanchez, Training and Development Consultant in Human Resources at the Univer sity of Texas at El Paso, has been holding workshops on emotional intelligence and building stronger interpersonal relationships.

An El Paso native, Sanchez, got his professional start because he became a father so young.

Sanchez said that he was resistant to any kind of assistance at the time. It was not until a case worker that was working with his wife rec ognized how good of a dad he was and asked him to help as a educator to fatherhood.

“I’m a proud dad, happy husband, can’t complain,” Sanchez said. “But that’s how I got my professional start with, because again, somebody saw something in me.”

After doing fatherhood education, Sanchez moved to the non-profit sector at the Child Crisis Center of El Paso, where the focus was on abuse and neglect. He would do presentations for the community and for high school students on child abuse prevention.

During this time, he worked on his education, earning both his bachelors and his masters at the University of Phoenix. He later went into studying substance abuse trends before coming to UTEP.

When he began at UTEP and started training for the campus, he talked about some books that were given to him and the one that made

an impact was called “Emotional Intelligence 2.0.” He felt like there was something about emotional intelligence that needed to be explored more.

“I really started in ‘99 and here we are in 2020, about 20 years later, and I’ve still found that in order to connect with people, you have to connect with them emotionally,” Sanchez said.

He breaks down how emotional intelligence can build a better work environment and makes people more socially aware of others. Ac cording to Sanchez, he tries to seek out understanding when interact ing with others.

“I’ve always been a big advocate that personal experience and sto rytelling really connects,” Sanchez said. “It always connected with parents to know that ‘David was going through the same thing that I

was going through,’ ‘If David could do it, I could do it.’”

Sanchez says that having that empathy to understand how we interact with one another can be beneficial. He adds that everyone will struggle, but the goal is to learn how to respond instead of reacting. With graduation on the horizon, Sanchez has one message for those about to cross the stage.

“Stay focused and don’t ever feel like you’re not worthy enough to be in the role or the position that you have set forth for yourself to do,” Sanchez said. “The reason for that is because there’s going to be times where you might not feel like you’re going to achieve what you set out to achieve and you’re not reaching your personal goal, or maybe you set that goal too high.”

Scheaffer is a contributor and may be reached at kmscheaffer@miners.utep.edu.

Graduates search for jobs after graduation

BY SOPHIA VILLALOBOS The Prospector

Before Carlos Yanar gradu ated from UTEP with a degree in finance, he knew he would have to start his search for jobs in order to start his career. In El Paso, there is a lot of competition for higher pay ing jobs, but not enough positions.

“After graduating, I thought I wouldn’t have any problem getting a finance job,” Yanar said. “Finding a job became the least of my prob lems when I realized even getting interviews is a challenge.”

It takes the average college grad three to six months to find employ ment after graduation, according to the University of Washington.

The Department of Numbers in Texas reported El Paso’s Cur rent Employment Statistics (CES)

employment reached its peak of 329,900 in July. According to the employer survey, 3,100 jobs had been lost in El Paso in that time.

Carlos said that he does not find it that hard to find new jobs here in El Paso due to the technological advances that have opened new op portunities for future generations, but he emphasized that the real struggle is to find a job that you like and matches your career goals.

For students experiencing difficul ty finding a job, the Career Center at UTEP is there to provide assis tance on student’s career goals. The center helps UTEP students, before and after graduation, to jumpstart their career and not go into the career world lost or confused.

Sophia Villalobos is a contributor and may be reached at svillalobos13@miners.utep.edu

Annabella Mireles is the photo editor and may be reached at aamireles@miners.utep.edu or @ photographybyannabella on Instagram.

Chavez plans on going to Paul L. Foster School of Medicine to achieve her goals of becoming a physician and a neurologist.

Photo by Annabella Mireles/The Prospector

Kristen

David Sanchez is a training and development consultant in human resources at UTEP. Photo by Jasmin Campoya/The Prospector

According to the University of Washington, it takes the average college graduate three to six months to find employment following graduation.

Alberto Silva Fernandez/The Prospector File Photo

Preparing grads for a competitive field

BY EDUARDO A. FLORES The Prospector

Many students have questioned at one point in their lives what will happen after receiving their diploma and walking the stage.

The University of Texas at El Paso has maintained the goal of helping every student succeed and prepare them for their future.

Volunteering, studying abroad and internships are just some examples of the opportunities that UTEP offers to students before they graduate to explore their curiosity and passions in fun and rewarding experiences.

The UTEP Office of Scholarships offers several resources for finding funding to help graduating seniors continue their college education through graduate school.

ScholarMine is the official portal created for students to apply for different scholarship opportunities available according to their major.

In addition, clubs and organiza tions play a key role in making connections with other students, faculty and staff being beneficial for every student.

“The Student Engagement & Leadership Center oversees 200+ registered student organizations on campus that range from com munity service to academic(s), fraternities and sororities, recre ational clubs and more,” according to UTEP Student Engagement &

Leadership Center website.

The University Career Center as sists students during and after their undergraduate years.

Some services include résumé reviews, job search assistance, interview coaching, on-campus and virtual mock interviews, career closet and employer contacts.

Earlier this year, UTEP and Grow with Google partnered with the HSI Career Readiness Program to prepare students to pursue digital-skill-based jobs through career workshops and counseling, programs about design thinking, project management and profes sional brand building.

The alumni career services pro vided by the Career Center feature resources and essential information which can help students through out the application process for graduate school or a prospective place of employment.

In the same way, career fairs are hosted throughout the city and even remotely.

School districts, local businesses, state and national organizations and world companies are constantly seeking recent graduates to fit their goals. The UTEP Alumni Association provides mentorship to prepare graduating students for a successful transition into their careers.

“The UTEP Alumni Mentoring Program is designed to provide our students with an opportunity to de velop and enhance their awareness of professionalism in the workplace, employer expectations, and be haviors that lead to career success,” according to a statement released by the UTEP Alumni Association.

Most jobs across the United States require more than a decent GPA to be part of their team.

Experience from previous posi tions is a plus when companies hunt for employees. As a result, ref erences and letters of recommenda tion are necessary for companies to decide who is the better candidate.

A. Flores is a contributor and may be reached at eaflores17@miners.utep.edu; @eduardo_aa_flores on Instagram; @floreseduardo on Twitter.

Ticketmaster vs. Swift fans

BY MEAGAN GARCIA The Prospector

When it comes to artists and the concerts they host across the globe, there is no one more dedicated to ticket-buying than fans. However, this whole process can be ruined by those that sell tickets based on unfair and unmonitored sales.

Ticketmaster in particular is in hot water with Taylor Swift fans after her tickets went on sale Nov. 15. For her Eras tour, sales aimed to work with a presale verification process prior to a Capital One and general sale to ensure “true fans” got tickets.

However this led to resulted in line for hours, people getting kicked out of line, multiple card charges, site crashes and the cancel ling of the general public sale.

Fans flooded social media with complaints about the flaws within their system and demanded change or outside regulation on what seems to be a growing monopoly according to the New York Times.

All people can do now is wait to see how Ticketmaster aims to remedy this situation.

“It’s really difficult for me to trust an outside entity with these relationships and loyalties, and excruciating for me to just watch mistakes happen with no recourse.” Swift said on Instagram.

Meagan Garcia is the arts & culture editor and may be reached at megarcia19@miners.utep.edu.

THE UTEP STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM (SSSP)

Congratulates our 2022 Graduating Class

Eduardo

UTEP students can visit the University Career Center to receive help with resume reviews, job search assistance, interview coaching, on-campus and virtual mock interviews, career closet, and employer contacts. Graphic by Fatima Alvarado

UTEP students learn skills at Google Workshop

BY ALYSON RODRIGUEZ The Prospector

UTEP students got to experi ence and learn alongside Googlers at the first UTEP + HOLA@ Cloud Google Cloud Hero event. The event was hosted by the new student organization, Google Developer Student Club, from 10 a.m. to 2 pm., Nov. 18 at the El Paso Natural Gas Center.

“We are focusing on machine learning and data analytics to help students get familiarized with cloud computing and all of the things that they can do with data manipu lation,” said David Gamez, Vice President of the Google Developer Student Club at UTEP.

There was a total of about 90 students from different majors in attendance of the event.

The event included a gamified experience with Google experts to bring together developers from different backgrounds to learn about Google Cloud technologies through friendly competition.

“We are here in partnership with the Google Developers Student Club who is leading the Cloud Hero Event,” said Arely Silva, Cam pus Outreach Program Manager for Hispanic Serving Institutions at Google. “This event is going to teach you the skills that you need to not only be successful in your in

terview but also in the rest of your career as well. Specifically, within Cloud that is growing.”

Gamez explains that Google reached out to them to establish the Google Developer Student Club.

With the help and sponsorship of Google, the club was able to host this event.

Eight Googlers from out of town were in attendance to give expo sure into the industry and provide networking opportunities with professionals.

Gun control pressure

BY VICTORIA RIVAS Guest Contributor

Weeks after the midterm elec tions, national concern and discus sions for gun reform have risen after multiple shootings have occurred across the country.

Two days before Thanksgiving, Tuesday, Nov. 22, six people were killed and six were injured after a Walmart manager opened fire against his co-workers before a rou tine employee meeting in Chesa peake, Virginia.

Around 50 customers were inside the store at the time of the shoot ing.

The gunman, Andre Bing, 31, later shot himself to death and left a note claiming his co-workers were mocking him.

The Walmart shooting happened nine days after another shooting where three football players were killed and two people were injured. It occured after a fellow student and former football player opened fire when the group of students re turned to the University of Virginia (UVA) campus from a field trip.

Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., 22, has been arrested for the UVA shooting as of Nov. 13, but his mo tives are still unknown.

President Biden signed a biparti san gun safety bill June 25, the first major gun safety legislation passed by Congress in three decades.

The bill includes stricter back ground checks for buyers between 18 and 21, funding for mental health programs and states purview to implement red flag laws and ban people convicted of domestic abuse from owning a firearm.

Despite the significant gun

reform, Biden announced that his administration would continue to take greater action and address gun control amid the recent shootings.

“Jill (Biden) and I grieve for those families, for the Chesapeake community, and for the Com monwealth of Virginia, which just suffered a terrible shooting at the University of Virginia this month,” said Biden in a statement.

Saturday, Nov. 19, five people were killed and at least 25 were injured in Colorado Springs, Colo rado after a gunman opened fire inside an LGBTQ+ nightclub.

According to AP News, Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, has been arrested for the shooting at Club Q and is being held without bond. The sus pect had been previously arrested in connection to a bomb threat.

Biden responded in a statement and called this attack a “horrific hate violence” and promised to fight for the protection of the LGBTQ+ community as he remembered the similar shooting in Orlando, Florida, six years ago.

“Places that are supposed to be safe spaces of acceptance and cele bration should never be turned into places of terror and violence,” Biden said. “Yet it happens far too often. We must drive out the inequities that contribute to violence against LGBTQI+ people. We cannot and must not tolerate hate.”

Despite the recent shootings, a survey conducted by Gallup shows 57 percent of adults support stricter gun laws, a decrease from 66 per cent in June.

Victoria Rivas is a guest contributor and may be reached at vrivas7@miners.utep.edu; @VicRivas_18 on Twitter.

“This workshop can be for any major,” Gamez said. “No matter what your background is, you have the opportunity to learn these skills

for yourself. These skills are very valuable because machine learning and artificial intelligence is getting into every industry in the market

right now.”

Students who registered for the Google Cloud Hero event were given ‘Google swag.’

The merchandise included a Google tote bag, water bottle, notebook, pen and stickers.

Free food and snacks were also provided throughout the event.

“I think this event is a great op portunity to see what the workforce is really like,” said Javier Vasquez, junior in computer science. “It gives you an insight on the resources available with google and it’s also really fun. It has been a great experi ence so far. ”

As Vice President, Gamez shared the impact these types of work shops can have on students.

“The big goal is to give students exposure to these skills so that they can gain confidence when they are applying to these big tech compa nies,” Gamez said. “It feels amazing to be able to help students get into internships and full-time roles. I am really grateful for the opportunity to help others ultimately.”

The Google Developer Student Club at UTEP will be hosting more workshops and events in the future.

To learn more about the Google Developer Student Club, follow them on Instagram @gdscutep.

Alyson Rodriguez is a staff reporter and may be reached at aerodriguez20@miners.utep.edu; @alyson_rod1127 on Twitter.

The scandal behind coalitions

BY MARIA L. GUERRERO DURAN The Prospector

Editor’s note: This is the third of a three-part series on the reasoning and the impact of climate change protests through attacks on art.

The Just Stop Oil coalition has been continuously striking to bring attention from the British govern ment to stop the new fossil fuel licensing and production. Strangely enough, after the coalition was founded Feb. 14, and the move ment started getting attention from the media, they received fundings from none other than the heiress of Getty Oil.

American oil heiress, Aileen Getty is granddaughter to J. Paul Getty, oil tycoon and founder of the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. According to the Art Newspaper, Aileen Getty co-founded the non-profit Climate Emergency Fund and has donated $1 million dollars to Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion.

Having this new information, skepticism towards the movement has increased. The vandalism at art museums has been deeply criti cized and has placed the coalition in a slimy situation, now that it is publicly known.

Despite Getty Oil owning a museum in the United States, many of the institutions being targeted in Europe have ties to the oil industry. As a way of protecting the artwork and cutting ties with the industry, institutions such as the National Portrait Gallery would cease receiv ing funds from British Petroleum, according to the Art Newspaper. Funding provided by Getty comes directly from her foundation, the

Aileen Getty Foundation; Accord ing to their website, “Supports or ganizations and individuals around the world committed to responding to the climate emergence and treat ing our planet and its inhabitants with kindness and respect.”

More coalitions have been follow ing the example of Just Stop Oil in the European Union, one of them being Letzte Generation, German for “Last Generation.” The protest ers from this group threw oil over a Gustav Klimt painting Nov. 15 at the Leopold Museum in Vienna.

The group tweeted on their profile, “new oil and gas wells are a death sentence for humanity.”

One of the arguments made by art historian, Anne Perry, questioned the action plan of these coalitions and argued that direct attacks to collections purchased by robber

barons would be more effective. The attack to Klimt’s “Death and Life” painting is an example of how they have started doing just that.

The Leopold Museum in Vi enna has been partnering with the Austrian oil, gas and petrochemical company Austrian Mineral Oil Administration Stock Company (OMV). The company has listed on their website several art institutions with whom they have been partners for many years.

As the protests continue to hap pen around Europe, and donors continue to donate to amend their actions through financial gifts, the big incognita remains to hang on the mind of many spectators, “How will the arts solve the problem?”

Enviornmental activist group named Just Stop Oil coalition attempts to bring attention from the British government to stop new fossil fuel licensing and production. Photo courtesy of Matt Hrkac/Flickr

TOP: David Gamez, Vice President of the Google Developer Student Club and Arley Silva after the event.

BELOW: Tote bags with Google products were given to those who participated in the workshop Nov 18. Photos by Gianluca Cuevas/The Prospector

Grads recall the best words of advice from professors

BY JOSIE AVILA The Prospector

Seniors are preparing to say good bye to the University of Texas at El Paso at the upcoming commence ment. This moment can be bit tersweet for students as many leave friends behind, student organiza tions or their on-campus job.

However, many graduates will be able to take something away with them for the rest of their lives, words of advice from their profes sors. This story highlights three graduating seniors and the best piece of advice they received from a professor in their time at UTEP.

Digital media production senior, Adrian Soto, reflected on the en couraging words his professors gave him throughout his college journey.

According to Soto, his profes sors told him “Keep going. You’re going to come up with ideas that will be rejected out there (in the film industry) but there’s so much opportunity out there. Just don’t let any of that stuff stop you.”

Digital media will be Soto’s sec ond bachelor’s degree. His first one was in criminal justice, and after working in the field for five years, he grew dissatisfied with his career.

After the stress of not liking his career overwhelmed him, he knew he had to do something about it.

“I felt like I had another call. I wanted to pursue my passion, and something that I love is film. I just love creating videos, editing sound and simply talking about the film in general. I’m ready to become a creator of something,” Soto said.

Although Soto wished he had realized this sooner, his professor’s

advice reassured him it was okay to chase after what he loves.

Naomi Posada, a psychology ma jor and soon to be graduate shared that one of her professors asked to speak to her after class.

Although she was nervous at first, the conversation consisted of her professor recognizing the good work she was doing in class and encouraging her to work in a research lab.

“I felt really honored because he is a really good professor. It kind of pushed me to see my worth,” Posa da said. “It also gave me confidence in my major because I doubted myself and it definitely confirmed that I did belong there.”

Moreover, Posada said her profes sor’s words pushed her to believe

in herself and go after opportuni ties she had not otherwise deemed herself qualified for.

If you are a computer science, computer engineering, or electri cal engineering major, you may be familiar with the microprocessor systems class.

According to Fernando Salinas, an electrical engineering senior, both times he took this course he noticed it started with about 80 students at the beginning.

Toward the end, the class would end up with about 25 students because of its high drop rate.

“Many people quit engineering after failing it once. I ended up fail ing it,” Salinas said.

When he failed it, Salinas decided to re-enroll for the course and

recalls his professor telling him, “Always give it your best. Even if you fail, get up and try it again.” This piece of advice helped him pass the second time around.

“I gave it my all the second time and got a B which is really good, considering most people quit because it is really hard. Two of my friends ended up switching majors,” Salinas said.

Upon passing the course, Salinas felt great relief and says those words from his professor contributed to being able to walk the stage.

Getting advice throughout college can be just as important as studying for your next exam when struggling or feeling uncertain.

Josie Avila is the audience and engagement editor and can be reached at jaavila16@miners.utep.edu; Joseline Avila on LinkedIn.

Showing class pride with a class ring

BY ELISHA NUNEZ The Prospector

From high school to college graduations, there are plenty of ways for graduates to keep memo ries or souvenirs from their times at school. One way is by buying a class ring, which can be customized with symbols or achievements that tell you and other people about your identity during your time in school. Now, as graduation comes closer and closer, some students may be asking themselves whether to purchase one right now.

The tradition of the class ring is deeply rooted in the United States, making it a predominantly American practice. According to Fashionista, the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, was the first institu tion to have students graduate and take class rings with them in 1835.

From there, the new trend began to spread throughout the country and is now a tradition with colleges and high schools across the U.S.

At first, class rings were uni form in design and pertained to

the school one graduated from. Today, these rings can be person ally customized and designed with symbols or other things pertaining to a student’s accomplishments and student identity.

“From a dull wax model to final gleaming product, each personal ized ring takes dozens of workers, each a master in their step of the process, dozens of hours to com

plete,” said Gary Scheaffer, a former Jostens employee. “No ring leaves the factory without assuring it meets the customers specification.”

Signifying ones’ time at their institution and other details of their academic journey, the class ring is a symbol itself.

Tying into the tradition of wearing rings, the class ring is also supposed to go on the ring finger of

the right hand, that way it will not be confused with the ring finger on the left hand.

According to “The Complete Book of Etiquette” by Amy Vander bilt, the insignia on the ring is also supposed to face outward so that people can easily see it.

The U.S. is not the only country in the world with traditions for alumni who keep their school memories with them after gradu ation. In the United Kingdom, graduates of their school or military unit will wear the necktie that belonged to said institution. In Canada, the class rings are more like gold bands, and signify a more intimate relationship between a graduate and their alma mater.

There are plenty of options for graduates to show their school pride and the relationship they carry with it. Class rings are just one of the many ways people can show others about the school they went to, segments of their student identity and the memories they made during the time spent there.

Elisha Nunez Is a staff reporter and may be reached at egnunez2@miners.utep.edu.

The unknown pressures from your parents

BY ITZEL GIRON The Prospector

Graduation comes with all varia tions of pressures, however, one pressure can at times be overbear ing; having parents who have received their college degree before you have received yours. It can be a pressure that can either push or break students when trying to com plete their academic career.

For some students, parents want their children to be better than their own achievements, which creates a stress common in many college students.

“I’ve always felt this weight of having to do better or making sure I’m not something less of what my parents were,” said Pauline Ortega, UTEP elementary education major. “I feel supported by my parents but on the inside, I get anxiety attacks and hide it from them because these attacks stem from the want of them wanting me to be this star.”

This pressure from parents creates a deeper stress for students which causes them to feel unsupported or feel like they must drop out. Stress among college students is not something new, it is something that has become more common in about 44 percent of students, according to the American College Health Association. For Alec Rodela, UTEP neuroscience graduate, the pressure Ortega felt was mutual in his household as well.

“I didn’t feel any stress knowing that she had completed higher education, I did feel some pressure from my parent to complete it my self and to continue on higher than she did,” Rodela said. “I do know that it comes from a good place, but the lack of knowledge she has on what it takes to continue on in education can be overwhelming.”

Though this stress does not just come from parents who have a higher education, in fact at times the stress from parents can be over whelming on any student.

“I have friends who have maybe dealt with the same stress I have or even more so from their parents who don’t have a college degree,” Ortega said. “I think it’s more so the fact that parents put this big weight on top of their children hoping they do better than what they were able to achieve.”

Though, this stress can lead to many mental illnesses, eating dis orders, low sleep and low self-con fidence according to Bay Atlantic University, even when parents do not see it as added pressure but rather encouragement.

There are ways for parents to help their children and not add unneces sary stress.This can consist of words of encouragement or talking to their child can make the difference in how a student interprets their wants. Encouraging your child to be better than what one might have achieved is not something to feel guilty about, but maybe something that should be reconsidered before telling a child to “be better.”

UTEP student graduating this December, speaks on the best advice he was given by one of his professors and helped him get through his college career. Photo by Gianluca Cuevas/The Prospector

The class ring is one of many ways to commemorate high school and college graduations and is a tradition that has been a part of the his tory of the U.S. for many years. Photo by Joel Molina/The Prospector

The

Congratulations to our Grads!

Nayeli Ontiveros - Senator at Large

Collegiate Engineering Senator Jacob J Morales - Senator at Large

Anika M. Valencia

Collegiate Education Senator

Alessandra B. Vasquez

Protemp Supreme Court Justice

Cassandra Aldaz Student Assistant

The Student Government Association would like to recognize our graduating senior, Cassandra Aldaz! Cassy's three years of service to our office were

Lhakhang Temple Nov. 3.

Annabella Mireles/The Prospector

SUMMER 2022

Graduate College of Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy

Claudia Leticia Angel Barron

Abel Osvaldo Gomez Rivera

Md. Mohieminul Islam Khan

David Pruitt

Jonathan J. Slager

Master of Science

Lucas Tameirao Abrantes

Alejandro Amador

Jazmin Abril Arellano

Juan Carlos Berjes Ruiz

Xavier Cardenas

Faith Carr

Cassandra L. Cazares

Daniel Chavira

Michael Paul Colvert

Carlos Adolfo Cortes Pliego

Christian Javier Delgado

Sam Herro Dick

Rene Alexis Dominguez Garcia

Prajina Edayath

Hector Hugo Estrada Medinilla

Sofia Fons

Alexander Friedrich

Julio Cesar Gallegos Reyes

Michelle Gamboa

Ruben Garcia

Oscar Fernando Garcia Delgado

Matias Gonzalez Flores

Patrick Steven Gutierrez

Tivisay Hernandez

Joel Andres Martinez

Shawn Edward Mccoy

Carter Metz

Mehmed Milanovic

Tanzila Bint Minhaj

Lisa Marie Mojica

Emilia Sofia Navarrete

Nicole R. Nelson

Travis Michael Moore Newbolt

Keith Nixon

Gabriel R. Nolasco

Samuel Earl Parks Jr

Pedro Antonio Pena Bastidos

Samantha Ramirez

Wilson Ramos

Pedro Antonio Rodriguez

David Abraham Sepulveda

Fernando Sotelo Torres

Thomas Gilberto Sotomayor

Thomas Prachhneas Thoun

Mac Torres

Brenda Leticia Valadez Mesta

Omar Vazquez Salmeron

Jacob Robert Wessel

College of Liberal Arts

Doctor of Philosophy

Angel David Armenta

Cynthia Teresa Renteria

Cecilia Gutierrez Venable

Master in Public Administration

Andres Humberto Lucero

Humberto Antonio Lucero

Nusrat Jahan Nishat

Master of Arts

Evelyn Aguilera

Matthew Michael Espino

Gema Sarahi Lopez

Norma Veronica Lopez

Erika Teresa Nava

Michael Tyrell Richardson

Robert Louis Walter

Master of Defense & Strategic Studies

Antonio da Camara Canto

Alexander Eric Hubli

Luis Alejandro Quiroz

James Richard Vidal

Master of Fine Arts

Cynthia Rose Pina

Tania Maria Romero

Master of Music

Rodrigo F. Betancourth

Jaimie Lynn Cepeda

Alexandro Contreras Aaron Matthew Vierkant

College of Science

Doctor of Philosophy

Jesus Manuel Cantu Gutierrez

Sumi Dey

Mirza Mohammad Maqbule Elahi

Cameron Conner Ellis

Elisa Garcia Carvajal

Maria Alejandra Gomez Torres

Asad Ullah Hil Gulib

Anna Elisa Pina

Carolina Valdes Bracamontes

Salvador Vazquez Reyes Honglun Xu Yuqing Ye

Master of Science

Luis Alejandro Aguirre

Valeria Itzel Arteaga Muniz

Persis Samanta Beaven Allyson Denise Benson-Pedraza

Shuchen Chen

Leslie Flaco

Martha E. Gardea Gomez

Wenhan Guo Carlos Guzman

Logan Miles Horne

Joseph Lee Mcdaniel

Homero Reyes Pulido Miguel Gonzalo Rodriguez Denisse Urenda Castaneda

College of Education

Doctor of Education

Jesse S. Arrieta

Doctor of Philosophy

Helena Mucino Guerra

Master of Arts

Xavier A. Felix

Bryana Marie Grajeda

David Hiriart

Robin Michelle Leos

Sergio Athzim Manriquez

Brenda Viviana Martinez

Stephen Qiang Mitchell

Priscilla Andrea Parada

Alejandra Vasquez-Macias

Master of Education

Eric Anthony Alva

Isabel A. Amezaga

Monica Banuelos

Shairy H. Berdeja

Bryn Ireland Birdwell

Jordyn Ellis

DaleAnn Frances Fernandez

Ana Karen Garcia

Karla Adelene Garcia

Sandy Gomez

Kimberly Elodia Guillen

Aaron Joseph Hernandez Sonia F. Jimenez

Elena Angelika Lewis

Luz Imelda Lopez

Sylvia Nevarez

Aldo Jafet Perez Flores

Brenda Lizeth Renteria

Perla Liliana Renteria

Tracy Renee Roy

Charlene Leigh Salazar-Hynak Anthony Michael Stokes

Master of Rehabilitation Counseling

Omar Gonzalez

Janis Ann Maldonado

Master of Science

Brenda Carreno Barraza

Leslie Angelica Delgado

Jose Antonio Duran Jr

Juan Carlos Etienne

Jacqueline Chantelle Franco

Claudia Veronica Garcia

Karla Valeria Lopez Erika Marlene Nieto Ashley Ann Prieto

College of Business Administration

Doctor of Philosophy

Md Raihan Uddin Chowdhury Sarah Jane Villanueva Jinxin Yang

Master of Accountancy

Federico A. Andrade Cesar Armendariz

Jose J. Bernal Jr

Renee Lori Bishop Carlo Emiliano Cano Oropeza Marcela Castaneda

Ileana Jocelyn Chacon Garcia

Rene Ibrahim De La Vega

David Eduardo Deluna Evelyn Garza

Elayne Govea

Chelsea Monique Lopez Vivian J. Muela

Daniel Alonso Padilla Landeros

Jacqueline Pasaret Quinonez Karin J Pircher Smith

Wilmarie Velazquez Margarita Villegas Sydney Lauren Ward

Master of Business Administration

William Cole Chapa

Paulina Chavira Duran

Margaux N. Dalbin Jacqueline S. Fernandez

Sergio Alberto Fernandez De Lara Berenice Flores

Erick Guardado

Arantxa Karina Martinez Israel T. Martinez Tyler Ann Miller

Yreri Carolina Morris Venezia Navarro

Susan Giselle Nevarez

Grecia Orozco

Hilda Mariana Orozco

Paulina Orozco

Sergio Porras

Arthur Dominique Ramirez

Lauren Reyes

Valeria Aimee Romo De Vivar Gallardo Yvette Ruiz-Esparza

Diana Karoly Salazar Sanchez

Thelma Daniela Sanchez Leslie Sosa

Edgardo Soto Maria Thomas Francisco J. Villarreal

College of Health Sciences

Doctor of Philosophy

Georgina Sanchez Garcia

Doctor of Physical Therapy

Marisa Noelle Olmo

Master of Public Health

Pooja Tewari

Master of Science

Brittaney Renee Huskey

College of Nursing

Master of Science in Nursing

Tokamy Lachelle Alejo

Andrea Amato

Irma S. Ansalmo

Gabriela Nicole Burgos Collazo

Stephanie Byland

Joseph Allen Duncan Rita Melanie Flores

Riamohiko Fonseca

Sarah Elizabeth Gallimore

Gabriela Darlene Garcia Fernanda Guerra

Barbara Ann Hale Marion Maude Harrienger Edifia Jo Teresa Esthela Loeza

Thomas Christopher Lopez

Jocelyne Itzel Madrid

Gloria Esperanza Madrigal

Aryana Sarah Martinez

Aaron Michael McTague

Vanessa R. Melendez

Jorge Luis Mendoza

Jacqueline Oliver

Claudia Veronica Orozco

Sandra Patricia Perez

Samantha Grace Phillips

Ricardo Andres Polo Navarro

Laquedric Damar Powell-Davis

Crystal Annel Presgraves

Patricia Reyna

Dustin Allen Richardson

Melissa Riely

Luisa Magdalena Riojas

Ashley Renee Savoie

Heather Julia Styles Oneida Vasquez Allyson Marie Williams

School of Pharmacy

Doctor of Pharmacy

Lilian Jeptoo Koech

Maite Moyers

Eduardo Cristobal Vazquez Fernando Daniel Zambrana Valenzuela

SUMMER 2022 Undergraduate

College of Engineering

Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering

Noelyn Nahomy Garcia Zepeda

Arath Jauregui

Justin Tyler Johnson

Maria De La Luz Medina Gabriela Montes Arreola Alexis G. Ortega Israel Pereyra Valeria Ramos Willie Jaquis Williamson

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

Jonathan Cervantes Jonathan Contreras Hicmar F. Falcon Elia Vanessa Licerio Alan Melendez

Bachelor of Science in Industrial & Systems Engineering

Jesus Alejandro Gutierrez Araiza Hamad Mubarak Paola Sarahi Rivera Grecia N. Soto

Bachelor of Science

Luis A. Ortiz Luis Miguel Procter Brian Ruiz Caroline Lyssa Salas

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

Jared Matthew Aguayo Luis Fernando Hernandez Dustyn Reece Loyda Jonathan Martinez Christian Alexander Vasquez

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Noe De Jesus Aguilar Abdulaziz W A S A Alothman Andrew Isaiah Gallardo Juan Guerrero Lisa Marie Landry

Miranda Aztrid Leos Javier B. Lopez Rogelio Angel Loya Andres Maldonado Murillo Jesus Alfredo Ortiz Galarza Carolina Victoria Puebla David F. Salas

Bachelor of Science in Metallurgical & Materials Engineering

Engineering

Science/ Interdisciplinary Doctor of Philosophy

Suzanne Annette Apodaca

Omar Sulaiman Belhaj Md. Nurul Huda

Jacqueline Andrea Reyes

Charles John Meyer III Joshua Miranda Valeria Marie Morales-Rosario Jorge Abraham Ochoa

College

of Liberal Arts

Bachelor of Applied Arts and Science

Diego Villanueva Ballez

Bachelor of Arts

Fabiola Marlene Acedo Edith Aguayo Irak Alfonso Aguilera

Christina Pasillas

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO

Kimberly Anaya

Patricia Andrews

Stephanie Arroyo

Elmer Avalos

Michelle Avalos

David Joshua Banuelos

Luisa Fernanda Barrios

Rossie Benitez

Dakoda J. Braswell

Toni Michelle Bray Jr

Estrella Brown

Bettina Camacho

Iris Janeth Cano

Aaron Antonio Carranco

Jade Rachelle Carrasco

Jocelyn Carrera

Oscar Castro

Victor Manuel Chacon

Frances Chairez

Maexie Chavez

Adam Joe Cruz Jr.

Ana Lucia Davila

Mikel Anthony Duarte

Anisa Hope Duran

Fernanda Lilian Duran

Samantha Celeste Ellis

Jorge Escobedo Jr

Daniela Estrada

Natalie Estrada

Daniel A. Farias

Michelle L. Farias

Dominique Dalay Favela

Teresa Del Carmen Fierro

Kamryn Fisher

Sabrina Flores

Danielle E. Franco

Cristina Garcia

Johana Alejandra Garcia

Samantha M. Garcia

Silvanna A. Garcia

Simon Peter Garcia

Alejandro Rene Gardea

Carolina I. Gonzalez

Gabriela Gonzalez Velazquez

Ana Laura Guajardo

Brandon J. Harris

Irene V. Hernandez

Maria Guadalupe Hernandez

Valeria Hinojos

Jacqueline Irais Jaime

Sergio Adrian Jaramillo II

Jessica Jimenez

Ericka Natalie Jurado Vargas

Michael Uchechi Kalu

Marco Antonio Kato Jr

Jocelyn Rheana Klinkenberg

Emilia Lucia Lagunes

Dawel A. Lainez-Aguiriano

Jazmin Lerma

Cole Larson Levine

Tanya V. Leyva

Carolina Licerio

Julia Lucero

Bianca Luna

Jorge Luciano Macias Ibave

Kristina R. Martinez

Sandra Michelle Martinez

Viridiana Martinez Herrera

Monica Mendoza

Jennifer Michel

Armando Antonio Montes

Monique J. Morales

Priscilla Morales

Jaime A. Moran

Marielena Angel Moreno

Jonathan Navar

Myca V. Nguyen

Sydney Danger Nixon

Ayana A. Noel

David Nicholas O’Hara

Jesslynn Olivia Rose Ortega

Paulette Parra Lopez

Genesis A. Pedregon

Jonathan Christopher Perea

Gisel Angelina Renteria

Karla Paulina Rivera

Jacqueline Rivera Alva Israel Rocha

Andrea Rae Rodriguez

Brisel Rodriguez

Lorena Rodriguez

Mark Thomas Rodriguez

Daniel Rodriguez-Alvarado

Kimberly Michelle Saenz

Persephone Gabrielle Salinas

Ryan Matthew San Roman

Victor Sanchez

Yadira Sanchez

Cynthia Gomez Savage Luke Segovia

Veronica Lynn Shafer

Kimberly Solis

Fedra Alexia Soto Cazares

Evelin Soto-Ramirez

Albert Lee Teran

At-Ziry Aileen Torres

Sebastian Nicholas Torres

Alfonso Trevizo II

Rubi Ulloa

Alan Eduardo Vela

Angelica A. Velez

Lynette Villarreal

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Isai Castillo

Cassandra Rae Soto

Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies

Jacob Luis Acevedo-Cmiel

Veronica Aldabe Aranda

Delia Veronica Aparicio

Ned Justeen Azemia

Claudia Merlin Bailey

Monica Yvette Barajas

Isaiah Robert Bravo

Victor Manuel Campos

Victoria Joelynn Carranza

Anthony James Deslongchamps

Kesandu A. Ezenwa

Maria Lucia Gereda

Joanna Gonzales

Eduardo Gonzalez

Ronaldo George Griffiths

Alvaro Hernandez

Alfred Jermaine Hollins

Stephanie M. Hutchins

Cornelius K. Kapel

Donna Maria Laverty

Monica L. Luna

Jocelyn Margarita Macias

Sarah Isabel Martin

Manuel Medina

Ivan Menchaca

Valorie Moreno

Martha Isela Reyna

Richard Rodriguez Jr

Helen Miriam Salinas

Sarah Marie Thomson

Ana Cristina Valdez

Madeleine L. Weathers

Bachelor of Music

Belem Berenice Urbina

Bachelor of Science

Bernice Acuna

Elizabeth Marie Almeraz

Adrian Carrillo

Alexandra Seren Feliciano

Ixua Guillen

Crystal I. Perales

Sarah M. Romero

Ismael Salcido Jr

Katelynn Seanez

Hayley Janice Vaughan

Bredaisia Jacoyia Anette Ware

Cameron Bailey Webb

College of Science

Bachelor of

Arts

Fernando Raymundo

Bachelor of Science

Prescilla Jasmine Aguilar Diana Aguirre

Lorenzo Romeo Apodaca Andrea Mariana Carlin

Pedro Antonio Castillo

Alejandra Chairez-Del Rio Gabrielle Natal Contreras

Valerie De Lucio

Alonso Xavier Delgado Luisa F. Delgado

Ethan Joseph Depew Eric Manuel Diaz

George W. Doering

Marluz Gabrielle Fernandez

Jordyn Richele Galaviz-Wright Che Shavar Garcia

Vicente Garcia

Luzconsuelo Gavaldon

Sandy Gomez Yameli M. Gomez

Leslie Gonzalez

Valerie Grisanti

Alyssa Nicole Guerrero

Raissa Renata Guevara Salcedo

Oswaldo Efren Gutierrez

Beatriz Monica Hantzopulos Arion Hernandez-Munoz Jacob Jimenez Matthew Victor Jimenez

Leonid Lapsov

Christian Lestat Leach Alani C. Lopez

Cristina Martinez Madison

Omar Fernando Marin Sanchez

Veronica Elena Martinez

Victoria Martinez

Andre N. Mata

Jarrett C. Maynard

Jacob Robert Melendez Hannia E. Mendoza

Justin Michael Minks

Leroy D. Moye

Vivian Itsel Nieto

Lianna Victoria Onate

Eric Michael Orozco

Gilberto Rene Ortega Jr

Bertha Kimberly Ortiz

Adam Otman

Victoria Ramirez

Jose Angel Renteria

Ana Gabriela Rodriguez

Ayline Ivette Rodriguez

Emma Michelle Rodriguez

Brenda J. Sanchez

Isaac Gregory Sanchez

David Zachary Suarez

Victor Suarez

Trisia Adrianne Tellez

Grecia Isabel Trujillo

Maria Priscila Vargas Fierro

Christian Alejandra Verdugo Del Hoyo

Randall Lamar Walker

Cal Robert Wallerstedt

College of Education

Bachelor of Arts

Priscilla Castaneda

Alexandra Chavez

Karen Flores

Alejandra Franco Lannette Patricia Garcia

Marisol Renee Lozano

Leslie Guadalupe Muela

Samantha Nicole Potter

Gelin Loretta Rubio

Ana Karen Ruiz

Yessenia Salais

Patricia L. Zamora

Bachelor of Science

Jazmyn Marie Acevedo

Claudia Marina Herrera

Jessica Joanna Jalil Teresita Mata Mary Ann Rangel

College of Business Administration

Bachelor of Business

Administration

Armando Adame

Nimisha Agarwal

Mohammad N M KH R Alenezi

Brenda Jaqueline Barragan

Mariah Mariel Berdeja

Sergio Angel Castillo Escobedo Julia Contreras

Abigail D. Correa

Yulande A. Cummings Eloisa Estrada

Nathan Joseph Gomez Kassidy Gonzalez Raul Sisco Gonzalez

Joshua Anthony Harder Monica Holguin Bshair Husain Jr

Cynthia Lopez

Michael Alexander Lopez Eva Cristina Lopez Arenas Yasmin Alyssa Marquez

Angel Martinez Hernandez David Mendez Jr Gerardo Montes Crystal Janette Moreno Eduardo Negrete Jr Denise Georgette Olivarez Leonardo Ornelas Ferreyra Mariana A. Ortiz

Armando Quinones Miguel Quinones Jr Derek G. Quintana Evelyn Ramirez Diego G. Rangel

Quersten S. Resendez Gabriel Rodriguez Solivan Michael Alexander Rosales

Lina Maria Sachica

Cendy Vianey Saldivar Dominguez Evelyn Suzette Solis Trent Nathaniel Thompson

College of Health Sciences

Bachelor of Science

Karla Fernanda Acosta

Nicole Andazola

Kristen Ashley Apodaca

Dorothy Anne Aranda

Alyssa Christine Arriaga Zoe Beth Augustain Irazema Aveytia Monica Andrea Avila

Kristopher Anthony Barraza Emma L. Burciaga Sofia Carranza

Christi Leigh Carzoli

Christian Yair Casas Ortiz

Gizelle Monique Castruita Breanna Alicia Chavez

Sarah Nichole Chavira

Andrea Contreras

Andrew Joseph Crank

Ivan S. Crosby

Nylee Luz Delgado

Luis Alberto Diaz Sean D. Diehl

Jacqueline Lizette Duran

Stephanie Duran

Jasiel Enriquez

Kalid R. Galvan Megan Nicole Gannaway Dulce F. Gardea

Desirae Nicole Gomez Bianca Guerra Andrew Jacob Guerrero

Laura Virginia Guzman

Ariadna Hernandez

Cassandra Hernandez Erica Vianne Hernandez Rebecca Herrera

Johnny Ray Hunter Jr

Abigail Jurado Alexis Marina Lara Sergio Alberto Lopez Daniel Macias

Rafael Magana

Nina Michelle Mancini

Briana Alyssa Martinez

Margarita Martinez Melanie Martinez Monique Martinez

Wensdae Renee Mcneely Jesus Francisco Medina Jr.

Priscila Medina

Celeste Marilissa Melendez

Ayleen Giselle Mena Amber Lysette Mendoza Alejandra Mesta Sean L. Moody

Thalia Moreno Quinonez Isahi Padilla

Jose Luis Portillo Jr.

Aaron Micheal Ramirez

Mikaela Maria Reyes Cesar Enrique Rodarte Jr Sara Elise Roddick

Andrea Rodriguez

Lynette Rodriguez

Zoe Isabel Rodriguez

Humberto Salazar

Mario Alejandro Sanchez

Karly R. Sanchez Medrano

Iliyana J. Scott

Heather Nicole Serrano

Jayson Robert Slaight

Itzel Aranza Torres

Ariana Alysabeth Valdez

Cassandra E. Varela

Briana Renee Venegas

David William Konrad West

Noor Naser Yousif

College of Nursing Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Ayowunmi Olamide Adeboye

Rayna Laila Ahmed

Ajuma M. Alfred

Larissa Marie Almuina-Rivera

Christopher Alonzo

Ayleen Melissa Alvarado

Diana Alvarez

Priscila Sophi Ansalmo

Elizabeth M. Archard

Carina Vanessa Arias

Rayzha Armendariz

Jose L. Arreola

Michael Joseph Arzaga

Luis Alfredo Baca

Ricardo Barajas Jr

Carlos Eduar Barnes

Terrace Surrender Barnes

Carla A. Barron

Lesley Devin Bell

Norisha R. Berneathy

Cynthia Berrios

Jennifer Leann Biediger

Andrea Bordier

Victor Emmanuel Burciaga Jr

Eduardo Castaneda

Issac Castorena

Melissa Chavez

Ana L. Chavira

Ngozi Judith Chijioke-Okpalaji

Ji Soo Chung Fishman

Aileen L. Contreras

Alyssa Lyn Crose

Kandie Diaz

Julieta K. Diaz Erives

America Abigail Dominguez

Elizabeth Dominguez

Iliana Dominguez

Natalya Carolina Dominguez

Diego Alonso Duarte

Krystal A. Echavarria

Mya Elizondo

Vanessa Esmeralda Enriquez

Karla Liliana Enriquez De La Rosa

Yamileth Escarcega-Nava

Sara L. Estrada

Fernando Fabian

Gelya Celeste Facio

Job Isaac Fernandez Cervera

Laiza Y. Flores

Emilia Isabel Franco Ariadne Garcia

Haley R. Garcia

Lizete Garcia

Juan Francisco Garcia Magadan

Fernando I. Garnica III

Matthew J. Gerardo

Veronica Gomez

Kathleen Frances Gomez Fast

Kirsten Marie Graham

Naun Guerrero

Amanda Guevara

Kaylee Mayra Hardin

Lauren Shirley Harper

Cassandra L. Harrell

Justine Nicole Hernandez

Vicente Gerardo Hernandez Jr

Vivian Lizeth Hernandez

Sara Lucia Herrera

Zachary G. Jennings

Alyssa Johnson

Talitha Marie Juarez

Tawanda Kelly

Denisse Lara

Tiffany Alyssa Lazarin

Vanessa Lizette Lee

Carlos Armando Lerma Mata

Kyra Mary Lewis

Alyssa Danielle Leyva

Nicholas Lopez Jasmine Rae Loya

Paola Lozano

Alexandra Madrid

Sarah Viridiana Mares

Casandra Coleen Marquez

Adrian Martinez Maritza Ivonne Martinez

Nikita Marie Mayes Mavis Mbale

Andrea Fernanda McVay

Clarissa Alexis Menchaca

Abel Armando Mendez

Haidee Mendoza

Genesis Raquel Miede Talamantes

Veronica T. Mitchell

Marlen Fernanda Molina Legorreta

Cynthia Rae Hernandez Moreno

Mariana Munoz

Vanessa Christel Munoz

Marisela Navarro Jr

Victoria P. Nunez

Rebecca A. Ornelas

Lloyd Rosario Partosa Carlos Perez Briana Pineda

Sarai Pineira

Valeria Guadalupe Ponce Carlos Fernando Portela

Kassidy Amberlee Prevette

Daniela Quinones

Lilian M. Quinones Ana M. Ramos

Maurtica La’Shae Rayburn

Jennifer Reyes

Venessa Rodriguez

Desiree D. Roman

Candace Claudia Romero Nava

Laura Jessica Rost

Tammy L. Salazar

Ivan Saldivar

Edgar I. Sanchez

Toni Sabrina Segura

Jennifer Michelle Sifuentes

Angela Silva Au

Carrie Leigh Sorokin

Joseph T. Strange

Haleigh Nicole Tomasello

Crystal Torres David Alonzo Torres

Melissa Torres

Osvaldo Trujillo Barba

Kevin Valdez Paola Valdez Chavez

Angelica Veyna

Samuel Sky Walker

Shelby Leilani Watts

Joanna Leigh Whitaker

Sarah Willis Valerie V. Zaragoza

FALL 2022

Graduate College of Engineering

Doctor

Michael Edwin Furth

Noshin R. Habib

Alba Jazmin Leyva Marquez

Alejandro Martinez-Acosta

Angel Guillermo Ortega

Debra Jazmin Ortega

David Reyes

Mst Mousumi Rizia

Jose Armando Terrazas

Martha Lucia Torres Lozano Cesar Luis Valle

Master of Engineering in Civil & Environmental Engineering

Marco Antonio Barraza Nayeli Holguin Lazcano

Krissel Marin Hernandez

Ivan A. Rodriguez

Mario Alberto Vazquez Ostos

Master of Science

Brenda Leonor Acosta

Grecia Acosta

Marisa Diane Alaniz

Juan Enrique Apodaca Aguilar

Antonio Arango Aolani Arce

Nathan Anthony Aun

Jorge Mario Avila

Erick Allan Baca

William E. Basquez

Alfredo Bueno Lopez William Chad Butler

Elida I. Caldera Perez

Manuel Alejandro Castillo Moreno

Lidice E. Castro Jimenez Alejandro Ceballos Briana Rae Cervantes

Bertha Jasmin Chavez

Ana Cecilia Chavez Lopez Michael O. Cruz Alberto R. De La Rosa Raymundo De La Rosa Alejandro Delgado Monica Delgado Joshua Alexander Delira

Ingrid Alejandra Diaz Kamalen Maria Santos Diaz Eva Alondra Diaz Lozano

Daniela Elizalde

Brittany Isabel Enciso

Sergio Dante Favela

Viannette Felix Viridiana Felix Abdiel Alonso Fierro Matamoros

Reynaldo Flores

Christopher Keith Frazier Avianna Elaine Gallegos Manuel Gallo III Isaac Joshua Garcia

Ricardo Godoy Martin Alejandro Gomez Olivares

Michael Anthony Gonzalez

Victor Daniel Gonzalez Diana Sofia Guerrero

Joseph Alvaro Gutierrez Jr. Kevin Rolando Hernandez

Eden Alejandro Ibarra Issac Jacquez Md Habib Ullah Khan

of Philosophy

Miroslava Barua

Mahsa Beizaei

Gilbert Thomas Carranza

Raven El Khoury

Kevin Samuel Estala Rodriguez

Robert Anthony Lazarin Emmanuel Levario Joseph N. Lindley

Alexis Lopez

Paulina Lopez Mario Sergio Loya Victoria Cecilia Luna

Saif Uddin Mahmud

Carlos Felipe Manzanares Vega

Daisy Haidee Mariscal

Jesus Marquez

Luis Angel Marquez-Calleros

Carlos Armando Martinez Eliot J. Martinez

Gael Martinez

Miguel I. Martinez

Claudia Mendia Alberto Meza Md Harun Or Rashid Molla Isaac Monroy Jean Emmanuel Montes Ramirez Oscar Daniel Moreno Jaime Alonso Munoz Jr.

Ericka Jacqueline Najera

Kevin Raul Nieto

Cynthia Paola Oaxaca Solis

Steven Ochoa

Daniel Alejandro Olave Luis Jose Ortega

Colt Pauley Mario Alberto Perez

Adan Pinon Flores

Broderick Prewitt

Eri Ramirez

Victoria Amaris Ramirez

Michael Raymundo

Hector Alejandro Reyes

Victoria Isabel Reyes

Deanna Layne Richie Cedric Rivera

Jesus Manuel Rivera

Steven Jesse Robles Jr

Eduardo Rodriguez

Patricia Rosales Vera

Samantha Saenz Vasquez

Amit Kumar Saha

Henry Salgado Brenda Judith Sida Hector Rene Soroa Beatriz Irene Soto Hugo Soto Uriel Suarez

Steven Yu Sun

Antonio Emilio Teijeiro

Ruth Trejo Ian Matthew Turner

Yamile Aidee Urquidi Cerros

Johan S. Valcarcel Leonardo Demetrio Vazquez-Raygoza Rudy Velasquez

Luis Alberto Vergara-Rodriguez Gilberto Villalobos Jr

Salma Sarai Villela Evan Marcus White

Kyrie Lynn Williams

Samuel Shadrick Wirstrom Isaac Esteban Zuniga

Master of Science in Data & Information Sciences

Wesley Peter Brazas Erick Daniel Dominguez Yamel Elizabeth Hernandez Josue Santana

Master of Science in En vironmental Engineering

Martin Chavarin Jr Marcela Carolina Herrera Alvarez Isabel Lopez

College of Liberal Arts Doctor of Philosophy

Jessica DeJohn Bergen

Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies

Moises Licerio

Master in Public Administration

Joana Dawn Alferez

Daniel Bueno Jr

Isela De Anda

Diana Gloria-Guardado

Alvaro Orlando Jaloma Omar E. Maldonado

Robert Gene Rudolph Jr Ruben Alberto Soto Noah S. Ward

Master of Arts

Nicholas Gerard Ast

Salma Yazmin Atiya Jacob Joseph Aun Erick Michael Balandran Nina Marie Beltran

Michael Gerard Britt II Calvin Scott Brownholtz Jennifer Alejandra Castaneda Eric Chavez

Alyk Xavier Collins Nicholas Cottrill

Victoria Eugenia De Anda De Alva

Gerardo Jesus Flores

Jacob Martin Fong

Eduardo Isiel Galvan Blanca Monica Garcia Barron

Alexandra Giggie Liam John Gleason

Cesar Ivan Graciano Martinez

Monika Granados

Adam Ariel Guajardo

Bianca Valentina Gurrola Breon Hayward Carlos Ivan Hernandez

Doris Marina Holter Parker R. Hutto

Kityara U’Nae James Tyreke Treshawn Clarence James-Quinney

Sang W. Kim

James Garner Langford Corina Lerma Esteban Adan Limon

Georgina Alicia Lopez Adrian Paul Macias Jesus Tlaloc Maldonado

Almicar Marquez

Mayra Alejandra Martinez

Roberto Carlos Medina Hector Rafael Mendoza Pablo Patricio Olivas Denzel D. Oliver

Briana Y. Olson

Chelsea Sierra Queen Ricardo Quezada Maria Isabel Reyes

Gustavo Javier Rodriguez-Valenzuela Aitiana Ivonne Sanchez Aimee Adriana Santillan Jesse A. Scoggins

Ruben Soto Jr. Michael Dillon Stallings

Kimberly Sumano Ortega Andrea Tellez

Blake Chandler Thompson

Charles W. Thrash

Benjamin Eduardo Torres Melissa Lisette Trejo Elena Therese Vaudreuil Tyson Zan Wilson

Master of Defense & Strategic Studies

Asnage Castelly

Victor Adrian Castillo

Ryan Finegan

Mark Andrew Fitzgerald

Marcus Lee Grant

Sandra Griffith

Arzu Martillo

Roberto Morales Perez

Darren Pursel

Christopher Wright

Master of Fine Arts

Joely Bowman

Melissa Franckowiak

Amy Lynn Howard

Deborah Michelle Hutson

Trent C. Jonas

Brian Lee

Emma Christine Steuart

Ashley Nichole Stevens

Allison Denise Thomas

Dominic Vasquez

Master of Music

Beth Kerzee

Paula Olivia Nava Madrigal

Jose Pope

Frank Xavier Salinas

Antwann’ D. Smith

Artha Weaver

Master of Science

Josue Antonio Carrillo

Veronica Andrea Espinoza

Emily Flores

Alexandra Greene

Denise Gutierrez

Ivette Miranda

Brittney Munoz

Destiny Nadine Olivas

Lizeth Salinas Ramos

Shaye A. Telles

College of Science

Doctor of Philosophy

Alexandro Arnal

Bibek Aryal

Solymar Ayala-Cortez

Laxman Bokati

Edgar Alonso Borrego Puerta

Kwabena Owusu Dankwah

Kenneth Ray Flores

Yulu Ge

Jessica Dyanne Hess

Yangcheng Ma

Valeria Veronica Martinez

Pedro Miguel Palermo Infante

Elizabeth Stunz

Risa Mia Swain

Adam Joseph Vera

Master of Science

James Ernest Ekow Arthur

Denise Avalos

Leslie Alejandra Bernal Lopez

Hannah Adwoa Buamono

Mariana Castellanos

Martha Gallegos

Marco Alejandro Gomez

Hortencia Josefina Hernandez

Perry Ivan Houser

Alexander Irun Johnson

Peter Olumuyiwa Lasode

Zaira Gisela Lujan

Mariana Mora

Daniela Ramirez Chavez

Nathaniel Asiedu Sakyi

Julie Marie Schlichte

Kenneth Cason Singh

Melaku Sisay Tafere

Edward Takyi

Jesus Fernando Terrazas Rodriguez

Karen Rocio Valdez

Nohemi Valenzuela Garay

College of Education

Doctor of Education

Mary Belle Gonzales

Jesus Rolando Nunez

Doctor of Philosophy

Richard Varela

Master of Arts

Carolina Carzoli

Joseph E. Castillo

Sarah Alejandra Garcia-Miller

Alyssa Nichole Huizar

Janeth Berenice Juarez Aguilera Luisa F. Ortega

Master of Education

Vanessa Ester Adriano

Esmeralda Barraza

Alan Barrera

Diana Borman

Stefanie Cardenas

Valerie A. Chavez

Javier Del Campo

Fabiola Del Toro

Anthony Michael Dieguez

Esmeralda Jacqueline Dominguez

Karina Enriquez de la Cruz

Melissa Fairbairn

Alyssa Fierro-Guzman

Victoria Isabel Garcia

Adrian Gomez

Maissa Ahamad Hamad

Jasmin Anahi Hernandez

Monica Hernandez

Maria De Los Angeles Herrera

Camille Waters Cardenas Hill

Carol Lorraine Foust Irmer

Adria Margarita Jimenez Charlotte Lewis

Katelynn A. Little

Sonia Madrid

Rebecca Magallanes Melissa Jane Martinez Paola Martinez

Austin Cole Menchaca

Alondra Miranda Addison Leigh Molina

Erika Orona

Eric Pichardo

Dominic C. Pierce

Hannah Elizabeth Ramirez

Maria Guadalupe Ramirez

Jenny Rodriguez

Aleni Ayerdis Seibold

Jennifer Irene Serna

Yingying Sun

Marisol Alyssa Terrones

Clarissa Valenzuela

Cristina Huerta Varela

Amaris N. Vega

Paola Vela

Angela Villalobos

Laura Elena Wagner

Paul Zamarripa

Master of Rehabilitation Counseling

Diana Michelle De La Rosa

Mario Alejandro Garcia

Penelope Garcia Fernandez Gabriela Gonzalez

Rebecca Medrano

Jerry Hernandez Montoya Janet Mora Eduardo Parra Josephine Guadalupe Roque

Master of Science

Hannah A. Anaya

Celina Duran

Sarah Taylor Gallegos

Zalma Michelle Hernandez Lozano Jose M. Landeros

Rebeca Reyes Perez Gabriela Maria Rivera Michael Abraham Rodela Steven Ruiz

College of Business Administration

Master of Accountancy

Ifeoluwa Janet Adewuyi

Alejandro Alvara

Leslie Gia Calderwood

Samuel Isaac Chavez Alejandra Cinco

Ashley Diaz

Itzel J. Elizalde Marisela Estrada Diana Alejandra Fernandez

Luis Alberto Garcia

Lessly Daniela Garcia Cortes

Samantha N. Gonzalez Esmeralda Herrera Valeria Lopez Maria D. Mendez

Victor Hugo Miranda II

Mark Alexander Myers Jr. Cesar Ortega Verania Ortiz

Marlenne Prieto Moreno Thania Sanchez Cameron C. Stern Ashlee M. Villalobos Alfredo Villordo

Master of Business Administration

Sean Ryan Aguilar

Sergio Porfirio Alfaro Jr. Myrna M. Avila Dennise Castro

Jose Alberto Corral

Martha Beatriz Cruz

Juan Jose Delgado Jr Victoria Lynn Flores

Vanessa Garcia Eduardo Gutierrez

Emmanuel Hidrogo Castaneda

Maria Isabel Macias

Sofia Marcela Maciel

Amelia Martinez

Ivan Daniel Mondragon

Kayla Jasmine O’Neal-Braan

Jesus Armando Ortiz Jr

Crystal Padilla

Mario Francisco Peinado

Andrea Miguel Perez Maira Alejandra Rico

Ana Teresa Rodriguez

Jazmin Andrea Rojas Duran

Cathy Ray Romero

Lisa Stettler

Alysha Nikia Swann

Matthew Vasquez Carlos Jose Villarreal

Master of Science

Obed Nana Buadi

Richard Djangmah

Ana Paula Gutierrez Zubiate

Isiah Jamal Hairston

Sebastian Jimenez Juarez Herman Poisot Roberto Manuel Tejada IV

College of Health Sciences

Doctor of Philosophy

Roberta Marie Thimbriel

Celina Elyzabeth Chavez

Angelica Contreras Gabriela J. Contreras

Valeria Del Villar

Anna Leslie Delgado

Guadalupe Martinez Diaz Aaron Elias

Rebecca Lynn Ellis

Jeremae Gonzales Fajardo

Heith Gammons

Nancy Garay

Nydia Anai Garcia Delgado

Cindy Gaucin

Catherine Hernandez Gonzalez Nancy G. Gonzalez

Nicole Susanne Gooden

Eddie Jose Gutierrez

Iliana Hall

Diana Hernandez

Tiffany Brooke Hernandez

Veronica Hernandez

Mario Herrera Jr

Ashley Lynn Hubbard

Amelinda Ibarra Michael Patrick Lowe

Ivan Edgardo Lozada Ruben Mares III

Alexandria Nikole Martinez Jessica Susan Mendoza

Master

of Occupational Therapy

Cristen Maryssa Aleman

Kelli Rae Fleming

Cynthia Alejandra Gallo

Susan Guzman

Alexandria Mckenzie Harris

Ashley Rae Holten

Karla A. Irigoyen Torres

Anna Marie Jaros

Deyanira Aysa Martinez

Ciara Cimone Mckenzie

Emilio Mirabilio

Victoria Samantha Navarrete

Kathryn E. Patterson

Elena Rubio Pinaroc

Nichole J. Poblano

Vivian Pongratz

Jonathan Andre Rivera Randy A. Rodriguez

Lauren Ashley Salaiz Nataly Antonia Vidal Kayley Christina Webb Alissa Renee Williams

Master of Public Health

Diana Laura Barraza

Master of Science

Manuel Gomez

Ali Mossayebi Rene Ubaldo Sanchez

Master of Social Work

Noemi Cortez-Calderon Dayna Kelsey Schwedhelm

College of Nursing

Julian A. Morales

Roberto Parra Jr Karina Pena

Hector Manuel Perez

Diane Quintana

Briana Lauren Rey Kolstad

Claudia Elizabeth Reyes

Claudia Rodriguez

Cristina Ivette Rodriguez

Naomi Rodriguez Breianna Carol Russell

Amber Nicole Santillan

Jose Manuel Soto-Hernandez

Pamela Jean Suarez

Belen Torres

Alejandra Urbina

Celina Lucero Valenzuela

Mayra Nathalie Valenzuela

Brian Velez

Luis Veloz III

Ilsse Alejandra Villegas

Krystal Elaine Villegas

Karely Weinmann De Leon Jennifer Lynn Welz Richard Yawan Ilyana Yee

Engineering Science/ Interdisciplinary Doctor of Philosophy

Wayne Alexander Campbell

Juan Valentin Fernandez

Yohannes Weldemariam Getahun

Pamela Ivonne Lara

Bianca Paola Meneses Brassea

Niveditha Nanda

Mohamed Fathi Noufal

Orlando Ramirez-Valle

Leticia Elizabeth Rodriguez

Arlene Chacon Smith

Master

of Science in Nursing

Eric Anthony Aguilar

Maria Isabel Aguirre

Belinda Ariana Atienzo

Cynthia Barraza Guerra

Irma Reyes Bejarano

Gabriela Maria Berrios-Rivera Ricardo Alonso Bustamante Nunez

Iris T. Carrasco

Jessica Carreon

Sergio Enrique Carrillo Jr. Alejandra Carzoli Ana Celina Chavez

Hunter Cole Taylor

Truman James Word Jiahao Xu

Undergraduate College of Engineering

Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering

Stephanie Almeida

Daniella Krystal Ayala

Marisol Burciaga

Gaby Ivonne Camargo

Renato Armando Carrasco Garduno

Desmond Castillo

Weston Casey Chenausky

Andres Daher

Emiliano Del Rio Reyes

Pedro Enrique Delgado

Marcus Adrian Despres

Christopher David Edens

Christopher D. Garcia

David Garcia

Raul Garcia

Omar Gonzalez Jr

Zoi I. Guerra

Francisco Israel Guillen

Daniel Hernandez

Erick Eduardo Herrera Quezada

Rodgers Kipkoech Korir

Victoria Celeste Luna

Diego Benjamin Mendoza

Nicole Mueller

Victor Manuel Ortega Contreras

Sebastian Andres Pedroza

Fernando Perez

Ivan N. Ramirez

Jezzebelle A. Rey

Alejandro Rivera

Christina Maria Rodas Estrada

Waldo Jesus Ruiz

Gaston Salgado Armendariz

Shengbeh Momodu Tucker

Kadri Venegas Kupper

Morgahn E. Warner Taylor Chris Wharton

Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering & Management

Omar A. Carrasco

Marcos Dario Castillo

Joseph A. Hernandez

Nicholas Lopez

Manuel Aleja Medina

Regine Amaro Oropeza

Jair Daniel Ramos

Nicholas David Rey Eunice Uribe

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

Jesus Avila

Raymundo E. Caro

Ashley Alejandra Delgado

Carlos Diaz

Fernando Dominguez

Juan A. Dorantes

Stephanie M. Encizo

David Levi Escobar

Daniel Antonio Espejo

Luis G. Galaz Carreon

Brayan Garcia Pong

David Huizar

Nathan Sung Yeup Lee

Giovanni Raoul Fidelis Leon

Boydie Logan III

Nicholas Anthony Lopez Marios Louloupides

Andres Abelardo Mena Jr

Angela Guadalupe Mendez Contreras

Cesar Emmanuel Mergil

Daniel Morales

Joel Moya

Juan Francisco Muller

Abigail J. Ortega

Mateo Ortega

Miguel A. Payan Jr

Robby Ramirez

Richard Reyes Adriana Rivera

Jorge Alberto Rodriguez

Rodrigo Javier Rodriguez-Velarde

David Ruiz

Juan Fernando Salinas Sida

Peter R. Sanchez

Dante Uriostegui

Alberto L. Valles Eduardo Zubiate

Bachelor of Science in Engineering Leadership

Christopher R. Ramirez

Victor Herrera Vidales

Matthew Lee Jones Jr.

Ethan Danie Kish

Michael Alexander Kneeskern

Mario E. Macias

Bryan Adrian Mariscal

Lorenzo Martinez

David Alonzo Medina

Ricardo Mendez

Alberto Antonio Miranda

Montserrat Guadalupe Molina

Daniel Christian Moreno Jacob Gabri Moreno

Andres D. Munoz

Leonardo Efrain Munoz

Alexis M. Navarro

Javier Antonio Navarro

Gildardo Orea

Cesar Arturo Padron

Alejandro Paz

Elijah Kalani Pele

Alan Eduardo Perez

Brian Ricardo Perez

Juan Emmanuel Rabelo Jr

Kevin Richard Ramirez

Estevan Homero Ramos

Joel A. Ramos

Luis Renteria Jr

Efrain Retana

Edward Christian Gonzalez

Abdel Gutierrez Jorge Daniel Gutierrez Jaime Ramos Hernandez

Ricardo Herrera Aguirre Adrien James Kellaway

Raymundo Loera Jr

Jose Rafael Lopez III

Paul D. Lopez

Keren Aidee Lozoya Flores

Jose Angel Marin

Laura Alejandra Martinez Espinoza

Edward Alexander Martinez Rodriguez

Jaime Roberto Mata Jr

Sarahi Mendivil Paola Mendoza

Pedro Gerardo Mireles Jr

Miranda Marie Montes

Jesus Alejandro Moore

Diego Alonso Morales

Jesus Rodolfo Moreno Perea

Jesus Santiago Navarro Jr Alan Obregon Nayeli Ontiveros

Alan J. Ortiz

Aaron B. Perales

Alberto Arezmendez

Bryanna N. Armendariz

Daniel Arredondo

Laura Alejandra Arreola

Mia Eleufteria Attel-Melonas

Oscar Miguel Avila Andres E. Avilez

Alan Armando Avina

Janet Yadira Badillo

Maria Griselda Balderas

Valeria Balderrama

Darius Quintrell Baptist

Eduardo Jose Barajas

Sandra Yadira Barnhouse

Mia Isabella Baron

Jessica Ivonne Barragan

Abigail A. Barraza

Allyssa Danielle Barraza Kristen R. Barraza

Veronica M. Barrera

Abbigail Frances Bayless Juan Pablo Becerra

Josue Benitez

Idaly Bermudez Xavier A. Braud

Alexis Briceno Belen I. Briseno

Jasmine Amanda Bueno

Sarah Marie Butler

Bachelor

of

Science in Industrial & Systems Engineering

Hadeel Ziad Allibanawi

Emiliano Barrera

Gerardo Cuevas

Miguel Escobar Ostos

Neida Alejandra Esparza

Karen Daniela Gonzalez

Arleth Nazareth Guerrero

Vianey De Jesus Guzman-Gonzalez

Aurea Michelle Hernandez Arriola

Salma Johany Hurtado

Enrique Martinez

Jorge A. Ortega Quezada

Rafael Perez Moreno

Nora Pamela Rubalcaba

Laura Cristina Tovar Felix Alejandro Vazquez

Brenda Vianney Yanez Vazquez

Bachelor of Science

Christopher David Edens

Andrea Paola Valle

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

Antonio Andres Aguirre

Derek A. Aguirre

Adilene Alaniz

Alfredo Arce

Joseph Andrew Baca

Sandra Shasandy Barba

Aaron Destin Brown

Roberto Carrasco

Kevin Jabari Requel Clemons

Alyssandra Monique Cordero

Alejandra De La Pena

Vincent Thomas De La Torre

Axel Diaz

Nestor Antonio Escobedo

Robert A. Evans Jr.

Nicole Erin Favela

Dwayne Javon Finnie

Justus Aaron Frausto

Claudio Angel Garcia

Mauricio Alberto Garcia Tovar

Lance A. Glaese

Demetrius Rene Hernandez

Jiovani Hernandez

Ian Robert Rigsbee

Issac Andrew Rivas

Daniel Alejandro Rivera Estrada Ryan M. Rivero

Chloe Anne Robinson

Christian Darian Rocha Alonso Rodarte Jr. Vivian Sanchez Steven Schubert

Dalton Trevor Stone

Javier Daniel Tellez

Kevin Nathaniel Tiscareno Justin Lee Tonkinson Brianna Tovar

Dillon Gia-B Trinh

Andrea Paola Ulloa

Noah Velasco

Aldo Abelino Venzor Nava Jr

Wenbo Xie Aaron Alberto Zambrano

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Jose Carlos Acedo Aguilar Aldo Aceves

Alexis Alvidrez

Omar Aroche

Sabina Stephany Arroyo Jose Alfredo Avitia Jaime A. Baca Luis Nahir Banuelos Aaron E. Beltran

Edgar J. Blanco

Rene Damaso Boisseau Gomez

Jose Luis Boone Miguel J. Camarena Brenda Karina Caraveo Jorge Luis Carmona Jr Edgardo J. Castaneda

Gilberto Ulises Cepeda Zapata

Pierre Sebas Cera

Sarah Victoria Chacon Karla Gabri Davila

Luis Carlos De Leon Martin Eduardo Duarte

Gabriel Escandon

Javier Rene Esparza

Ramon Jesus Gamez Hector Garcia Jr Luis C. Garcia Jesus Gerardo Gomez

Abram Benjamin Perez Zahit Porras Alexander P. Pustinger Mathew Quesada Cynthia L. Ramirez Zamora

Nicholas S. Randazzo Daniel Rios

Fernando Rivera

Luis Eduardo Rodriguez Jose M. Romero Jr

Kyle Justi Rooslet Jacob Rosales

Ezequiel Santiago Ricardo Arturo Sepulveda Michael Solis Jr

Yesenia Yarely Terrones Heber Ulises Torres

William Edward Tucker III Eduardo J. Valadez Jr

Miguel Francisco Valadez

Andrea Karina Vargas

Alan Rodrigo Vasquez-Garcia Aldo Viezcas Jennifer Yanez

Bachelor of Science in Metallurgical & Materials Engineering

Edgar Omar Alvarez Robles

Veronica G. Contreras Guerrero Dana Victoria Godinez Jordan Scott Hitter Imelda Holguin Serrano Leslie Ivone Trujillo

College of Liberal Arts

Bachelor of Arts

Alan Aceves

Alexis Desiree Acosta Valente Antonio Aaron Acosta-Torres

Candy Adame Heidi A. Adkins

Melissa Aguero Orozco

Jocelyn Michelle Aguilar Sabrina Alcala-Soleno Arely Alderete

Maria Guadalupe Almeraz

Armando John Alvarez II

Itayecxi Alvarez

Nancy T. Amador Alvarado Atalia Guada Antunez Nicole Marie Arellano

Maria S. Cabada

Jesus Humberto Cabrales

Silvia Nayeli Calderon

Vanessa Camacho

Elizabeth Nicole Cameron

Lorna Jocelyne Campbell

Ramon Torres Cardenas

Levi Cristian Carlos

Alan Carmona

Lizbeth G. Carmona

Karen G. Carrillo

Jesus Carrillo Perez Eduardo Carrizal Jr

Kane Daniel Casao

Ashley Vianey Castaneda Ariel Megan Castillo Anabel Castorena Monique H. Castro

Karina L. Celaya Mariana S. Cerecerez Valeria Cervantes

Erin Chasco

Kimberly Chavez Taylor Lynn Cheaney

Alberto Cigarroa III Daniela Cisneros

Melissa Ann Clark James Alex Clift Mackenzee Marie Collins

Yatzua Stephania Corral Gabriella Correa

Vanesa Alejandra Correa Marco Antonio Covarrubias

Haahulakaleikaimana Tedra Anais Crisostomo

Adriana Ivette Cruz Lopez

Alexis Samantha Cuellar Elias Alberto De La Cruz Salinas Valeria De La Garza

Ivan De La Rosa

Roberto Angel Delgadillo Trina Renee Demaria

Annie Mae Dena

Jenna M. Denney

Jacob D. Diaz

Isaac David Diaz Cruz

Francisco Daniel Diego

Donovan Luis Dominguez

Matthew Joshua Dominguez

Jose A. Enriquez

Nancy J. Enriquez

Victoria A. Escalera

Adrian Tarin Escobedo

Juan Armando Escobedo

Ismael Escobedo Barraza

Kimberly Anai Esparza

Nestor Mahatma Espino

Horacio Estavillo Jr

Raul Roberto Estrada

Allison Julie Falcon

Moises Elias Favela

Edgar Arnaldo Feria

Angelina Baca Fernandez

Mario A. Fernandez

Isai Abraham Fierro

Kayla Darlene Fierro

Monika Candace Fierro

Miguel Angel Figueroa

Valeria Figueroa

Skyla M. Flake

Deborah May Flores

Kimberly Flores

Ricardo Florido

Saul Armando Fontes

Yvett Dubunett Fournier Barajas

Rene Frescas Jr

Daisy G. Fuentes

Alexander Galarza

King E. Galindo

Jose Gallardo

Paola G. Gallegos Ibarra

Alejandra Garcia

Bianka F. Garcia

Brenda Breniz Garcia

Jairo Alejandro Garcia

Paola Garcia

Samantha Nichole Garcia

Allison Cristina Gardea

Adrian Alexander Gaytan

Jessica Yvette Gil

Gabriela M. Gomez

Rodolfo Gomez-Rodriguez

Geraldine A. Gone Yoseline T. Gonzales

Gabriel Gonzalez

Gerardo A. Gonzalez

Janie Maria Gonzalez

Stephanie Arely Gonzalez

Shailah Kathe Grajeda

Micaela Alexandra Granados

Vienna Patricia Grijalva

Andree Sophia Guerrero

Elijah Guevara

Jennifer A. Gurrola

Cara M. Guskiewicz

Deisy J. Gutierrez

Jaime Gutierrez Jr

Esmeralda Guzman

Isaac John Hames

Mark David Hanna Jr

Adam Henry Hernandez

Ailev Guadalupe Hernandez

Analia Hernandez

Angela Marie Hernandez

Jessica Olivia Hernandez

Judith Hernandez

Mariafernanda Hernandez

Andres Daniel Herrera

Sofia Renee Herrera

Jovanny Hinojos

Genesis Holguin

Victoria Lin Huerta-Murray

Yadira Exel Ibanez

Melissa Ibarra

Sara Lucia Isasi

Abigail M. Jahn

Carolina M. Jauregui Maass

Dallas Joe Jimenez

Jorge A. Jimenez

Elise Marie Johnson

Nayelie Juarez

Taylor Danielle Kastner

Veronica G. Kay

Emma Katherine Keppler

Elijah Keenan Klein

Ileana Paulette Koelig

Julian A. Landeros

Daniel Adrian Lara

Daisy Nicole Lazcano

Leeza-Marie Lee

Regina Legarreta

Abel Legaspy

Paola Leon Brandee Lerma

Esai M. Leyva

Miriam Loera

Elizabeth Lopez

Melissa Lopez

Patricia Sydney Lopez

Paul Anthony Lopez

Sarah Ann Lord

Jacqueline E. Loredo

Alexis Loya

Evelyn Lozano

Alondra Samantha Lujan

Sarah E. Lujan

Edlynne Joy D. Macapili

Valeria Macias Balderrama

Manuel Manqueros Jr

Dominic Andrew Marquez

Efrain U. Marquez Jr

Alejandra Martinez

Alesandra Renee Martinez

Antonio G. Martinez

Azul Martinez Miriam R. Martinez

Yvonne Daniela Mata

Jack Enrique Mc Crimmon-Rubio Jr

Andrew Josep Mccullen

Joseph M. Mclain

Rafael Medel

Itzel Angelica Medina

Stefany Angelica Medrano

Micah A. Meier

Kimberly Jazmin Mejia

Pamela Mejia

Alexis Nicole Mena Noah Menchaca

Jessica Mendez

Lilian Belen Mendizabal

Ivan Ricardo Mendoza

Jacqueline Brenda Mendoza

Marcos Antonio Mendoza Jr

Mariana Mendoza

Pamela Mendoza

Alejandro Mercado

Andrew Jeffrey Meyer Jovany Meza

Irwin Alan Miguel Joel Molina

Karen Paola Monsisvais

Faviola Montanez

Marissa Victoria Montelongo Monica L. Montes

Raquel Montoya

Alexis Deeann Morales

Anahi Morales

Aurelia Sophia Morales

Jorge Alejandro Morales Rodriguez

Angel Moreno Carina Moreno

Gabriela Alejandra Morones

Itzel Muela

Rebekah Lee Muncie

Blanca Murguia

Fabiola Judith Najera Loera

Rosa Isela Nakamoto

Fabiola Navarro

Janin Idaiz Navarro-Lara

Erin Midori Nelson

Kody Olmos

Manuela Ontiveros

Sergio Eduardo Ornelas

Jacquilyn Renee Orozco

Dimitrius J. Ortega

Ingrid Eunisse Ortega

Michelle Ortega

Liliana Aileen Ortigoza

Roger Isaac Ortiz Mildred Yasmin Pacheco

Azul Zoe Pacheco Garcia

Rogelio Palacios

Sofia Paulina Pardo Guillermo Perez

Isabela Fatim Perez

Natalie Mireilli Perez

Roberto Alexis Perez

Marian Porras

Valeria Renee Porras

Naomi E. Posada

Valeria Prieto

Heaven Lee Selena Quintana

Christina I. Ramirez

Jacob Ramirez

Pamela Ramirez

Selicia Ramirez

Vicente Ramos Jr Jacklynn Reyes

Jacob Gabriel Reyes

Karen Alejandra Reyes

Alessia V. Reyes-Arredondo Melanie Alma Reynoso

Danielle L. Richie

Erendira Riestra Romero

Cali Alexis Riley

Sabbaeth Eleazar Rincon

Gloria I. Rios

Diego Rivas Jetzel O. Rivera Manuel Rivera Isaac Robinson

Sophia Sashe Robles

Ashley Rodriguez Haydee Irasema Rodriguez

Jose Armando Rodriguez

Katia Juliet Rodriguez

Kiana Melissa Rodriguez

Laura Natalina Rodriguez

Rosanna Rodriguez

Victoria R. Rodriguez

Florencia Sophia Rodriguez Aviles

Maritza Rodriguez Landess

Martin Eduardo Romero

Helen Lizbeth Rosales Orona

Virginia Anne Rosas Jesus Daniel Ruiz

Jaqueline Ruiz Zuniga Marlene Salas

Michelle Salazar

Pablo Fernando Salazar Jessica Ruby Anne Salem Eileen Michelle Sanchez

Luis Carlos Sanchez Mario Jesus Sanchez Jr

Perla Veronica Sanchez

Natalia Nallely Sanchez Rodarte David Sandoval

Kristen Marie Scheaffer Andrew M. Seeber

Cristian A. Serrano

Nancy Sigala Allen

Alizae Marie Silva

A’Na Marie Singleton

Breanna Singleton Allen William Smith

Christian T. Smitha

Rose Therese Snyder Diana Britn Solano

Raquel Serene Sosa

Adrian Michael Soto

Brandon Michael Soto

Marysol Soto

Stephanie Soto

Carla Soto Valdovinos

Austin T. Stephens Weston Stogner

Briana Marina Tapia

Caitlyn Rose Tapia-Bindrum

Desiree Stephanie Tarin Charles Kouassi Tchimou

Andres Terrazas

Melissa Terrazas

Sandy Terrazas

Frida Sofia Terrazas-Holguin

Olivia Cristina Thomas

Dylan A. Torres

Paulina Torres

Xochitl Torres

Lesley Torres Quintana Kassandra S. Torres Sotelo

Josselyne Torres Torres

Noelle Trejo

Cassandra Trevizo Natalia Trevizo

Ryan Turner

Blanca Alejandra Urcuyo Christy Urenda

Destiny Valdez

Vianet Valeria Valencia

Ana Veronica Valenzuela Queza Yazmin Guadalupe Valle Dylan Vanmali

Ana Karen Varela

Alexander Michael Vasquez Dakota N. Vasquez

Gisela Vazquez

Emily Autumn Velasquez

Adrian Alonso Vergara

Salvador H. Vergara

Kendra P. Vigil

Steven Vigil

David Alejandro Villa

Erin Nicole Villarreal

Karen Ciana Villegas

Stephan Wallace Jr

Exodis Lee Ward

Cindy Marie Williams

Paola Alejandra Yanar Alexis Rene Yanez

Raul Yanez Saldivar Jr

Mohamad Rizk Youssef Jasmine Zaragoza Aaron Michael Zarur Kevin Zuniga

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Emilio Ivan Aguilar Omar Alcantar

Genesis A. Barraza Alexis V. Carrillo

Sidnee Josephine Coder Brandon Lee Contreras

Ivan Fernando Esparza Adame Elizabeth Flores

Myrna Navil Garcia

Paulina Garcia Carlos Gutierrez III

Laura Camila Hellmuth

Emily Minerva Hernandez

Troy Alexander Ibarra

Luis Enriq Llanes

Lesley A. Ordaz Alvarado Anahi Paez

Adrianne Ramirez

Joel Rodriguez-Villalobos Tianna Cristine Tillman Dilan Everardo Torres Jimenez Jr

Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies

Lisa Maria Acosta

Gilberto A. Aguilar

Shelby Aarin Aguilar

Kathleen Aguilar-Slicker

Rachel Elizabeth Allen

Edgar Aragon

Valerie S. Arevalo

Joseph R. Armendariz Mayra Karina Barrientos

Alvaro Barroeta

Alejandra Chavez

Priscilla Chavira Diaz

Bianca Maria Ciriza

Edward Bruce Dubowitz

Ann Marie Duran

Luis Fernando Enriquez

Naomi Espinoza Joshua P. Farr

Megan Elizabeth Fikes

Arthur S.T. Gibbons

Rianna M. Gonzales Bo B. Gonzalez

Joseph Shant Hagopian Joshua H. Hancock

Eric Hernandez Jr Cassandra Renee Huerta Chinelo St Rita Ikeakor Yazmin Jara Joshua Jasso

Tyrice Taesean Knight

Vianey Alejandra Legarda

Peter J. Leyva

Joseph David Sayklay Lopez

Jose Martin Loya Jr Michael Patrick Malewitz

Victoria Isabel Martinez

James Mitcheal Mc Cauley

Arissa Bree Medina

Jeanette Mitchell

Arianne Duarte Morais

Dalila Corine Morales Jaime Morales Jr. Kelton Armand Moss

Dereck Nakay

Concepcion Noe Byrd Alexandra Noriega Karen Ontiveros

Sylvia Anna Pacheco

Stephen Paul Padilla Nicolas Alexander Porras Justin Onyo Prince Jesus A. Robles

Ismael Ronquillo Rodriguez Raul Rodriguez Jr Justin Lamar Rone

Ryan Rubio

Dariela Rocio Ruiz Muro

Victoria Sandoval Andria N. Servin

Marissa A. Sleek

Luke Jeremiah Soto

Cassandra M. Story Marisela A. Terrones

Zuneil Marie Torres

Skyler Renee Vasquez

Julian Eloy Velez Hector Vidal Morgan Taylor Widder Erin Chanell Wilson Haifeng Yu David Blas Zurita

Bachelor of Music

Christopher D. Allen Alexa M. Esparza Eric Esquivel

Brandon E. Keller

Raul Ignacio Morales Fernando Rivas Alberto Torres Jr. Che Rafael Ulibarri

Bachelor of Science

Patricia Arizpe

Suzanne Gabriela Atiya

Evan Austin

Lorene Rene Cadena

Jacqueline A. Calixto-Vaquero

Cassandra Diaz

Daniela Esparza

Luis D. Estrada

Viviana Elena Garcia

Greggory John Gavin

Arely Gonzalez

Jazmin Elizabeth Granillo

Jeremy Andrew Hernandez Maria Sofia Kay

Minju Lee

Angela Marez

Carolina Marioni

Catalina Martinez

Liliana Maynez-Anchondo

Erika Ivonne Miranda

Vivian A. Molina

Alyssa Nicole Parra

Amber Anette Quintero

Sarah Ashley Reyes

Cindy Michell Rios

Adrian Rivas

Esmeralda Rosales

Jacquelin E. Sanchez

Andrea Lucia Sandoval

Evelyn Y. Saucedo

Melissa Saucedo

Dorymar Torres-Rosas

Cassandra M. Toulet-Crump

Lina Saray Trejo

Austin Ray Vernon

College of Science

Bachelor of Arts

Brandon Farell De La Rosa

Alexia Maris Garza

Luis Carlos Gutierrez Jr

Danielle M. Spencer

Bachelor of Science

Celene Aguilar

Iris Renae Aguirre

Hussein Ali Alcharrak

Alejandra Aleman

Bryan Michael Allen Martin S. Alvarado III

Natalia Anaya Matilde Araiza

Alexandra Elane Arinduque

Monica Avalos

Daniel A. Ayabar Meza

Brittney Baca

Katherine Annette Barba

Joselinne Julianne Bass

Trishia Bellini Benavides

Alex Bernal

Stephanie Berumen

Nathan Asher Bidwell

Ariel Bollinger

Sarahi Vanessa Bracamontes

Maximus A. Buckingham

Italia Alexandra Bumgardner

Brianna Belle Burton

Mircka Yuritzi Calderon

Andrea Franc Campos

Ashley Abigail Campos

Christian Campos

Ana Sofia Carreon Avitia

Sydney Yvette Carrillo

Jonathan Andrew Castaneda

Jimmy Ronal Cativo Jr

Dennise Guadalupe Ceballos

Anaid Ceniceros-Cruz

Robert Phillip Cereceres

Stephanie Alexis Chavez

Mariangela Cobian

Amanda Marie Contreras

Sylvia Valeria Contreras

Daniela F. Cordova

Adriana Corona

Alonso Corral

Estrella I. Cortes

Yared Cortez

Joseph Abraham Daniel Erika N. Day

Joshua Kelly Delgado

Sofia Alejandra Delgado

Alyssa Marie Denis Alyssa Diaz

Christian Anthony Diaz Georgina Alejandra Diaz

Stephanee Oryan Diaz

Quinton M. Ditmore III

Estephanel Andrea Dominguez

Krista Yedith Duarte

Luis Roberto Duran

Zachary T. Duran

Brittanie N. Eastwood

Enrique Ebarguen

Madeline K. Elsey

Vassti Escalante

Joseph Aaron Espinoza

Diego Isaac Fierro

Karla Flores

Yolanda Angelica Flores

Carly Renee Frausto

Javier Heriberto Fuentes

Abigail Gallegos

Kassandra Lenee Gallinar

Karla Galvan Salma Gamez

Jesus Garcia Michelle I. Garcia

Stephanie Ann Garcia

Joseph William James Glade

Laura M. Goitia

Andres I. Gomez

Olivia D. Gomez

Denali A. Gonzales

Alexandra Nicole Gonzalez

Ashley P. Gonzalez

Daniela Gonzalez Pacheco

Bridget Yareth Granados

Maria G. Guerrero

Josabell Gurrola

Andrea Renee Gutierrez

Miguel Eduardo Gutierrez

Isabel Gutierrez Zubiate

Karen Hernandez

Kyara Juliett Hernandez

Lucia Hernandez

Sarah I. Hernandez

Laiza Hernandez-Legaspi

Sandra Ivette Herrera

Sebastian Hincapie

Gustavo Fabian Hinojo

Daniela E. Holguin Segovia

Victoria Lee Ann Holland

Jaimmy Nicole Homan

James N. Homan

Brenda Hurley

Isabel Olivia Irwin

Jorge H. Jimenez

Lily M. Johnson

Brian Lara

Clarissa Legarretta

Natali Legarretta

Alexa Lewkowicz

Marian Guadalupe Lopez

Valeria Lopez

Jeidalee Zhaiz Lopez Rodriguez

Karen Teresa Lorenzana

Sujey Stephanie Lucero

Juan Manuel Magallon

Francisco Xavier Magana III

Diego Gabriel Maldonado

Rafael Isaac Marquez

Martin Hugo Marrufo Jr Marissa A. Martinez

Liliana Maynez-Anchondo

Denisse Gabriela Medina Rodriguez

Ximena Meza

Ashleigh Sandra Min Celeste Molina

Kayla Brandon Molina-Altamirano

Maria J. Montoya

Bryan Morales

Sydney Lorelly Moran

Samantha Marie Morris

Heber Ivan Moya Jr

Ivan Muniz

Emely Lorraine Munoz

Alan Murguia

Melanie Nicole Murillo

Julian Andrew Najera

Alitzel Neri

Pablo Marin Ordonez

Frida Padilla

Samantha Marie Pages

Jasmine M. Paredes

Karen Valeria Parra Pacheco

Lluvia Nohemi Paz

Beatriz Eugenia Pena

Angel Andres Perez Isaiah Perez Jose L. Perez Jr

Manuel E. Pina

Cameron Lyndon Pleasant Brianna Portillo

Rosa Elizabeth Portillo

Madison L. Quintana

Issac Quiroga

Alyssa Danielle Ramirez

Ariana Gabrielle Ramirez

Naomi Ramirez Aizawa

Claire Refaei

Kyanna M. Regalado Isabella Rendon

Alan Jesus Reyes

Gabriel Kareem Reyes

Robert Reyes Paulina Rios

Jorge Rivero Villanueva

Angel Gabriel Robles

Carmen Alicia Rodriguez Dayren Alexandra Rodriguez

Eduardo Rey Rodriguez

Efrain Rodriguez

Jacqueline Rodriguez

Vanessa Liliana Rodriguez

Adrian Aleja Rosales

Sophia Alejandra Ruacho

Jesus Daniel Ruiz

Mariajose Ruiz Marlo Crist Salazar

Lydia Alexandra Saldana Dayanira Sanchez

Nancy Elizabeth Sanchez Omar A. Sanchez

Uriel Santillana

Destiny Briella Santos

Pranav Jith Sathiyajith Julian R. Saucedo Athenns Edith Seijas

Mario A. Solano

Miguel A. Solis

Lidice Soto Arzate

Marcela Tinajero Ojeda

Estefania Torres

Luis Ricardo Torres Jr. Paola Tovar

Victoria L. Tovar

David C. Trejo Jr

Victoria Renee Trejo

Dillon Gia-B Trinh

Luis Carlos Valdez

Anika Magdeva Valencia

Janet Monic Valenzuela

Gerardo Dasaev Vargas Ana F. Vazquez

Ruben Alexis Velazquez Tarango Jr

Yamini Verma

Hailey Gene Vizcarra Tamia La’Shay Williams Tiffany M. Williams

Karla P. Zapata

College of Education

Bachelor of Arts

Paola Giselle Acosta

Tracy L. Aguilar

Abigail Aguilar-Favela

Cassandra Gloria Aldaz

Sarah Nicole Arizpe

Denise Avila

Denisse Ayala Daisy Baeza Tania Cabral Diana Camarena

Victoria Isabel Canales

Ashley Samantha Chavez

Diana Chavez Joselyne Chavez

Oscar Compean Helen Miriam Coolidge Adaluz Coronado Fatima Arianna Davila Mayra Delgado

Natalie Irene Delgado

Clarisa Lorane Denning

Tevin L. Dieckhaus-King

Kimberly Duran

Irma M. Escobar

Yesenia Escobar

Adan Diego Esparza Reyna Marib Estrada Eduardo Farias Jr

Arlene Favela

Clarissa I. Gonzalez

Vanessa R. Granados

Steffen I. Gregory Adriana Hernandez

Denise Hernandez

Leanna Marie Hernandez Cassandra Arleene Juarez

Samantha Janae Licerio Brisa Yazmin Lizama

Jennifer Lopez Melissa A. Lopez Alexis Loya Beatriz Margarita Lozano Jonathan J. Martinez Jorge Martinez Sofia Mcdonald

Christina Marie Mendoza Diana K. Miranda Yareth Ilean Mireles

Angel R. Montelongo Jr Fernanda Montes

Lesly Jazmin Moreno Marisol Olvera Denise Orozco

Hannah Idalis Orozco

Jacqueline T. Perez Eliana Marie Pier

Valerie Puente

Stephanie Quinonez

Karen Rebecca Ransom

Victoria Renee Reyes Jada V. Rivera

Samantha Nicole Rosalez

Alondra Nicole Salazar

Priscilla Sanchez

Ana Jaquelin Sanchez Medina Cristina Yvonne Serna

Nayelie Torres Heather N. Turnipseed Alexandra Valdez

Kristian Marie Vazquez Adriana Villasenor

Bachelor of Science

Mariana Aguilera

Lisa Marie Alarcon

Grisel Aurora Alvarez Darlene De La Torre

Ana G. Flores

Ayleen Galan Paola Alejandra Gil Brittani T. Graham

Emily L. Harris

Erika Hernandez

Rebecca Hernandez

Jezenya Leilani Ibarra Berthaly Lopez

Brenda Lee Lozano Fabiola Medina

Melissa Nicole Meijers

Jaqueline Mendoza Brianna M. Moreno

Liliana Moreno Karina Orona Evangelina Romero Ruby Rosales Brandy Nicole Vara

College of Business Administration

Bachelor of Arts

Karla Christina Hernandez Elliott Thomas Parker

Bachelor of Business Administration

Claudia Y. Aguilar

Estefania Molina Aguilar

Llancy Marlene Aguilar Emmanuel Aguirre Gabriel K. Alcantar

Karen Leigh Aldavaz Valeria Aleman

Frida Miranda Alipio

Anna L. Alonso

Juan Antonio Alonso Fabian Alvarado

Edgar Alvarez

Praise Chikemzi Amaewhule Robin Manuel Anaya

Briana Isabe Apodaca

Alondra Danielle Arango

Luis Jafet Arenas

Yamilex Isabelle Arias Belen Arriaga Bryan B. Arrieta Damian J. Arzabala

Samantha Angelica Ayala Luis M. Baez

Haley Banda

Jael S. Barboza Rita Barraza Alfredo Barrios

Fabian Antonio Battaglia Sunny Danabet Battle Jr Rene Bayona

Stephanie A. Bellonger

Joshua J. Bock

Andrew Botello

Sebastian Brown

Luz Calderon

Luis Alberto Carrasco

Sofia Isabel Carreon

Ever Alejandro Carrillo Alvarado

Juan Castaneda Jr Jahir Castillo

Laura Idalia Castro

Diana Laura Swanson

Jacob Emilio Cepeda

Yessica Aradely Chacon

Alondra Vanessa Chaparro

Antonio Jesus Chaparro

Angel Arturo Chavez

Edgar Chavez

Paulina Chavez

Vania Chavira Navarrete

Yuviell Chavira Navarrete

Tshering Choden

Katherine Alexis Christmann

Luciano Andre Contreras

Dante Marco Antonio Cortez

Caleb James Cossio

David A. Croslen

Chantal Cruz

Cristal Orquiz Cuevas Jackson Lane Culter

Truro J. Davidoff

Fernando De La Cruz

Jessica De La Cruz

Jazzlyn De La Rosa

Benjamin De Los Reyes

Daisy Delgado

Stevie Darnell Dennis II

Christian M. Diaz

Gonzalo Almib Dominguez Jr

Julieta Dominguez

Xavier Hugo Escobedo

Alejandro Esparza

Maria Fernanda Estala Rodriguez

Daisy Estrada

Evelyn Bernice Felix

Hector Fierro Jr

Micaela Flores

Jacqueline Fournier

Patrick Daniel Franco

Alejandra Franco Aguirre

Mauricio Aloys Gaillard Jr

Stephanie Liliana Galindo

Austin Gallagher

Gabriela Galvan

Dennis W.E Ganfield

Alejandro Daniel Garcia

Daniela Garcia

Sebastian Garcia

Mario Alberto Garcia Arzaga

Victoria Garza

Adriana Garza Arellano

Jeremy Charles Gomez

Isis R. Gonzalez

Tyson Gonzalez

Nicole Alejandra Gonzalez Contreras

Mariah Gracia

Diana Luica Gutierrez

Shelby Rose Hamil

Arturo Hernandez Jr.

Genavieve Hernandez

Raul Hernandez Jr

Ruben Andre Hernandez

Matthew Luis Herrera

Yusell Armando Herrera Rodriguez

Selene Higareda

Sophia Grace Ibarra

Ana Sofia Izquierdo

Karina Jacinto

Carlos Ramon Jimenez Jr

Yvette Jimenez

Samantha Dominique Johnson

Lorena Juarez

Darius Jalen King

Bryan Anthony Knott

Justin Christopher Lampman

Omar Lepe

Anasofia Lerma

Abril Vanessa Limas

Quinton R. Long

Esther Ruth Lopez

Jonathan Lopez

Valerie Lopez

Monica Lopez Arenas

Sergio Lorenzana Jr

Pedro N. Lozano

Patrick Andrew Luevano Jr

Anakin Jacob Lujan

Taylor Joan Luna

Victor Luna

Hannah V. Lyon

Alejandro I. Macias

Leonardo M. Macias

Mario Alberto Magallanes Jr

Eduardo Armando Maldonado

Victoria D. Maldonado

Alan E. Martinez

Andres Israe Martinez

Yadira Martinez

Daniel Eduardo Mata

Shamya Janae Mcdowell

Ryan Lee Mcnair

Marco Yael Medina-Rios

Alberto Armando Mejia

Mauricio Atzel Mejia Esquivel Danna K. Melchor

Juan Francisco Menchaca Jr

Yolanda Miramontes

Jerry Abraham Miranda

Daniel Gerardo Molina Jr.

Jesse Monroy

Julio Alfredo Montellano

Emilio Montes

Ari Yasshir Montes Caraveo

Carlos Daniel Montiel

Luis Moreno

Luis A. Munoz

Miguel Angel Munoz Jr

Irving Alexis Munoz Madrid

Isaac A. Nassi

Paola Jocelyn Nunez

Eduardo Ochoa

Michelle Elizabeth O’Driscoll

Valeria Olivas de Santiago

Gerardo Ortiz

Natalie Ortiz

Damaris Ostos Espinoza

Nadia Irina Ozaeta

Aaron Padilla

Horacio Miguel Padilla Acosta

Vanessa Palacio

Renee Paracha

Edward Parra

Olga M. Peraza

Ruby Pereda Diana Perez Roberto Perez

Vianey Perez

Valeria Yusseli Perez Cavazos

Karely Jetzay Pimentel Martinez

Myriam Ponce

Jorge Porras

Joseph A. Prado Melody Prestor

Jose Esteban Quintana

Jacqueline Quirino

Daniela Quiroz

Joseph David Raigosa Angelica Ramirez Gilberto Ramirez

Mariana Isela Ramirez

Salma Orali Ramirez

Gabriel Ramirez De La Torre

Daniella Ramos

Valerie Ramos Cosima Rangel

Irvinng Elihu Rascon Humberto Reyes

Roberto Reyes Vanessa Andrea Reyes Cesar Alejandro Rios Jr Luis Ramon Rios Jr

Maria Fernanda Rivas Pena

Danny Rivera Jr Joel Ernesto Rivera

Stephen George Rodela

Arlene Rodriguez

Miranda Michelle Rodriguez Salvador Rodriguez

Jorge Alfredo Rodriguez Galindo

Gabriela Rodriguez Sosa

Ana Fernanda Rosales Nuno

Roberto Rubio

Jorge Luis Ruiz

Dayana Salazar

Pamela Salazar

Javier Enrique San Martin Ruben Sanchez

Juan Pablo Sandoval

Aaron J. Sarmiento

Helen Saucedo

Vivian Esther Serrano

John David Shaw

Tyrese Devon Singfield

Serena Rose Soledad Brandon E. Soria

Mayte Soto

Dominic Antho Souza

Amanda M. Stevenson Irissa L. Tarin

Sergio E. Tavarez

Ana Cristina Terrazas

Emiliano Terrazas Karma Tobgay

Alexia Iaseth Torres

Alyssa Rae Torres

Armand Joel Torres Fernando J. Torres

Luisa Fernanda Torres

Cecilia Valdiviez

Cesar Valdiviez

Cesar Gilberto Valles

Kevin Eduardo Vaquera-Gutierrez

Alessandra B. Vasquez

Eric Santiago Vasquez

Dylan Alejandro Vazquez Gracida Alejandro Andres Villalobos

Javier Villegas Jr Brian A. Vislar

Jose F. Vizcarra Ramirez

Jamal M. Wilborn

Ta-Un Windle

Victoria L. Word Yanel I. Zamora Diana Zaragoza Esteban Zazueta Meraz

College of Health Sciences

Bachelor of Science

Stephanie Acosta

Adrian Brandon Aguilar

Damaris Salem Aguilar

Tamara Alexander

Jonathan Almaguer

Briana Alexandra Armendariz

Gabriel Isaiah Armijo Abraham M. Avalos

Andrew Jacob Avila

Ada Marina Barba Escajeda

Linda Genevieve Barron

Erica Maria Bocanegra Brystal K. Briones

Erika Alexa Burciaga

Celia Cadena

Gloria Estefania Campos Delgado Alexis Carbajal

Brenda Carlos

Tania Pamela Castillo-Munoz

Christian L. Castorena

Zagnittee Anely Castorena

Brittany Castro

Faith Castro

Arleen Amber Ceniceros Karla D. Chairez

Aime Abigai Chavez

Bryanna Angelique Chavez

Santiago Chavez

Edric Ray Chavez-Mccall Daniel Contreras

Lynette Margarita Contreras Valdez Lizbeth Cordero-Santos Alianza Li-Anna Darley

Marisela Davila

Rebekah Moniq De Jesus

Taylee Alyss De La Torre

Alexah Marie Delgado

Justin Jeter Diaz

Rosalie Diaz

Yesenia Stephanie Diaz

Amanda C. Dominguez

Melissa Dominguez Maribel L. Duran

Sarah Giselle Enriquez

Esmeralda Enriquez Armendariz

Miranda Isabella Escobar Gregory Michael Estrada

Alexus Rebecca Fernandez

Jimena F. Fernandez

Daniel Adrian Flores Lopez

Luisa Fernanda Franco Aguirre

Marlene Thalia Garcia

Michelle Gil

Emmanuel Gonzalez

Christian Granillo Orquidea V. Guillen

Andrea Hernandez

Faith M. Hernandez

Josue Hernandez Carranza

Elida Herrera

Jose Luis David Herrera

Victoria Andre Hinojos

Sofia Elizabeth Hinojosa

David Huerta

Diego G. Illan-Castillo

Brandon J. Janik Ricardo Jimenez

Faith Hillary Johnson Zachary Alan Johnson Karmin Jurado Kayla Marie Kish

Emmanuel Kipkurui Korir

Alan Kwong Echo Demi Lapointe Jasmin Loya

Wendy Cristina Loya Carolyn Kelley Madrid

Cene Shantell Madrigal Carlos Eduar Martinez Celine Medina Luz Elena Mendez Noah Rene Millan Mercedes Candelaria Miranda Luis Eduardo Molina Taelor Rae Molina

Camila Montelongo Jacob J. Morales

Dulce A. Moreno

Steven M. Murphy Dante Nicholas Nacim Nahomi Damar Navar Andres Alberto Negrete Brittney Olivas Sebastian Ornelas Dereon Eugene Pacely Savannah V. Pantoja Ana Victoria Pedroza Villegas Valeria Perez

Lizbeth Guadalupe Perez Perez Curtis L. Pernell Jose A. Prieto

Alexander Xavier Quinones Uriel Abraham Robledo Toni Rai Rodriguez Julian Rojero Maria Magdalena Ruiz Leslie A. Ruvalcaba Natalia Saenz Vazquez Mariel Aranza Sanchez

Riva Renee Sanchez

Destiny Elaine Shields Stan Roger Simms Ana Sofia Siqueiros Sydnie L. Smith

Neil Sobing Paola Alexandra Solanes Elfido Angel Soto Alejandro Ray Toccoli

Alexandra Torres

Carmen Sophia Trejo Graciela I. Urueta

Krystal Valdez Hailey Jewel Valenzuela Karla Aileen Velarde Luis Pablo Verduzco Jr Isaiah Simon Villegas Jesus Francisco Villegas-Reyes Angelica Erin Wall

Jeremy Joseph West Micah K. Westerlink

Melanie Amber Yanez Samantha C. Zapata

College of Nursing

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Fatima E. Abujawayed

Alexis Miranda Aguilar Margot Aguirre

Pamela Alejandra Almaraz Natividad

Jasmin Alvarado

Lizbeth Aylin Angel

Jennifer Avila

Yazmin Baquera

Alan Barraza

Ana Basur Basurto

Aileen Beltran

Alyssa Michele Benavidez

Patrick Owen Blackwell

Emily Gabriela Blanco

Adrian Calero Lizbeth P. Campa

Hilda Danahe Carbajal

Chevy Lane Carpenter

Jennifer Kimberly Carreon

Zaidee Yaryna Castanon

Rosa Amalia Castor

Diana Alejandra Castrejon Coronado

Jesus Andres Castrellon

Donald Constantine Naomi M. Cortez

Allison Yvonne Couch Keyonna D. Davis Alyssa M. Dominguez

Claudia Dominguez Miriam Duran Maria Jose Echeverri Fernanda Elizalde

Vanessa E. Enriquez

Karla Enriquez Jimenez Wendy Escamilla Karen Pamela Escobedo Dominguez Natalia Espinosa Marmolejo

Christian Felix Jose Fernandez

Evelyn Tania Fuentes

Alondra Yajira Garcia Elizabeth Garcia Emily Rose Garza Kerrin Gonzalez Nayely Gonzalez Chelsea Ann Helton

Taylor Marie Heras Flor Amalia Hernandez

Tyranicia Holland Lauren Crystal Hostetter

Hanbee Hanna Hwang Michelle E. Jurado Valeria Landeros Nuvia Lizbeth Lerma Mata Quiana Tamil Lewis Abbey Nicole Lovins Ashley Nicole Lujan Erika Alejandra Luna Sara C. Madrid

Ashton Katelin Monika Martinez Kaylynn Cristina Martinez

Aliris Matthews Sierra Marie Meidell Diane Joann Mena Yissel A. Mendoza Mariana S. Miranda Ayanna Chantel Faye Montgomery Brandee Lee Montgomery Ken Charles Moor Miriam Lizeth Morales

David Aleja Moreno

Christopher Louis Munoz Tafari S. Murphy

Loretta Jay Navarrete Fatima Elizabeth Navarro Maydelyn Ann Pacanan Nepomuceno Kana Ngo

Victoria Alejandra Ordaz Diana A. Orozco

Isabella Miranda Ortega Nathalie Ortega Anthony Ortiz

Jaskarine Palacios Rebecca Marie Perez

Carlos Eduardo Pineda Edna Melissa Portillo Alex Ramirez Maria Magdalena Ramirez Briseida I. Reyes-Sinecio Alexia Reynoso Laura Rodriguez

Priscilla Rodriguez Daniela Ruiz

Andrea Saenz Mario A. Sanchez Brianna Marie Sandoval Grissel Danneth Sarellano Matthew P. Smith

Isabel Tellez Herrera

Taylor Olivia Toronto Estefania Torres

Denisse Alejandra Tovar Elizabeth Tremillo Daniela Lucia Uzquiano Joi Ames Valdez

Paola Mercedes Vargas Luis Fernando Vasquez

Stephanie Priscilla Velazquez Jennifer Vidal

Vanessa Nichole Villalvazo

Leslie Villegas Adrian Yanez-Bernal Saidi Zepeda

Shaun Robert Lloyd Catley

Danielle Cedillo

Arts & Culture

Meet the future of music education

BY ITZEL GIRON The Prospector

As the 2022 fall convocation nears, many seniors might back on what made them choose the path they are currently on, how they got there, or what could have changed had things not gone their way. The same goes for graduating music education senior, Eric Esquivel, who not only faced the pandemic during his time at UTEP, but other personal hurdles that can make something you are passionate about seem almost unfeasible.

In early fall of 2019, Esquivel suffered a hand injury that made playing any instrument he enjoyed, such as the snare drum, marimba or drum set, feel impossible without any kind of pain.

“I wasn’t having fun playing my instrument. I gradually entered into a distressed mental state,” Esquivel said. “I almost reached my breaking point of possibly reconsidering my major altogether, as I thought my

career could be over.”

Now three years later and on the brink of walking the Don Haskins stage, Esquivel has healed but still believes he has not 100 percent recovered. After dealing with his personal injury, Esquivel, like many others, was forced to deal COVID-19. The pandemic, which took a lot from many, seemed like the worst thing to happen within millions of households.

But for Esquivel, it was the start of perfecting his craft and his new techniques.

“I took advantage of this time to truly maximize my education in the UTEP Music Department. I realized the detriment of education online early on, and that the experiences would not be the same had they been at the institution,” Esquivel said. “I made it my mission to take in (every) bit of information that my professors gave me. This

positive viewpoint of the pandemic made my musical experiences worthwhile.”

Not only did he use time to become a better percussionist, but also used it to prepare himself to be the teacher he hopes to be.

“Band teachers from over the years (like) Ms. Janet Lynch, Ms. Salina Cobos, Mr. Ron Pingor, Mr. Daniel Hunt, and Mr. Matt Fernandez,” Esquivel said. “(Have all) played a significant role in my choice to study music education.”

Finishing his studies in music education meant preparing himself to become a leader and inspiration among other young minds like he once was. It is those teachers throughout his years in school who would be key inspirations for what Esquivel hopes to be.

“My plan is to inspire young musicians just how Ms. Janet Lynch and Ms. Cobos did when I was ten years

old,” Esquivel said. “These two educators were the ones that planted the seed for (me) one day becoming a music educator.”

More recently, a collegiate inspiration would be UTEP professor, Andy Smith, Ph.D., who has also held a role in shaping the person Esquivel is today.

“A dedicated mentor, pedagogue, musician, and performer, Dr. Smith is taking the percussion program at UTEP to new heights, and I am glad I was under his tutelage,” Esquivel said. “Dr. Smith has taught me to be a total percussionist and shown me the true characteristics of professionalism, communication, networking and wit.”

Luckily for Esquivel, those inspirations have allowed him to secure his first step after graduation, accepting his first job offer as the Assistant Band and Percussion Director at Don Haskins K-8. Alongside the

countless teachers guiding him, family and close friends have also played a close role in his success.

“I would like to first thank my family for supporting me in my higher education endeavors,” Esquivel said. “(I would also like to) thank the many friends that I have met along my journey, for they have been important in my growth and perseverance through my degree.”

Every student has their own hurdles to overcome, this is one story reminding students that things can get tough and will not always be easy. However, it highlights how taking the smallest things as “wins” leads to a future of success.

“Study hard and celebrate each ‘win’ you get,” Esquivel said. “A ‘win’ can be just as simple as getting through a chapter in a textbook and being proud of that.”

Itzel Giron is the multimedia editor and can be reached at iagiron@miners.utep.edu; @by.itzel.giron on Instagram; @itzel_anahi_16 on Twitter.

Senior percussionist Eric Esquivel prepares to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Music Education. Photo by Annabella Mireles/The Prospector

Theatre and Dance present ‘Zoot Suit’

BY ALYSON RODRIGUEZ The Prospector

The UTEP Department of Theatre and Dance presented their new show “Zoot Suit” written by Luis Valdez, and directed by Justin Lucero. It opened Nov. 17 at the Wise Family Theatre.

Zoot Suit is a groundbreaking piece of Latinx theatre and a milestone piece of American theatre. The play centers around the story of Henry Reyna and the 38th Street Gang. It showcases how they were wrongfully convicted of committing the Sleepy Lagoon Murders. It also shows the trial that follows and the infamous Zoot Suit Riots. This important piece showcases the ugly truths of America in the 1940s and the social injustices that continue to occur even in the present day.

The central theme of the twoand-a-half-hour play was identity, Latinx marginalization and cultural tensions. It also depicted the abuses of law enforcement, the judicial system and unfair media coverage.

“I really enjoyed the play,” said audience member, Viridiana Espinoza. “At first, I wasn’t sure what this play was going to be about. It’s interesting to see how things are so different in America and how even now we still see some of the prejudices that were going on. My favorite part of the play was when all of the cast was circling the main character, because he was overwhelmed with all of his thoughts, and didn’t know what to think. I thought that part was really cool.”

The show had an all-star cast

which consisted of Adriana Muñiz as Pachucx, Angel Rodriguez played protagonist Henry Reyna, Ariyana Anaya as Alice Bloomfield, the reporter, Isai Castillo played George Shearer, the attorney, Saul Martinez as Joey, Brianna Garcia as Tommy, Ulises Cordova as Smiley, Carolina Flores-Parada as Della, Marco Silva played Rafas, Matthew Nuñez as Lt. Edwards, Edmy Montes played the judge and Sgt. Smith, Gabi Muñoz played The Press, Lizbeth Sánchez Pineda as Dolores Reyna, Victor Mendoza

as Enrique Reyna, Adan Filigrana as Rudy Reyna, Genésis Barraza played Lupe Reyna the little sister of Henry, and Alyssa Bustillos as Bertha the ex-girlfriend. The cast told this important story through song and dance.

“It’s honestly a really good show,” said audience member, Karla Servin. “Seeing the play unfold was very interesting. There were a lot of really cool artistic aspects of it. My favorite part of the play was how they incorporated dancing into this important story, I did not expect

there to be any dancing in this play.”

Zoot Suit is playing at 7:30 p.m. every Friday and Saturday, and at 2:30 p.m. on Sundays until Dec. 4 at the Wise Family Theatre. Tickets cost $18 for adults, $15 for UTEP alumni, faculty and staff, military, non-UTEP students and seniors. For UTEP students, tickets are available for $12. For more information, visit events. utep.edu and look up Zoot Suit.

First a UTEP graduate, now emerging Latina artist

BY JOSIE AVILA The Prospector

Some people graduated alongside her, some know her as a co-worker and some consider her to be one of their favorite artists.

Emerging Latina singer-songwriter Adriana Olivas Ureno, or Eydrey, is juggling a full-time job and expanding her career since she graduated from UTEP. Eydrey concluded her academic career in the fall of 2021.

In an exclusive interview, Eydrey addressed an important topic, the dilemma of chasing your artistic dreams or securing a job that will pay the bills.

“I think, as many of us (UTEP students), I come from a Mexican family,” Eydrey said. “My mom was adamant about me getting my education before pursuing anything.”

Eydrey is thankful to her mom for instilling education as a priority because she attributes her success in the professional workforce to that. Today, her job helps Eydrey support herself and her younger brother, who live alone together.

“Right now, my plan A is my 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job,” Eydrey said. “Until I feel comfortable enough to

say I can make a living off of music, I’m keeping my job.”

Besides the stability provided to her by her job, she takes pride in it because it has shaped her identity as a versatile individual.

“I am responsible (for) who I want to be as an artist, but I am also responsible (for) the professional woman in the work force that I am,” Eydrey said. “Because I am both of those things.”

Eydrey was raised in Ciudad

Juárez, Chihuahua, and moved to El Paso, Texas at 16. She obtained her high school diploma from El Paso High School and then continued her education at UTEP, where she majored in marketing and minored in information systems.

In the last summer of her undergraduate career, she interned at the company where she now works as a content strategist.

Throughout college, Eydrey managed to find the motivation and time to work on her music outside of school. It began when she posted her first video singing a cover on YouTube. Music has always been within reach for Eydrey.

“When I would wake up, my dad would be singing. I would go to sleep, and he would sing me to sleep,” Eydrey said. “So, I grew up in that environment. And when I was three or four, I started asking my parents for a little brother through a song. My parents say that was the first song I ever wrote.”

When the day to graduate college came, Eydrey was ecstatic to have more income and free time to focus on her artistic career.

On her graduation weekend, she posted a TikTok video say-

ing, “Things I did this weekend: graduated and released this song,” promoting her newest single “Solo Tú,” which has reached over a million streams on Spotify.

Today, Eydrey has accomplished multiple career milestones including being invited to and attending the YouTube Music Suite at the Latin Grammys in Las Vegas.

To everyone graduating, Eydrey has a word of advice.

“The world is scary only if you let yourself be afraid,” Eydrey said. “It’s okay to be scared and accept those feelings but the world needs a lot of artistic people. Do not let anyone tell you that you cannot do both.”

You can find Eydrey’s music on all streaming services. She focuses on bilingual Latin-Urbano music.

She considers her music a representation of her identity as a bilingual and bicultural Latina.

Eydrey would like to thank her family, Denisse Olivas from the UTEP College of Business Administration, and her former coworkers from the Business Administration advising center for supporting and rooting for her.

Avila is the audience and engagement editor and can be reached at jaavila16@miners.utep.edu; Joseline Avila on LinkedIn.

Best gifts for future graduates

BY ANGELICA GUTIERREZ The Prospector

Graduation season is just getting started. Some students are relieved they are finally leaving, some are stressed because of final exams, and others are unsure of what to do after graduation.

However, many senior students are looking forward to receiving graduation gifts.

After asking around campus, the gift that got the best ratings and comments were gift cards to their favorite store. It could be a clothing store, technology, makeup, food or coffee shop. It depends on the type of person the grad student is. The gift card is usually the most anticipated gift because it is convenient, and students have already spent so much money on college that free stuff is a treat.

Another grad student’s acclaimed gift is personalized jewelry. Personalized could mean the graduation date, year of the student, or something related to their major. Necklaces, bracelets and rings are very much appreciated by grads, not only because they look pretty and are expensive, but because it is a nice reward for the effort they put into their college life and the outcome of it.

A good gift also depends on the student’s major. For example, if they are mechanical engineers, they might like to get scale models of cars, planes, trains and so on. If you are looking for the perfect gift for someone who graduated from nursing or is entering medical school, an expresso machine might be the best gift for them. Everyone knows the significance of coffee as a source of energy for healthcare professionals.

The most common gift for grads though, is a flower arrangement. It is a sweet gesture, and the students can take nice photos with it.

If we talk about more expensive gifts, a new computer or smartphone are a great option.

After years of using the same devices, students may want to have the best start of their professional life by not wasting any out-of-pocket money for an upgrade.

The dream for a lot of grad students is to have an amazing vacation after finishing stressful years of college, so an all paid for trip would be a fantastic gift for someone who just graduated and needs the rest.

It also gives the opportunity to explore new places and relax for a little bit before their professional life begins.

The fall semester is coming to an end and many students are looking forward to it, especially those graduating this winter.

After a considerable list of different gift options, graduate students will be thrilled to know that their graduation might be filled by thoughtful gifts worth the effort they put in throughout college.

UTEP’s Department of Theatre and Dance presented their show ‘Zoot Suit’ by Luis Valdez Nov. 17 at the Wise Family Theatre. Photo courtesy of the UTEP Department of Theatre and Dance

Josie

Adriana Olivas Ureno, also known as Eydrey, juggles a full-time job and her singing/songwriting career since graduating. Photo courtesy of Adriana Olivas Ureno

Learn the story behind the cap

BY MARIA L. GUERRERO DURAN The Prospector

As graduates line up to enter the venue, shaky hands, nerves and pounding hearts fill the chairs and walk up the stage. The colorful regalia decorating the shoulders of students symbolizing their ac complishments over the last few years becomes a staple piece for the commemoration of the moment.

The end of their college career symbolizes a milestone for gradu ates who have overcome moments of stress, self-doubt and maybe even existential crises. For so many, com mencement is the opportunity to share with their family and friends the path they went through while in college, hence why the decora tion of graduation caps became a widely celebrated tradition.

Whether it be to mock their emotional situation, ask for jobs or share a sweet message with their loved ones, decorating graduation caps gives the opportunity for graduates to be thoughtful and express themselves one last time

Lourdes Jimenez, a recent gradu ate with a bachelor of science in biochemistry, shared how she wanted to commemorate her jour ney finally coming to an end.

“I wanted to make a tribute to the sacrifices made by me and my loved ones so I could be walking that stage, which is why I chose the Santa Fe bridge with the U.S. and Mexico flags as a scenario,” Jimenez said. “It was a particularly marking moment in my career when I had to commute biking and it set a before and after in me as a person, as it helped me show myself what I was willing to do to pursue my degree.”

Jimenez’ cap features her riding her bicycle to cross the border.

UTEP is on one side with the Lone Star on the back and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on the other, with some landmarks of the city. Not only does her cap portray the sister cities, but also a sunrise sky on the back, representing the characteristic hues of the desert.

“The end result was a beautiful and gorgeous piece of work that made my parents and I very emo tional and proud to look back and see how far we had come,” Jimenez said. “It is a token that I will trea sure deeply for years.”

Jenny Cantu, a May graduate with a bachelor of business in marketing, walked the stage with a painting of her family and pets. It included the quote “Gracias a mi equipo

favorito,” a reference to her being a soccer player.

“I wanted to honor my family efforts and let them know that they are the most important thing for me,” Cantu said. “Being between two different cities, cultures, ideas and languages is not easy, but

having your family supporting you helps you to go through everything easier.”

The sentiment behind the art and creativity the students put into decorating their graduation caps summarizes the struggles, sacrifices and joys of college, it also shares

with the rest of the attendees a piece of history that can later be revisited by the graduates.

Congratulations to the fall 2022 graduates. Go Miners!

Maria L. Guerrero Duran is the web and copy editor and may be reached at mlguerrerod@miners.utep.edu; @ bymariaguerrero on Instagram and Twitter.

Graduate Lourdes Jimenez decorates her cap to symbolize her journey commuting to and from her campus, and her dedication to earn her degree. Photo by Annabella Mireles/The Prospector

Best dinner spots to celebrate grads

BY ELISHA NUNEZ The Prospector

As the fall semester ends, soon-tobe graduates are preparing to walk the stage and celebrate with their loved ones afterwards. El Paso has a fair share of high-end and inviting restaurants, perfect for celebrating such an achievement. From oldstyle cantina restaurants to country themed places, this list gives a glimpse at the various restaurants perfect for celebrating a graduation.

Cattleman’s Steakhouse at In dian Cliffs Ranch

Receiving acclaim from local and national magazines, Cattleman’s Steakhouse at Indian Cliffs Ranch has gained a notable reputation since its opening in 1973.

For all those who have been there, you would know that it is actu ally not in El Paso, but in Fabens. About 30 minutes outside of El Paso City limits, the road to the restaurant is smooth and scenic. Be wary of long lines though, as the restaurant gets busy over the weekends. Famous for its steak, this restaurant also has options of sea food and desserts as well. If you are looking for a restaurant with scenic views, a ranch with animals you can visit and feed, or good steak, make sure to visit Cattleman’s for your graduation celebration.

Anson 11

Located in one of the most iconic buildings in El Paso, Anson 11 has established itself as one of El Paso’s

best restaurants. On the bottom floors of the Anson Mills Building is the restaurant, complete with a bar, outside seating, and a second floor, each of which overlook San Jacinto Plaza right across the street. The restaurant has two sides, a bistro side, which is the bottom floor of the restaurant, and a side dedicated to fine dining experience, which takes up the second floor of the restaurant. Whether you are looking to celebrate in a casual setting or an upscale environment, Anson 11 and its two varieties of food options is another great local restaurant to go to.

Flowers bloom for future grads

BY MEAGAN GARCIA The Prospector

With the fall commencement right around the corner, business is booming for people across the Sun City. If you have ever been to a high school or college graduation ceremony, you know that there are carts set up at every corner around the venue so that people can pick up something special for their cherished graduate.

While this can range from teddy bears wearing mini grad caps to individual roses to celebratory alu minum balloons, there are always quick items to grab before heading into the ceremony. However, some businesses can be booked for their goods and services multiple weeks in advance.

Flower shops in particular get extremely busy this time of year with all types of special orders and arrangements being called in. Whether it is coming from loved ones or even the school hosting the event, these shops have a good perspective on just how impact ful graduation can be not only for the graduates, but the community around them as well.

One flower shop in El Paso spoke a bit on how this time of year affects its business and what they

look forward to during the season.

Blossom Shop sits on one of the busier streets in El Paso, Texas with massive windows used to display their store for the people driving by.

When it comes to the type of orders that come in for graduation, the preference varies from person to person.

Rachel, an employee at Blossom Shop, listed just a few of the things that people typically order for their loved ones.

“On flowers we get everything, a lot of people like roses as a gift,” Ra chel said. “We do wrapped flowers, we do bouquets in vases, we deliver to the homes, people pick them up to present to people at graduation. We do everything really.”

In terms of planning ahead for the influx of orders, Blossom Shop manages to beat the rush by keep ing its inventory stocked. Unless, of course, it is for more unique orders.

“We generally keep a nice stock of flowers on hand,” Rachel said.

“But with graduation and UTEP, they focus mainly on the orange, blue and the whites. So, if you give us plenty of time the owner will definitely go out of her way to get beautiful orange roses, orange lilies, blue delphinium, blue iris, and white, really any white flower.”

State Line

Another entry on this list that offers great West Texas barbecue in a wild west setting is State Line. Located at Sunland Park, on the boundary separating Texas and New Mexico, State Line is a great example of old-fashioned food in the Borderland. Formed by a group of Texans who admired Austinstyle barbeque, the restaurant chain to which it belongs to, The County Line Barbecue, opened in 1975. It is still a major hit in Texas and New Mexico. With locations sprawled across the states, State Line in El Paso is one people love to go to.

With outdoor seating, an oldfashioned looking bar, and dining rooms inside, this spot is perfect for a graduation celebration.

With a menu that goes from baby back ribs to savory sausage links, get ready to eat your fair-share of Texas barbecue when you come to this western themed restaurant.

L & J Café

One of the oldest restaurants in El Paso, L & J Café, or The Old Place by The Graveyard, is an icon of the city’s food culture. Established in 1927 under the name “Tony’s Place,” this family-kept restaurant is still operating today, offering

delicious home-cooked Mexican food. Their menu is filled with the community’s familiar favorites, not just Tex-Mex food. Chile rellenos and entomatada plates are just a few of the various options that L & J’s offers, making it a great place to go out with your loved ones to enjoy a celebration. If you want some drinks, the restaurant also has a bar where you can order local favorites.

Café Central

Arguably the most luxurious restaurant destination in all of El Paso, Café Central is continuing a legacy that began in 1918. It is one of the oldest continually oper ated restaurants in the region, this downtown spot has made a mark, getting mentions in The New York Times and Travel + Leisure.

The restaurant offers private din ing, allowing guests to celebrate together with their own experience. With a brunch, lunch and dinner menu, Café Central has a variety of high-end foods for people to try and enjoy.

From escargot to lamb for dinner, or crème brûlée to tres leches for dessert, Café Central has long es tablished itself as an unforgettable dining experience for all to share.

El Paso has a wide range of restau rants for graduates and their loved ones to celebrate the occasion de pending on everyone’s price range and favorite food style.

Elisha Nunez is a staff reporter and may be reached at egnunez2@miners.utep.edu

Blossom Shop is a family-owned business

Ave. and is

to make floral arrangements for virtu ally any type of event. Whether you need a podium or center pieces to complete your graduation celebra tion, you can visit their website at theblossomshopflorist.com or call 915-544-5818.

Another shop in the Sun City that specializes in floral arrangements and also offers sweet treats is The Gift Box Flower Shoppe. Business owner, Rudy Rivera, gave his input on how this establishment preps for the graduation season and the type of presents they offer.

“We just order when graduation is going to come by,” Rivera said. “As far as the date, a week before, we order all our flowers from out

of town to get all the flowers ready. Sales wise we do a lot of wrapped roses or wrapped flowers depending on the school. UTEP being blue and orange, we do a lot of specialty wraps for that occasion. We have a special kind of rose that we do blue and white, and orange and blue. They are custom-made roses that we use for graduations for UTEP.”

However, this business does not only offer flowers for its customers to choose from. They also have a wide range of edible selections.

“Our shop differs from other shops and that’s since we try to do a lot of themes,” Rivera said. “So, if it’s the theme of graduation we go that route. We do the chocolate covered Oreos, we do the chocolate covered strawberries, we do wine baskets, we do fruit baskets with

those colors (orange and blue).”

The Gift Box Flower Shoppe is located at 2700 Montana Ave. and has a variety of gifts to choose from that can be made to match the theme of your event.

If you are in the market for a floral arrangement, refreshments or something sweet, you can visit the website at giftboxep.com or call 915-532-3322.

The graduates this fall have worked years for this moment, if you are able to gift them with a bright floral arrangement, it might be the perfect gift to mark the date.

Congratulations to all those graduating in December, we wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. Go Miners.

Anson Eleven, located on Anson Mills, 303 N Oregon St. includes a bistro side and a fine dining side, perfect for graduation celebrations. Photo by SalmaPaola Baca/The Prospector

located at 1922 E Rio Grande

available

Flower shops get especially busy this time of year and are a great gift for a special graduate. Photo by SalmaPaola Baca/The Prospector

Senior Spotlight:

James Tupou

BY KATRINA VILLARREAL The Prospector

Football player chases success

UTEP fullback James Tupou has received his undergraduate degree in kinesiology and is on his way to completing his graduate degree in leadership studies.

Once he graduates, Tupou is looking to become a strength coach or a personal trainer.

Tupou is originally from Allen, Texas and has been playing football since he was eight years old; he has loved playing ever since.

Tupou explains that both his family and teammates play a big part in his love for the game of football.

“My dad put it upon (my brother and I), so we got hooked on it from him,” Tupou said.

Being able to cheer on his team-

mates is something that Tupou loves about playing football. Tupou explains that seeing everyone happy, whether it is him or one of his teammates making a play, is what is genuinely enjoyable.

“Football is supposed to be fun,” Tupou said. “We got to make sure it should be competitive, but at the end of day it’s still a game.”

During his career at Allen High School, Tupou originally played on the defense. Tupou was on the school’s varsity squad where he earned All-District 6-6A First Team Defense and received Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) Class 6A All-State Honorable Mention.

During the 2019 season, his sophomore year, Tupou began to see action at the fullback position.

Tupou recently recorded his first touchdown as a Miner in the game against Rice University, Thursday,

Nov. 3, making this his favorite catch as a UTEP Miner.

“Big, historic mark,” Tupou said. “It took a long time, but you know (I had) patience and it was finally rewarded, so I appreciate that.”

Tupou’s inspiration to take the field is his father and sibling, especially his brother who, he explains, has fought through adversity all along his interesting journey.

Tupou said that he and his brother have had conversations about not playing football anymore. They both decided to push through.

“(Tupou’s brother) still bounced back and battled, and he’s actually played one of his, probably his best, years of college football this year,” Tupou said. “I’ve never been so proud of him as a younger brother.”

To motivate himself on the off days, Tupou takes a note from UTEP football Head Coach Dana

Dimel. Tupou explains that sometimes you have to fake the hype and once you are into it, positive energy and motivation makes its way through the entire team.

“You just start to feel like ‘I’m into this now, my teammates are into it,’” Tupou said. “Positive energy starts getting spread around and you just start to get hooked on it too, it just starts bouncing off.”

Being a part of the UTEP football team has meant everything to Tupou. He explains that he and the team have been through a lot of adversity during his time at UTEP.

From going 0-12, to 1-11, to 3-5, to finally finding success last season when the program finished 7-6 and played in a bowl game for the first time since 2014.

When he graduates, Tupou hopes to leave the legacy of being known as a hard worker by his teammates.

“Going through the hardship of all those years, I feel has built a lot of character,” Tupou said. “All the hard times has really made me the person I am today.”

One thing Tupou will miss about UTEP when he graduates with his graduate degree is going to be his teammates. Tupou explains that he has been able to build a close relationship with them.

“I probably went through a lot of, I guess people that either transferred or left, or just hung their cleats up,” Tupou said. “There are also people that I’ve never met in my entire life from different parts of the country and (I) end up being best friends with them.”

High school statistics for James Tupou courtesy of UTEP Athletics, and utepminers.com

Katrina Villarreal is a staff reporter and may be reached at kvillarreal1@miners.utep.edu.

Emmanuel Rivas Valenzuela, editor

James Tupou is a fullback who received his bachelors in kinesiology and is working on his master’s in leadership studies. Photo by Alberto Silva Fernandez /The Prospector

Senior Spotlight: Alianza Darley

Women splits ‘2022 Holiday Beach Classic’

BY KATRINA VILLARREAL The Prospector

UTEP women’s basketball (51) traveled to San Luis Obispo, California for the Holiday Beach Classic series during the Thanksgiving break. The UTEP Miners met the San Jose State (2-4) Spartans, Nov. 25 and the Sacramento State Hornets (5-1), Nov. 26. UTEP won the game against San Jose State with a final score of 67-54 but fell to Sacramento State 63-50.

Volleyball senior thrives at UTEP

As the volleyball season comes to an end, senior outside hitter and middle blocker Alianza Darley contemplates what her next step will be. The Robertson High School graduate is eligible to play for the upcoming 2023 season, but that has not stopped Darley from thinking about her life outside of UTEP.

Sports run deep in Darley’s family. Her father played both football and basketball at New Mexico Highlands University, her stepfather played basketball at San Diego State University and her grandfather played college basketball and played in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Darley has several academic accolades from Conference USA such as All-Conference Second Team, the Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll, and received the Commissioner’s Academic Medal in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Darley’s academic success did not just sprout in college but comes from years of academic successes.

“I mean, it’s pretty easy because I know that if I don’t do good in school, I’m not going to be able to perform on the court.” Darley said. “It’s like a healthy balance for me and it helps me.”

The New Mexico native was recruited to play not just volleyball, but basketball as well.

Darley mostly played basketball during high school while rapidly becoming a strong leader among her peers and teammates.

In an interview with the Albuquerque Journal, Robertson coach José Medina praised Darley’s leadership as a student athlete.

“She’s a good role model,” Medina said. “She leads by example, works hard every day, is good to her teammates and motivates and pumps her teammates up. She pushes them to work to be at the next level.”

“I wouldn’t say I was like a leader in my freshman or sophomore year,” Darley said. “But I think being able to help lead this team has been one of the reasons why the program is so successful. It is because all of us have put in a lot of time into creating a great culture here.”

Before her exemplary run with the UTEP volleyball team, Darley ex-

perienced some uncertainty about what sport to play in college.

She found herself choosing between playing basketball or volleyball, but came to a decision after prioritizing her collegiate success.

“It was a hard decision,” Darley said. “I knew regardless of where I went or what sport I played, I wanted to succeed. With volleyball, I’ve done that. I didn’t play volleyball as much as I played basketball, so you know, I’m just glad that I got the opportunity to play.”

With her future still in the air, Darley reminisces about her time at UTEP. She specifically remembers a moment during the 2021 National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) where the Miners fell to the University of Las Vegas (UNLV) in the semifinals.

In that match, over 2,000 fans filled Memorial Gym to watch UTEP try and punch its ticket to the 2021 NIVC Finals.

“I remember running out after we changed into our jerseys,” Darley said. “The amount of fans and how loud (Memorial Gym) was , is a feeling that I will never forget.”

The Miners volleyball team lost that game 3-1 in dramatic fashion.

UNLV defeated Valparaiso University in the following round to become champions for the 2021 NVIC Championship.

This year, the Miners qualified for the C-USA Championship as the No. 3 seed and faced the Charlotte 49ers at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18 at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

There, the Miners lost to the No. 22 Rice in the semifinals in a shutout after beating the University of Charlotte in a shout out of its own.

Looking forward, Darley is still undecided as to what to do after this years fall commencement, mirroring Darley’s uncertainty when deciding what sport to play out of high school for college.

That is not to say the soon to be kinesiology graduate is completely clueless at the moment.

“I haven’t really thought much of it,” Darley said. “I want to become either an occupational therapist or a type of field like that. That is the plan right now, but it might change in a couple of months.”

Statistics provided by UTEP Athletics and utepminers.com.

Emmanuel Rivas Valenzuela is the sports editor and may be reached at erivas7@miners.utep.edu: @ rivasemmanuel2 on Instagram

Basketball shuts out at Jim Forbes

BY EMMANUEL RIVAS VALENZUELA The Prospector

The UTEP men’s basketball team tipped off the inaugural Jim Forbes Classic against Alcorn State (5-1) Tuesday Nov. 22 at the Don Haskins Center. The UTEP Miners hosted the Alcorn State Braves (3-3), California State UniversityBakersfield (CSU-Bakersfield) (33) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (TAMU-Corpus) (4-3). The Miners faced off against CSU-Bakersfield at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 23 and against TAMU-Corpus at 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 25.

The Classic, named after UTEP hall of famer Jim Forbes, was selected to play for the 1972 United States Men’s Basketball Team during the Munich Olympics. He dedicated a large portion of his life to coaching, assisting Coach Don Haskins at UTEP while later coaching his own teams at Riverside and Andress High Schools.

At the half, the Miners were up 30-22 with Otis Frazier III leading the team with six points before leaving the game with an injury during the first half. UTEP dominated the paint and dropped 20 points while completing over 44 percent in field goals.

UTEP found itself tied at 53-53 after 40 minutes. The Miners did great in the paint scoring 36 points but could not get anything going from a distance recording only one of 16 three-point attempts at the end of regulation.

The Miners fought through two overtimes to come out victorious over the physical Braves. The final score was 73-61, UTEP. In the second overtime, the Miners outscored the Braves 14-2. UTEP struggled at the free-point line averaging only 51.2 percent of attempts.

The following night, the Miners faced CSU-Bakersfield in another overtime match up. UTEP looked

great to start the game shooting 15 of 27 in field goals while shooting 18 points from the paint. CSUBakersfield was held to only eight of 25 field goals and one of five past the three-point line. UTEP lead at the end of the first half 34-21.

UTEP let go of its 13-point lead during the second half. CSUBakersfield outscored the Miners 34-21 after scoring 12 points from the paint. In the second half, UTEP went nine of 22 field goals and struggled at the free point line, converting only two of seven attempts. The score at the end of regulation was 55-55.

UTEP closed out the game after Givance took a trip to the free throw line. Down 67-66, Givance nailed both free throws giving the Miners the lead with three seconds left. UTEP won 68-67.

The Miners then faced TAMUCorpus. Another strong start by the Miners allowed the team to jump

out to a 37-26 lead at halftime.

TAMU-Corpus completed only 28 percent of field goals and only nine percent of three-pointers. UTEP allowed TAMU-Corpus to comeback in the second half. TAMUCorpus outscored UTEP 41-35 in the second half after completing 15 of 32 field goals and scoring 12 points from past the three-point line. The Miners won this game 7267 on day three of The Classic.

The Miners will face off against New Mexico State University for the in-season rematch of the Battle of I-10 at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30 at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

After sweeping at the Jim Forbes Classic, the Miners have won fivestraight and have not lost a game at the Don Haskins Center.

Statistics provided by UTEP Athletics and utepminers.com.

Emmanuel Rivas Valenzuela is the sports editor and may be reached at erivas7@miners.utep.edu: @ rivasemmanuel2 on Instagram

In the win against San Jose State, San Jose led the Miners in an 11-0 start. Senior guard Jada Holland led the Spartans with 20 points. Nearing the end of the first half, the Miners were able to take the lead for the first time in the game after a layup by senior guard Avery Crouse. UTEP kept the momentum going with a 7-0 run. At halftime the score was 29-26.

In the second half the Miners were able to keep the score close, 31-28, but after a free throw by sophomore forward Adhel Tac and a rebound by Crouse, the Miners were able to take the lead back, 42-39. San Jose regained the lead by going on a 10-0 run in the third quarter. With seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter UTEP finished with a 16-0 run to close out the game.

After missing the last three games, sophomore forward Elina Arike recorded 13 points and five rebounds. Junior guard N’Yah Boyd finished with 12 points, while Crouse finished with 10 points. Junior guard Jazion Jackson secured a season-high 18 points, with seven rebounds and three steals. The win against San Jose State marked the 200th win for Head Coach Kevin Baker in his collegiate career.

“Today we learned to play through adversity, and I’m very proud of our team for that,” said Baker in a post-game interview. “We got off to a bad start. We hit some key shots and made some big plays to get some separation late in the fourth.”

In the first quarter, both teams were able to put points on the board with an 8-7 lead by Sacramento State. UTEP and Sacramento State went for a combined 0-11, UTEP was able to end the scoring drought with a two-pointer by Boyd to bring the score to 15-9. With 3:50 left in the second quarter, Sacramento State extended its lead to 27-14. The Miners were able to close the gap to 27-24 after scoring 10 straight points.

During the second half, both teams continued to exchange points with UTEP staying within five points of Sacramento State. The fourth quarter was all Sacramento State as the Hornets outscored the Miners 20-12 after shooting 50 percent from the floor.

The Miners will be back home to take on New Mexico State University for the Battle of I-10 at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30 at the Don Haskins Center.

Statistics provided by UTEP Athletics and utepminers.com.

Katrina Villarreal is a staff reporter and may be reached at kvillarreal1@miners.utep.edu.

Alianza Darley shines in academics as she received C-USA Commissioner’s academic medal Photo by Gianluca Cuevas/The Prospector

Top NFL Fantasy Football picks for the final stretch

BY KATRINA VILLARREAL The Prospector

Editor’s note: This is the third of a three-part series on Fantasy Football.

As we enter week 13 of Fantasy Football, here are my final sugges tions on who to put on your team.

Quarterback

Kicking it off for the top fantaasy options is the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Al len. Allen has been the number one option for the quarterback position all season. Allen continues to score points for fantasy teams by averag ing 25.2 points per game. Against the Lions, Allen had 253 passing yards and 78 rushing yards. Allen is rostered at 99.9 percent and has only struggled once this season and

continues to be a top option for most fantasy teams.

Running Back

The Los Angeles Chargers’ Austin Ekeler has had an amazing fan tasy season so far. Ekeler has only struggled once this season and is averaging 23 points per game. In the game against the Arizona Car

dinals, Ekeler had 11 receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown. Ekeler is currently rostered at 99.9 percent and is ranked number one in run ning backs. Although Ekeler is not leading the league in rushing yards, he does put up big points .

Wide Receiver

The Bills’ Stefon Diggs has domi nated at the wide receiver position in fantasy. Diggs has struggled twice this season and is currently averaging 22.6 points per game. It was a bit of a slow start for Diggs against the Lions, but he finished the game catching eight of 15 passes for 77 yards and a touch down. Diggs is rostered at 99.9 percent as he continues to show why he is a great pick for the wide

receiver position.

Tight end

At the tight end position, we have the Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce. Kelce has not struggled this season and is currently rostered at 99.9 percent. Kelce leads the tight ends in points by averaging 22.3 points per game. Kelce recently broke a tie he had with former tight end Rob Gronkowski for the most 100-yard games in league history.

As the season continues, Kelce has proven to be the number one tight end option this season.

Flex

Any player mentioned can be a flex, except Allen and Kelce, but an other good option for the position is Green Bay Packers running back

Aaron Jones who is averaging 15.7 points per game and has a roster percentage of 99.2.

Defense and Special Teams

For defense, the 49ers defense and special teams are the way to go as they continue to dominate. They are currently averaging 8.8 points per game and are rostered at 85.9 percent.

Kickers

Lastly, there is one kicker who has been consistent all season. Balti more Ravens kicker Justin Tucker has been averaging 9.7 points per game and has a roster percentage of 99.3. Tucker has not struggled so far this season.

All stats courtesy of ESPN

Katrina Villarreal is staff reporter and may be reached at kvillarreal1@miners.utep.edu.

UTEP football season ends in dramatic fashion

BY EMMANUEL RIVAS VALENZUELA The Prospector

The UTEP Miners (5-7, 3-5 Conference USA) and the No. 25 University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) (10-2, 8-0 Conference USA) played in the final game of the regular season. For the Miners, a win would have pushed the team over into bowl eligibility for the second year in a row. A feat that has not happened since the 2004 and 2005 football seasons.

The Miners dominated in the first half, leading 24-10 at the end of the second quarter, UTEP managed to gain over 300 yards in total of fense. UTSA came back early in the fourth quarter after an interception from junior quarterback Calvin Brownholtz on a 3rd and 10.

Brownholtz’s second intercep tion changed the trajectory of the game allowing UTSA to box out the Miners. UTSA would go on to kick a 28-yard field goal to put the Roadrunners up 34-31.

Brownholtz, who has been start ing in place of junior quarterback Gavin Hardison, threw 11 of 24 for 189 yards for two touchdowns and two interceptions, while rushing for 51 yards and one touchdown.

In a season full of ups and downs, UTEP managed to complete sev eral accomplishments.

The Miners delivered a muchneeded win to the community of El Paso after defeating the New Mexico State Aggies 20-13 Sat urday, Sept. 10 at the Sun Bowl. There, senior running back Ronald Awatt rushed for 120 yards deliver ing UTEP one touchdown.

In a game where the Miners were heavy underdogs, head coach Dana Dimel rallied his team to a 27-10 upset at home against Boise State. In a very diverse game plan, four different UTEP players rushed for a total of 199 yards. Most notably, sophomore punt returner Marcus Bellon returned a punt 47 yards for a touchdown. The punt return iced the game for the Broncos and secured the Miner victory.

The Miners had to beat the FIU Panthers to reach bowl eligibility.

UTEP dropped 40 points to FIU’s six points. The Miners’ defense

held the FIU offense to 76 yards.

Meanwhile, UTEP combined for 525 total yards. Sophomore wide receiver Kelly Akharaiyi scored his first touchdown as a Miner.

Hardison threw for 2,044 yards this season and 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Hardison did not finish the season after an injury in the 37-30 loss to Rice. Brown holtz finished the season with 512 yards and four touchdowns and four interceptions over six games.

Both Awatt and sophomore run ning back Deion Hankins finished the season with over 700 yards. Senior wide receiver and running back Reynaldo Flores noted 276 yards and five touchdowns along with 534 yards and a single receiv ing touchdown over the air.

Sophomore wide receiver Tyrin Smith ended the season with 1,039 yards. This is following former UTEP wide receiver Jacob Cow ing’s 1,354-yard season in 2021. This is the first time in UTEP history that the Miners had wide receivers go over 1,000 plus yards in

back-to-back seasons.

On defense, senior defensive end Jadrian Taylor led the Miners with 9.5 sacks this season. Junior line backer Cal Wallerstedt and junior linebacker Tyrice Knight tied for the team lead with 95 tackles this season. The defense allowed a total of 4,230 all purpose yards.

Senior kicker Gavin Baechle com pleted 22 of 24 field goal attempts. Baechle did not miss a single point after attempt allowing him to score 97 points for the Miners in 2021.

Statistics provided by UTEP Ath letics and utepminers.com.

Emmanuel Rivas Valenzuela is the sports editor and may be reached at erivas7@miners.utep.edu: @ rivasemmanuel2 on Instagram

TOP: The Miners football team defeated Boise State University 27-10, Sept. 23 at the Sun Bowl.

BOTTOM: Kicker Gavin Baechle celebrates with his team after kicking the game-winning field goal against FAU on Oct. 22.

Photos by Alberto Silva Fernan dez/The Prospector

COMMENTARY

Paving out the playoff picture after week 12

BY EMILY AUTUMN VELASQUEZ The Prospector Editor’s

note: This is the third of a three-part series on the NFL standings.

The National Football League sea son consists of 18 weeks of tough football, upsets and intense games. We are officially two thirds of the way through the season and the playoff picture is starting to become clearer with each passing day. Let us discuss who is shaping up to make waves this postseason.

Sitting at No. 1 in the American Football Conference (AFC) are the Kansas City Chiefs at 9-2. It should be no surprise that the Chiefs are playoff contenders yet again with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce putting up record breaking numbers. While the Chiefs have a powerhouse offense, their defense can struggle at times and it leaves fans to wonder what will happen once playoffs come.

Sitting at no. 2 are the Miami Dolphins at 8-3. The Dolphins faced some struggles early in the season due to injuries, but they have gotten back into their groove as of late and are on a five-game winning streak. Since acquiring Head Coach Mike McDaniels, the Dolphins have found a spark they lacked in recent years.

Sitting at No. 3 are the Tennessee Titans at 7-4. The Titans are back in action after starting the season 0-2. Since then, they have won seven of their last nine games. Run ning back Derrick Henry continues to be a threat to defenses across the league and quarterback Ryan Tan nehill is starting to build chemistry with his receivers.

Sitting at No. 4 are the Baltimore Ravens at 7-4. While they are a solid team to watch out for with players like Lamar Jackson and Justin Tucker.

It is a tight division race as the Bengals are currently second in the division at 7-4, so the playoff picture might shift as the season wraps up.

Sitting at No. 5 are the Buffalo

Bills at 8-3. They are currently tak ing up one of the wild card spots. However, they maintain the same record as the Dolphins so things could possibly shift as the season wraps up. Sitting at No. 6 are the Cincinnati Bengals at 7-4, who are finding the rhythm they had last year as they made a Super Bowl run, however, injuries are proving to be a problem for them. Lastly, at No. 7 are the New York Jets at 7-4. The Jets’ success is a shock to most, but they are playing well week in and week out. This has allowed them to win games and beat some of the best teams currently playing.

Teams that are looking into secur ing a last minute Wild Card spot in the AFC are the New England Pa triots and the Los Angeles Chargers at 6-5. Both teams have lost some close games, which resulted in them falling down the list.

The National Football Conference (NFC) is full of tough teams who are finding a rhythm in the second half of the season, leading fans to wonder which of these teams can stay healthy and powerful enough to make a Super Bowl run.

Sitting at No. 1 in the NFC are the Philadelphia Eagles at 10-1.

The Eagles have been a dominant team all season as quarterback Jalen Hurts has found a rhythm with

his receivers and running backs and is putting up record breaking numbers, while also having a solid defense that is forcing takeaways and making key plays in crucial mo ments throughout the season.

Sitting in the No. 2 seed are the Minnesota Vikings at 9-2. Quarter back Kirk Cousins and wide receiv er Justin Jefferson have established a real connection this season and it has allowed them to find success. They have a massive lead in their division as the team in second, the Detroit Lions, are currently sitting at 4-7. Due to how poorly the rest of their division is performing, they are basically guaranteed a playoff spot, the only thing that can change is their seeding. However, after a brutal 40-3 loss to the Cowboys in week 11, many are wondering if there are holes to be discovered in this “stellar” team.

Sitting in the No. 3 seed are the San Francisco 49ers at 7-4. The 49ers are one of the hottest teams in the NFC right now as they found their rhythm both offensive ly and defensively in the last four games, all leading to victories. Since acquiring running back Christian McCaffrey, the 49ers have gotten a real rhythm going on the offensive side of the ball. The defense has allowed zero points in the second

half for the past four games, some thing that only seven other teams have done since the merger.

Sitting in the No. 4 seed are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 5-6. While they are currently the divi sion leader, it is still a tight division race as the Atlanta Falcons are sit ting at 5-7. The New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers also have the division title in reach sitting at 4-8.

Sitting in the No. 5 seed are the Dallas Cowboys at 8-3. The Cowboys seem to have found their rhythm again after the return of quarterback Dak Prescott, however their division is a tight one as the New York Giants sit in the No. 6 seed at 7-4 and the Washington Commanders sit in the No. 7 seed at 7-5. It is a tough division, which is obvious with the way the entire division is currently in playoffs.

Teams that are looking into secur ing a last minute Wild Card spot in the NFC are the Seattle Seahawks at 6-5 and the Atlanta Falcons.

I am going to stick with my initial preseason prediction for Super Bowl LVII and say it will be between the Buffalo Bills and the San Francisco 49ers facing off in Glendale, Arizona.

Emily Autumn Velasquez is the editor-in-chief and may be reached at eavelasquez@miners.utep.edu; @ byemilyautumn on Instagram; @emilyautumn20 on Twitter.