The Prospector 11 29 2022

Assayer of Student Opinion

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THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO

VOL. 108, NO. 8 NOVEMBER 29, 2022

Page 2 OPINION

Page 6 NEWS

Page 21 ARTS & CULTURE

Page 25 SPORTS

Farewell to our editor-in-chief

UTEP grad stems into the field

Meet the future of music education

Senior Spotlight: James Tupou

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EL PASO Miner Plaza • 2500 N. Mesa, Ste. B2 • (915) 206-2116

PAGE 2 · NOVEMBER 29, 2022· THE PROSPECTOR

Opinion

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

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

VOL. 108, No. 8 November 29, 2022 EDITORS & STAFF Emily Autumn Velasquez, Editor in Chief Fatima Alvarado, Designer Meagan Elizabeth Garcia, Arts & Culture Editor Maria Luisa Guerrero, Web Editor/Copy Editor Annabella Mireles, Photo Editor Itzel Giron, Multimedia Editor Emmanuel Rivas Valenzuela, Sports Editor Joseline Avila, Audience & Engagement Editor

Elisha Nuñez, Staff Reporter Alyson Rodriguez, Staff Reporter Katrina Villarreal, Staff Reporter

ADMINISTRATION Veronica Gonzalez, Director Vacant, Assistant Director Amy Bocanegra, Administrative Assistant Isabel Castillo, Accounting Specialist Diego Ballesteros, Account Executive Karina Saldana, Advertising Coordinator

Jasmin Campoya, Photographer Joel Molina, Photographer

VIDEOGRAPHER Vacant

CONTRIBUTORS Maya Alvarado SalmaPaola Baca Gianluca Cuevas Eduardo A. Flores Angelica Gutierrez Kristen Scheaffer Alberto Silva Fernandez Sophia Villalobos

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.

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, see FAREWELL EIC on page 3

SP E A K YO U R M IND! …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 published by Student Media and Publications, 105 Union East, 500 W. University Ave. El Paso, Texas, 79968. The Prospector appears in print biweekly on Tuesdays during the fall and spring semesters. The newspaper is not printed during holidays and when classes are not in session. The Prospector provides news online at www.theprospectordaily.com.

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.

THE PROSPECTOR · NOVEMBER 29, 2022

OPINION Page 3

The real treasure is the friends we got to make along the way “Every one of these people became my family away from home, and I could not ask for more in a community.”

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 written 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 grateful 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.

Kristen Scheaffer Contributor, The Prospector

To Itzel and Emily, I will remember 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 sweetest 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 discovered 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 comfortable 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 Gannon, 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 something 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 community. 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.

FAREWELL EIC from page 2

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

All of you helped make my journey as editor-in-chief feel so easy, you have made the work we completed 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 publication, 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 Prospector 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.

THE PROSPECTOR · NOVEMBER 29, 2022

Page 4 OPINION

Saying goodbye is a chance A farewell letter from to say ‘thank you’ for it all talented Joel Molina “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.”

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 editorial adviser in Student Media and Publications, and there is simply no good time to depart from my students. The timing would be terrible whether it was in two weeks or two years.

By the time you read this, I will already be gone to my new town and new role. I have a wonderful opportunity 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 graduate 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 reporter 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 mentored 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 during 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

Tracy Roy, Former Prospector Editorial Advisor

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 leadership 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, Emmanuel 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 Bocanegra for being such an organized administrative leader in the department. 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 commitment 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

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 intertwined 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 something 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 COVID-19, the multimedia journalism 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 substantial amount of work, incredibly high-weight exams or short deadlines. 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. Although 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 student 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.

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THE PROSPECTOR · NOVEMBER 29, 2022

NEWS Page 5

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 commencement. 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

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

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 certified 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 suffering 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 really 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 operations, techniques and medicine and use their skills to help victims on the battlefield. After accomplishing that, he would like to go back to school and become a CRNA, which is a nurse anesthetist.

“Take accountability and ownership 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 constantly blame other people for your circumstances then you are putting yourself in a powerless position.

By taking ownership and accountability 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.

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO

2022 Fall Commencement DON HASKINS CENTER

Saturday, December 10, 2022 1 p.m.

Health Sciences and Nursing 6 p.m.

Engineering and Science

Sunday, December 11, 2022 1 p.m.

Liberal Arts 6 p.m.

Business Administration and Education

For information: www.utep.edu/commencement

THE PROSPECTOR · NOVEMBER 29, 2022

Page 6 NEWS

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, engineering and math departments drop out.

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

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

Chavez says that UTEP’s Freshman 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 under 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 probably 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 “Nanocarriers 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 going 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 organizations such as the Miner Ambassador’s program, the American Medical 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 happening 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 competitive, 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.”

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

UTEP staff member makes Graduates search for impact in human resources jobs after graduation

BY KRISTEN SCHEAFFER The Prospector

BY SOPHIA VILLALOBOS The Prospector

David Sanchez, Training and Development Consultant in Human Resources at the University 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 recognized 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

Before Carlos Yanar graduated 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 paying 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 problems when I realized even getting interviews is a challenge.”

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

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

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

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. According to Sanchez, he tries to seek out understanding when interacting with others.

“I’ve always been a big advocate that personal experience and storytelling 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.”

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

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 opportunities 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 difficulty finding a job, the Career Center at UTEP is there to provide assistance 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

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

THE PROSPECTOR · NOVEMBER 29, 2022

NEWS Page 7

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 organizations 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 community service to academic(s), fraternities and sororities, recreational clubs and more,” according to UTEP Student Engagement &

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

Leadership Center website.

The University Career Center assists 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 professional brand building.

The alumni career services provided by the Career Center feature resources and essential information which can help students throughout 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 develop and enhance their awareness of professionalism in the workplace, employer expectations, and behaviors 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 positions is a plus when companies hunt for employees. As a result, references and letters of recommendation are necessary for companies to decide who is the better candidate.

Eduardo 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 cancelling 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 Alondra Arango Anaid Ceniceros-Cruz Luciano Contreras Ashley Delgado Evelyn Fuentes Judith Hernandez

Joshua Jasso Maria Montoya Fatima Navarro Anthony Ortiz Rafael Noah Padilla Brian R. Perez

Isaiah Perez Issac Quiroga Isabel Tellez Anika Valencia

THE PROSPECTOR · NOVEMBER 29, 2022

Page 8 NEWS

UTEP students learn skills at Google Workshop

BY ALYSON RODRIGUEZ The Prospector

UTEP students got to experience 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 manipulation,” 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, Campus 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-

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

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 exposure into the industry and provide networking opportunities with professionals.

“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 opportunity 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 experience so far. ” As Vice President, Gamez shared the impact these types of workshops 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 companies,” 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.

Gun control pressure The scandal behind coalitions

BY VICTORIA RIVAS Guest Contributor

Weeks after the midterm elections, national concern and discussions 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 routine employee meeting in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Around 50 customers were inside the store at the time of the shooting.

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 returned 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 motives are still unknown.

President Biden signed a bipartisan gun safety bill June 25, the first major gun safety legislation passed

by Congress in three decades.

The bill includes stricter background 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 Commonwealth 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, Colorado 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 suspect 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 celebration 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 percent in June.

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

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 government to stop the new fossil fuel licensing and production. Strangely enough, after the coalition was founded Feb. 14, and the movement 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 criticized 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 receiving funds from British Petroleum, according to the Art Newspaper.

Funding provided by Getty comes directly from her foundation, the

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

Aileen Getty Foundation; According to their website, “Supports organizations and individuals around the world committed to responding to the climate emergence and treating our planet and its inhabitants with kindness and respect.”

More coalitions have been following the example of Just Stop Oil in the European Union, one of them being Letzte Generation, German for “Last Generation.” The protesters 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 Vienna 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 happen 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?”

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

THE PROSPECTOR · NOVEMBER 29, 2022

NEWS Page 9

Grads recall the best words of advice from professors

BY JOSIE AVILA The Prospector

Seniors are preparing to say goodbye to the University of Texas at El Paso at the upcoming commencement. This moment can be bittersweet for students as many leave friends behind, student organizations 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 professors. 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 encouraging words his professors gave him throughout his college journey.

According to Soto, his professors 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 second 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

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

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

Naomi Posada, a psychology major 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,” Posada 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 professor’s words pushed her to believe

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

If you are a computer science, computer engineering, or electrical 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 failing 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 memories 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 institution 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 uniform in design and pertained to

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 history of the U.S. for many years. Photo by Joel Molina/The Prospector

the school one graduated from.

Today, these rings can be personally 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 personalized 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 Vanderbilt, 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 graduation. 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 variations of pressures, however, one pressure can at times be overbearing; 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 complete 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 myself 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 overwhelming 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 disorders, low sleep and low self-confidence 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 unnecessary 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.”

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

THE PROSPECTOR · NOVEMBER 29, 2022

Page 10 NEWS

The Prospector wishes fall grads good luck

The Prospector staff poses in front of the Lhakhang Temple Nov. 3. Photo by Annabella Mireles/The Prospector

Congratulations to our Grads!

Nayeli Ontiveros - Senator-at-Large Collegiate Engineering Senator Jacob J. Morales - Senator-at-Large

• Center for Accommodations and Support Services •College of Business Administration •College of Health Sciences •College of Nursing •College of Science •Dean of Students •Department of Philosophy •Earth, Environmental and Resource Sciences •Housing and Residence Life •New Student Orientation •Office of International Programs and Study Abroad •Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution

•Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs •Physics Department •President's Office •Religious Studies •Student Engagement and Leadership Center •Student Government Association •University Career Center •University Relations •Union Services •Vice President for Business Affairs •Vice President for Student Affairs

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 instrumental in creating the functionality and atmosphere it is today. Her graduation is a testament to her resilience and beautiful character.

We know wherever life takes her, she will blossom!

Best wishes and you will be missed, Cassy!

SUMMER 2022

SUMMER 2022

Graduate

Master of Defense & Studies College of Engineering Strategic Antonio da Camara Canto 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

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

Christina Pasillas 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

Engineering Science/ Interdisciplinary Doctor of Philosophy Suzanne Annette Apodaca Omar Sulaiman Belhaj Md. Nurul Huda Jacqueline Andrea Reyes

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 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

T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F T E X A S AT E L PA S O

T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F T E X A S AT E L PA S O 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

Congratulations Class of 2022!

We are proud of you!

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

David William Konrad West Noor Naser Yousif

College of Education Bachelor of Arts

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

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

The College of Health Sciences is so proud of your achievements!

We can't wait to see your next steps, and we want you to stay connected to us!

Thank you for helping us to build our future together!

COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES

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

Marcela Y. Villalobos Nathan G. Villalobos Melanie Villescas Isaiah A. West Dax Yates

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

Tanya Marie Robertson Naoko Tsuboi

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 of Philosophy

Miroslava Barua Mahsa Beizaei Gilbert Thomas Carranza Raven El Khoury Kevin Samuel Estala Rodriguez

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 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 Environmental Engineering Martin Chavarin Jr Marcela Carolina Herrera Alvarez Isabel Lopez

College of Liberal Arts

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

Doctor of Philosophy Jessica DeJohn Bergen

Congratulations

Graduates

Congratulations on your impressive achievement! We are excited for the great opportunities that are waiting for you and wish you the very best!

Go Miners!

COLLEGE OF NURSING

CHEERS TO THE NEW GRADUATES! WE’RE PROUD OF YOU AND HONORED TO CELEBRATE THIS MAJOR MILESTONE WITH YOU! DEAN OF STUDENTS

Congratulations and Good Luck in Your Future Endeavors!

EARTH, ENVIRONMENTAL AND RESOURCE SCIENCES

Thank you for living on campus with us.

We wish you all the best of luck in the future.

HOUSING AND RESIDENCE LIFE

THE UNIVERSITY

THE PROSPECTOR · NOVEMBER 29, 2022

Y OF TEXAS AT EL PASO

OPINION Page 15

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

College of Education

Master of Fine Arts

Doctor of Education

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

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

Ana Teresa Rodriguez Jazmin Andrea Rojas Duran Cathy Ray Romero Lisa Stettler Alysha Nikia Swann Matthew Vasquez Carlos Jose Villarreal

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

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

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

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

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

Master of Social Work Noemi Cortez-Calderon Dayna Kelsey Schwedhelm

College of Nursing 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

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 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 Hunter Cole Taylor Truman James Word Jiahao Xu

HAPPY GRADUATION DAY You started at orientation and now you are here! We have been proud of you each step of the way and cannot wait to see what you accomplish.

GO MINERS!

THE DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES CONGRATULATES ALL OUR 2022 FALL GRADUATES WE WISH YOU ALL THE SUCCESS IN YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS

FROM THE OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS AND STUDY ABROAD !

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION

OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS AND STUDY ABROAD

CONGRATULATIONS, CLASS OF 2022!

YOU’VE WORKED HARD TO EARN YOUR DEGREE. NOW WE CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESS AND PROMISING FUTURE. GO MINERS! -PRESIDENT HEATHER WILSON

T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F T E X A S AT E L PA S O FALL 2022 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

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

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 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

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 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

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 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

Congratulations to our Grads!

Congratulations, Miner Grads!

You are off to great places.

Picks Up! Go Miner Grads!

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP CENTER

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

CONGRATULATIONS Graduates!

Cassandra Aldaz - Student Assistant You will be missed!

UNION SERVICES

T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F T E X A S AT E L PA S O 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

Class of

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

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2022

Caps off to you, Miners!

Your determination and perseverance has led you to this great accomplishment.

Know that the UTEP Career Center services are available to you after graduation.

Go Miners !

UNIVERSITY CAREER CENTER

With pride, we celebrate your hard work and bright future ahead.

Go Miners!

UNIVERSITY RELATIONS

Congratulations, Graduates!

OFFICE OF THE PROVOST AND VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

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

CONGRATULATIONS,

CLASS OF 2022

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

THE OSCCR WISHES ALL 2022 GRADUATES THE BEST ON THEIR FUTURE ENDEAVORS.

GO MINERS!

GRADUATES! VICE PRESIDENT FOR BUSINESS AFFAIRS

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

Diana Laura Swanson 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

Congratulations to all our Physics graduates and all other graduates on this important milestone!

May the road ahead be filled with success and accomplishments!

Go Miners!

OFFICE OF STUDENT CONDUCT AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION

PHYSICS DEPARTMENT

Shaun Robert Lloyd Catley Danielle Cedillo 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

THE PROSPECTOR · NOVEMBER 29, 2022 · PAGE 21

Arts & Culture

Meagan Garcia, editor

Meet the future of music education

BY ITZEL GIRON The Prospector

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

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THE PROSPECTOR · NOVEMBER 29, 2022

Page 22 ARTS & CULTURE

Theatre and Dance present ‘Zoot Suit’ Best gifts

for future graduates

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

BY ANGELICA GUTIERREZ The Prospector

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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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.

Angelica Gutierrez is a contributor and may be reached at agutierrez89@miners.utep.edu

THE PROSPECTOR · NOVEMBER 29, 2022

ARTS & CULTURE Page 23

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 accomplishments 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 graduates who have overcome moments of stress, self-doubt and maybe even existential crises. For so many, commencement is the opportunity to share with their family and friends the path they went through while in college, hence why the decoration 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 graduate with a bachelor of science in biochemistry, shared how she wanted to commemorate her journey 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 emotional and proud to look back and see how far we had come,” Jimenez said. “It is a token that I will treasure 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

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

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.

THE PROSPECTOR · NOVEMBER 29, 2022

Page 24 ARTS & CULTURE

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 Indian 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 actually 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 seafood 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

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

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.

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 operated 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 dining, 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 established itself as an unforgettable dining experience for all to share.

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

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

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 aluminum 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 impactful 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,” Rachel 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 keeping 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.”

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

Blossom Shop is a family-owned business located at 1922 E Rio Grande Ave. and is available to make floral arrangements for virtually any type of event. Whether you need a podium or center pieces to complete your graduation celebration, 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.

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

THE PROSPECTOR · NOVEMBER 29, 2022 · PAGE 25

Sports

Emmanuel Rivas Valenzuela, editor

Senior Spotlight:

James Tupou

BY KATRINA VILLARREAL The Prospector

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

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.

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“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.

THE PROSPECTOR · NOVEMBER 29, 2022

Page 26 SPORTS

Senior Spotlight:

Alianza Darley

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

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

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.

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.

THE PROSPECTOR · NOVEMBER 29, 2022

SPORTS Page 27

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 suggestions on who to put on your team.

Quarterback Kicking it off for the top fantaasy options is the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen. Allen has been the number one option for the quarterback position all season. Allen continues to score points for fantasy teams by averaging 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 fantasy 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 running backs. Although Ekeler is not leading the league in rushing yards, he does put up big points .

Wide Receiver The Bills’ Stefon Diggs has dominated 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 touchdown. 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 another 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. Baltimore 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 offense. UTSA came back early in the fourth quarter after an interception from junior quarterback Calvin Brownholtz on a 3rd and 10.

Brownholtz’s second interception 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 starting 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 several accomplishments.

The Miners delivered a muchneeded win to the community of El Paso after defeating the New Mexico State Aggies 20-13 Saturday, Sept. 10 at the Sun Bowl.

There, senior running back Ronald Awatt rushed for 120 yards delivering 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. Brownholtz finished the season with 512 yards and four touchdowns and four interceptions over six games.

Both Awatt and sophomore running 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 receiving touchdown over the air.

Sophomore wide receiver Tyrin Smith ended the season with 1,039 yards. This is following former UTEP wide receiver Jacob Cowing’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 linebacker 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 completed 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 Athletics 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 Fernandez/The Prospector

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THE PROSPECTOR · NOVEMBER 29, 2022

Page 28 SPORTS

C O M M E N TA R Y

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 season 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. Running back Derrick Henry continues to be a threat to defenses across the league and quarterback Ryan Tannehill 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 taking 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 securing a last minute Wild Card spot in the AFC are the New England Patriots 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 moments throughout the season.

Sitting in the No. 2 seed are the Minnesota Vikings at 9-2. Quarterback Kirk Cousins and wide receiver 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 offensively 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, something 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 division leader, it is still a tight division race as the Atlanta Falcons are sitting 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 securing 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.