VOL . 103, no. 29
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
M ay 1 , 2 0 1 8
saying goodbye
THE GRADUATION ISSUE
mother looks back at journey going to school with her kids A11 Seniors reveal what they will and won’t miss a13 Graphic designers prepare for final show B1 UTEP Golfer ready to take next steps in his career B9 Photo by Michaela román / the prospector
PAGE A2 May 1, 2018
OPINION
Editor-in-Chief
Michaela Román, 747-7446
The Spring 2018 Prospector staff wishes you good luck on finals!
(Back row) Daniel Mendez, Sergio Muñoz, Jeremy Carranco, Adrian Broaddus, Rene Delgadillo, Christian Vasquez, Marcela Luna, Isabel Castillo, Veronica Gonzalez, Michaela Román. (Front row) Claudia Flores, Gaby Velasquez, Aylin Tafoya, Mike Flores, Alejandra Gonzalez, Kathleen Flores, Jake Deven, Paulette Villa. Not Shown: Brianna Chavez, Elenie Gonzalez, Claudia Hernandez, Jason Green, Isaiah Ramirez, Kenneth Bell, Itzel Lara Garcia, Salma Lozoya, Malia Greene, Ashley Muñoz.
I’ll miss it and I’m sad its over The best college job I could have asked for By rene delgadillo The Prospector
There was a moment in my life where I was about to drop out of college because I felt it was not going to be worth it. I was getting tired of being enrolled in courses that were not helping me learn a damn thing about my career. I applied at The Prospector three times and my applications went without a response for months. I started to get disappointed and lose hope. Each day was the same. I would go to class and I would go back home. I was not involved and I never knew what was going on around campus. I was ready to drop out and start working with my dad as a construction painter.
It wasn’t until Amanda Guillen, the ditor-in-chief at the time, called to interview me for a position as a news contributor. I immediately started to freak out because I didn’t have a resume or any nice shirts or slacks. I called my girlfriend, who was studying abroad in Germany, to ask her for advice and she told me to not be an idiot and that I should go to the interview. I bought a blue shirt and some black slacks to try to impress another college student that I’ve never met. I woke up early and decided to be 15 minutes early to the interview to show some professionalism. Unfortunately for me, Amanda was one hour late to the interview. So, there I was sitting on the couch of the front office looking at my phone wondering if she would even come to interview me. My hands were sweating and I didn’t have a clue what I was going to say to Amanda.
see MISS on page A3
@_ProspectSports
STAFF Editor-in-Chief: Michaela Román Web Editor : Christian Vasquez Layout Editor : Alejandra Gonzalez Copy Editor : Adrian Broaddus Spor ts Editor : Jeremy Carranco Enter tainment Editor : Claudia Flores Photo Editor : Gaby Velasquez Multimedia Editor : Rene Delgadillo Staff Repor ters: Brianna Chavez, Jake Deven, Mike Flores, Elenie Gonzalez, Daniel Mendez, Sergio Muñoz Photographers: Claudia Hernandez, Contributors:Jason Green, Aylin Tafoya, Isaiah Ramirez, Gustavo Ramirez, Paulette Villa
VOL . 103, no. 29
Ad Account Executive: Kenneth Bell Ad Designer : Itzel Lara Garcia Graphic Design Intern: Salma Lozoya Adver tising Coordinator : Malia Greene Accounting Assistant: Ashley Muñoz Administrative Secretary: Marcela Luna Accounting Specialist: Isabel Castillo Assistan Director/Adver tising: Veronica Gonzalez Student Publications Director : Kathleen Flores
By Michaela Román The Prospector
College is what I did in between being an editor at The Prospector. Shaking caffeinated hands with bags so heavy under my eyes I could almost feel their weight.
It was a Monday. But not just a typical Monday of classes, or a 9 to 5 job. No, another Monday at The Prospector, where your deepest-held frustrations and delusions somehow always end up coming out late into the night, long after the sororities and fraternities leave the Union after their Monday meetings. But then, at some point, either driving home on an empty I-10 or the next morning when there’s donuts at the office, it hits you. Every late night it was worth it. During my time here, I interviewed many El Paso figures, from Beto O’Rourke to President Diana Natalicio, shot every sport in the city, photographed Elton John, Green Day, Logic and Future (to name a few), met tons of El Pasoans and people who were visiting for the first time, hired staffers, fired staffers, played matchmaker, fell in love, was heartbroken, got over it, would get so stressed I would cry, would laugh so hard I would cry, made friendships that will last the rest of my life, traveled to Austin, New York and D.C. to accept awards, was rejected by countless internships, was accepted to some internships and even lived in the Pacific Northwest for a summer, where I had my work picked up by the Associated Press and got into a Kendrick Lamar concert as a reviewer. But most importantly because of this job, I learned who I am. I learned that it is possible to throw a bunch of personality types, who would
Speak your mind
have never found each other, into a room together and work hard to brainstorm, communicate, mess up, try again, submit stories, send them to the printer, and then do it all over again. I loved being photo editor for three years. Being able to mentor photographers and teach them while also learning myself was the best. The thing is, I was too comfortable. I was too happy in a sense. When asked to be editor-in-chief, how could I say no? My EICs while I was photo editor— Jasmine Aguilar, Lorain Watters, Amanda Guillen and Luis Gonzalez—each knew how to write. I didn’t think I did. But I learned that if you set your mind to something and learn from observation and practice, you can accomplish it. Going to college in El Paso, I was able to benefit way more as a photographer and journalist than I would have in any small college town. As a freelance photographer, I was able to shoot everything, from weddings, to working for real estate businesses and everything in between. As a journalist, I won awards for coverage of events on the U.S./Mexico border and preserving Mexican-American culture, which I would never have never experienced had I not stayed home. There are two things I have constantly been told these last five years. The first was being asked if I get paid for the pictures I take and working at the Prospector. Yes, the answer is always yes. I understand my value as a photographer and it’s very rare I would ever do anything for free. The second was more of a statement than a question, “you’re so lucky.” Although to some extent that may have been true and I know intentions are pure when those words are said, the fact is it was much harder work than luck. I willingly sacrificed sleep, time, sometimes not showing up for class and frankly my health for this job because I knew it would pay off in the long run and being able to cover what I did, meet the people I
did and have access to the places I did were just some of the perks. I’m so grateful I was able to start working here only a few semesters after starting my college career. Although, I am not the same person I was in the fall of 2013. I was lost, as most freshman are. I was majoring in advertising, which I find hilarious now since I’ve developed a crazy passion for journalism ethics and staying away from manipulation and biases as much as possible. Sorry Vero. I ended up changing my major to digital media production, where I worked with some very talented film students to produce videos. My favorite memories about being a DMP student were when Ramon Villa took a group of us to work on a documentary in Peru as part of study abroad and when Sabiha Khan had us work on documentaries of our choice and chose me as a director. Those were such great experiences that really reminded me if I ever have the opportunity to work on documentaries, I will. At the start of 2017, after I had been EIC for a year and was on track to graduate after four years, I realized I wasn’t ready. Even though I already had experience and knew I wanted to work in a newsroom, I still wanted more time. I ended up double majoring in multimedia journalism and it was such a great decision. Just in this last year, I saw so much happen that was great for the journalism department, especially the resurrection of the NAHJ (National Association of Hispanic Journalists) UTEP chapter. Dino Chiecchi, thank you for helping get a group of us together to do so. As one of the highest Hispanic-populated campuses in the country, having a group that fights for the inclusion of Hispanics in newsrooms is so important and I’m glad we were able to bring in Pulitzer Prize-winning speakers to inspire students.
see COLLEGE on page A3
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Letters will be edited for clarity and brevity. Letters over 250 words are subject to editing to fit available space. Please include full name, street address and telephone number and e-mail address, plus major, classification and/or title if applicable. Address and phone number will be used for verification only. Write to 105 E. Union, e-mail theprospectordaily.news@gmail.com, call 747-7477 or fax to 747-8031. The Prospector is published by the Student Media and Publications Board, 105 Union East, 500 W. University Ave. El Paso, Texas, 79968. The Prospector appears in print once per week on Tuesdays during the fall, spring, and summer semesters. The newspaper is not printed during holidays and when classes are not in session. The Prospector does provide 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.
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NEWS | a3 |
May 1, 2018
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COLLEGE from page a2 I am excited to see where the organization goes next. Here at The Prospector, I took a semester break to focus in on six journalism classes and freelance work then came back for one last semester as EIC. I thought I had seen it all and experienced it all and was frankly maxed out on Prospector best friends, but clearly that was not the case. Kathleen Flores, thank you for encouraging me to come back for one more round. I know your love was tough, but it was the love and mentorship I needed. You pushed me to do more and be better and I can’t tell you how grateful I’ve been for that and how much it will help me in life. I also think the toughness rubbed off on me a bit, in the best way possible. Vero Gonzalez, I have no idea what I would have done without you these last five years. Our connection grew stronger every single year and all of your advice helped me make some pretty crucial decisions. Thank you for showing all of us how to stay level-headed and put on a smile on the tough days and under deadline. We needed it. Wherever life takes you next, I’m jealous of whoever gets to work with you. Marcy Luna, I’m going to continue to bring you postcards for your collection after I leave. Thank you for your immense love and support for all of the students. You hugging me and telling me you were proud of me each time I received a promotion or internship meant so much to me. Isabel Castillo, I’m going to miss laughing with you at all the little things that our constantly happening in this office. Thank you for all the laughs and everything you do for this place. Jasmine, Amanda, Luis Gonzalez, Andrea Acosta, Javier Cortez and Jose Soto: thank you guys for letting me into your lives. You are some of the most interesting and talented people I know and the memories we made together while at the Prospector were some of the craziest times I’ve ever experienced. From searching for the “homeless student” in the Union, to somehow going out to drink after some production nights, to creating a 100-page Centennial newspaper, to exploring the streets of New York and D.C., we experienced so much together and learned so much from one another and you all are truly my best friends and will continue to be long after this place. Maria Esquinca, we are so similar in the sense, we know how to work hard and play hard. I love you and your realness so much and know you have never judged me and your empathy and willingness to listen and understand others is truly admirable. Aaron Montes and Veronica Cook, thank you both for helping me get started as a staff photographer when I was just a clueless freshman and continuing to be there to help me with new opportunities currently. Both of you are amazing at what you do and I’m so grateful you were able to pass on some knowledge to me. Rene Delgadillo, it’s almost hard to believe I have a friend as good as you are. My secret keeper and first person I call when I’m having a breakdown. Thank you for everything. You have such a big heart and your willingness to always work harder in whatever you do is always a reminder to me to do the same. I can’t wait until you get to tell your kids about their crazy Aunt Michaela and all of the ridiculous things we did together. Christian Vasquez, my favorite person to share all my sarcastic and cynical thoughts with. From China Man to teen anarchist to reporting on Capitol Hill, your transformation is truly inspiring—how have you not been on Oprah? Thanks for being a great copy editor as I started my EIC journey and helping me stay grounded during all my freak outs. I have no doubt one day you will be on all the bylines for some crazy in-
vestigation you cracked. And I’ll get to say, “oh hey, I think I knew that guy.” Adrian Broaddus, I can’t wait to see you become Nardwuar 2.0, who also interviews the hottest athletes out there. I’m so glad I hired you. Fine, I’m so glad Javi and I hired you. You are the epitome of a hardworking student journalist and my favorite frat boy ever. Gaby Velasquez, what would this place even be right now if I hadn’t slid in the DMs and asked if you were interested in joining? Thanks for all your hard work and dedication. Believe me, I know it’s not easy, but you really have done everything you can and your hard work is already starting to pay off. I’m glad The Prospector is in good hands. Jeremy Carranco, if I could dunk on you, I would. I’m going to miss seeing your extreme facial reactions on a daily basis and writing down the hilarious things you say. You were always nice to me even when I probably didn’t deserve it and there for me and I’m always going to appreciate that. Elenie Gonzalez, from interviewing “Bae-to”, to blurry nights together and some important talks, I’ve appreciated your friendships and willingness to report on anything and everything, and I can’t think of anyone more suited to become an editor next. We’ll go to NOLA soon. Daniel (Curly) Mendez, it still makes me laugh the first time we met and talked was at ACL in a crowd of people after watching Jay-Z instead of here in this office. A lot happened in the short time we got to know each other and I’ll never forget any of it. Brianna Chavez, Gigi Flores, Jake Deven, Isaiah Ramirez, Jason Green, Claudia Hernandez and Sergio Muñoz, I hope you guys have fun here and make the most of your time before graduating. Thanks for the laughs and all your hard work. There are so many others that played a huge role in my time in this newsroom. Christopher Zacherl and Jaime Quezada, we had so much fun making Jaime Picks Up and laughing around the office. Edwin Delgado and Luis Barrio, I’ll never forget spending a whole spring break with you two covering the C-USA basketball tournament and other games. Diego Burciaga, Ana Ramos and Alejandra Gonzalez, you were the best layout editors to work with and you taught me so much in the sweetest ways. Eric Vasquez and Angel Ulloa, you two are hillarious and have the best hearts. Thanks for all the fun and adventures. I also truly could not have made it through all the stress and good times without the support of my friends and family. Thank you for always being there for me when I needed someone to vent to. I can’t believe how lucky I’ve been to have such an amazing support system. After graduation I will be moving to New York to work as a Knight CUNY-j (City University of New York journalism school) fellow where I will train with other students in the diversity initiative and work with Starfish Media Group. There is no doubt in my mind the Prospector is what got me there.
Michaela Román may noT be reached at theprospector1@gmail.com
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MISS from page a2 Whatever the reason was, I just want to say thanks Amanda, thanks for believing in me and for giving me the chance to work at The Prospector, because after I started writing for the newspaper, my life started to change for the better. The Prospector gave me the experience that my classes couldn’t offer me. Throughout my Prospector career, I have served as a contributor, staff reporter, layout editor and multimedia editor. The Prospector became my home. In the last two years and a half, I’ve spent more time here than I did at my house. Do I regret spending that much time at the office? Yes and no. The Prospector opened a lot of doors for me, it allowed to grow as a person and in the professional field. The Prospector gave me the tools to become a leader and the liberty to express my journey with my mental illnesses. The Prospector gave me the opportunity to intern with Telemundo El Paso, where I was able to learn how to shoot and edit video packages. Thanks to The Prospector, I was able to become a better journalist, which allowed me to embark on a three-month internship with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, where I served as the multimedia intern. While in St. Louis I was able to wrote, shot and edited videos. I was able to tell the stories of the people behind The Shower Truck—a free showering system that allowed homeless people to take a shower. I will never forget the knowledge, memories, jokes and articles I wrote and the people who made this experience an incredible journey.
My girlfriend Maria knows more than anyone how my mental health affected my life and our relationship. I want to thank you for supporting me through this journey. I’m thankful for having you in my life and for encouraging me to join this publication and for always believing that I could become a better journalist. Thanks for all your love and support. I love you! Vero, thanks for always taking time out of your schedule to listen to what was going on in my life. You’re one of my best friends and I will always be grateful for all the advice you gave me. Kathy, thanks for being the best and toughest advisor. Thanks for all your advice and for supporting me through my mental health breakdowns. Christian, my oldest friend, thanks for being who you are. I love your honesty and sarcastic way of being whenever I ask you a simple question. I’m sorry if I made too many jokes about your age, but if you ever need money for a wheelchair or some pills for your memory, just let me know. I hope we can watch Harry Potter again and start getting mad at Harry for his stupid decision of going back to Hogwarts each year. Gaby, you came to The Prospector telling everyone that you didn’t need friends, but look at you now. You’re the monster I created while being at The Prospector, and I mean that in a good way. Thanks for supporting me through the hardest moments of my life and for always bringing your unique art to the office. I think everyone who is graduating will miss your Jack Skellington pillow.
Michaela, thanks for being the leader you are and for making me a better reporter and editor. Thanks for being there for me when I would cry over my love problems. I hope we can go back to the desert in the middle of the night and just talk about what’s been going on with our lives after we graduate. If you ever need to go back to Juaréz for another special mission, just let me know. Gigi, you’re crazy and you always bring a positive vibe to the office and I’m always going to be grateful for that. Thanks for bringing in your Spanglish and unique Mexican jokes to the office. You better take care of my computer and not make a mess like the other editors do with their computers. Adrian, I’ve never seen you mad and that is kind of weird, especially for the type of jobs that you have. Thanks for always bringing a smile to the office and a willingness to work on four stories per issue. As I’m finishing writing this column all I feel like doing is crying, and telling people that work done by The Prospector students should not be overlooked and that we are just as important and put out just as good content as the other media outlets of El Paso. This newspaper means the world to me and I hope that the next generation of students can appreciate it in the same way I did. So, what is my next move after graduation? I’m going to start a job as a content producer with Telemundo El Paso. And whoever took one of our office chairs, good riddance! Rene delgadillo may noT be reached at theprospector1@gmail.com
THEPROSPECTOR
| A4 | NEWS spring 2018 • commencment schuedule • saturday, may 12 Morning Ceremony- 9 a.m. College of Liberal Arts Afternoon Ceremony- 2 p.m. College of Business Administration College of Education School of Nursing Evening Ceremony- 7 p.m. College of Engineering College of Health Sciences College of Science
May 1, 2018
My best decision in college By mike flores The Prospector
When I first became a college student, I had no idea what was in store for me. I didn’t even know what I wanted to major in. All my friends were really passionate about what field they decided to go into and I never thought I would feel that way about any field. I ended up majoring in business to start off my college career because it seemed like a safe bet at the time and my dad had majored in that back in his day. After I started finishing up my basics and began getting into the core classes of business, I hit a bump in the road. I hated every day of school because every business class was my worst nightmare and I was lost in every way. I was practically a thirdyear freshman. I had taken this one math class three times and I hadn’t made any progress in the right steps to become successful. That’s when I knew I had to make a change fast because if I was this miserable in the beginning stages of business, I could only imagine how much worse it would be later down the road when searching for my career. I had to look at myself in the mirror and search deep down inside of me for what I really wanted to pursue and become in life.
After weeks of debating whether to switch my major two-and-a-half years into college, I decided to pursue a journalism career. I’ve always loved writing, finding stories in everything, and I could actually see myself being happy in journalism. That was big because I thought if I was truly happy doing what I love, then I would do anything to succeed and keep pushing myself toward my goals. I wanted to be good at something important so bad, so I bet on myself in the demanding field of journalism. A couple of months into a new major, I wanted to test my skills out, not only in the classroom but in work that revolved around writing and putting stories together. Although I was beyond nervous because I had never worked at anything having to do with journalism, I applied at The Prospector after my now good friend Adrian Broaddus encouraged me to. I had never been so ecstatic as soon as I found out The Prospector was taking a chance on me after a month of showing what I could do as a contributor. All I knew is that I wasn’t going to let anyone down from The Prospector because I wanted to be there so badly. Working at The Prospector, I learned how to better my writing on the daily website. I also branched out from my comfort zone as I got the opportunity to work as a reporter for The Prospector for two years. I learned how to interview people, cover events, take photos, edit papers and experience what it’s like
to work in an actual publication for the very first time. I made connections with people in my field that I will carry forever, and I gained more confidence in my abilities to become the best journalist I can be just from working at The Prospector. I still remember the first time I saw my name published on The Prospector’s newspaper. It was the best feeling in the world. Little did I know that I would be doing my dream job as a college student, covering UTEP sports and other events I never thought I would get the chance to be at, like covering the Final Four. Best of all, I’ve never had so much fun and loving what I do than I have working for The Prospector. I could never thank the staff enough for bringing me in and showing me everything there is to know about being a good journalist. I’ll always be in debt to The Prospector because when everything in my road seemed like it was going downhill, The Prospector lifted me up and made me believe in my future and most importantly, myself. The Prospector gave me the best start to my journalism career and I could never be more thankful. There will always be a special place in my heart for all the lifelong friends and relationships I’ve built because of The Prospector. You’ll be missed so much, Prospector staff. Mike Flores may NOT be reached at theprospector1@ gmail.com
THEPROSPECTOR
NEWS | A5 |
May 1, 2018
An educator, a mentor: Mary Trejo retires after 52 years at UTEP
Gustavo Ramirez / The Prospector (Left) The forensics team hosted a retirement pot luck for Mary Trejo on April 25. (Right) Forensics team students Dominic Chacon, Matthew Magee, Alexis Vega Sierra Bernal, Susan Schm’d, Samantha Deida pose with Mary Trejo.
By christian vasquez The Prospector
In 1966, Mary Trejo sent out 100 letters looking for any open teaching positions across the country. She was 22 and just received a master’s in English from the University of Missouri. Growing up on a farm in the Ozark Mountains of Southern Missouri, she wanted to travel somewhere exciting and exotic. She received a reply from UTEP. “I thought El Paso, Texas, I’ve heard of that. So it must be a big city,” Trejo said. She opened up an atlas and found El Paso, a town on the far west edge of Texas, bordering Mexico, with a population of around 300,000 at the time. “Look it’s on the Mexican border. So there I had it—travel, excitement, adventure,” she said. Knowing very little about the city or the desert climate, she accepted the offer to be an instructor in the department of English and drove with a friend to Texas. Trejo worked in the English department for 27 years before moving to the Department of Communication. She did not officially transfer to the communication department until 1994 after she received her Ph.D. in modern letters from the University of Tulsa. In 1984, the UTEP Forensics Program, commonly known as speech and debate, needed a new acting director, and someone—not Trejo—was offered the job. The program was in danger of being canceled. The person who was going to take over became ill and couldn’t take the position, but they knew that she had a background in forensics. “My mentor and friend who couldn’t take over the job, recommended me for a temporary (position) and I’ve been doing it since,” she said.
Now, 52 years later since first accepting a position at UTEP, Trejo is ready to retire. Trejo has won multiple teaching awards. She has been awarded two educator of the year awards in Texas, she was awarded top teacher in 1988 at UTEP for teaching excellence, in 1993 she was awarded the highest distinction in the order of instruction by Phi Kappa Delta, an international forensics honor society. “Bottom line, first-instinct reaction, gut-level, is that I feel lucky,” Trejo said. When she first took the position, UTEP did not have a great reputation for forensics. “My first year out as a coach, coaches who I would meet, when they heard what school I was from would turn their backs to me and walk away,” she said. “So I learned to say, I’m the new coach at UTEP, I’m brand new, I don’t know anybody and I don’t know any of the old people, and then they would talk to me.” Since then, the team has gone on to win multiple national competitions. If anyone were to go to the first floor of Cotton Memorial, they would find the walls lined with trophies won during her tenure. “I can remember about five or so years after I became the director of forensics, I was at the national Phi Alpha Delta tournament, and the national president came up to me and said ‘thank you for what you have done for that team, you have done so much to bring that team back,’ and I hadn’t realized anyone had noticed,” Trejo said. Even though she has driven the team to win competition after competition, her students say that she always puts education and personal achievement first. “Dr. Trejo is a very firm believer in the educational aspect of the speech and debate kind of activity, so she doesn’t care
whether or not you come home with everything or if you come home with nothing,” said Matthew Magee, a senior political science major who is on the forensics team. “She wants to make sure that you’ve learned something; that you feel safe and that you are ready to go out the next time.” Her dedication to students was not only in their academic life, but also in their personal lives as well. “Earlier in the fall, I left my job, it was a little too demanding and my grades were suffering. I don’t live at home with my parents or anything like that and I’m realizing that bills are stacking up,” Magee said. “I spoke to Dr. Trejo about what my situation was going on and she said ‘let me see what I can do about that.” Trejo then created a scholarship for students on the debate team who are struggling and have been a part of the team for a set time. She awarded the scholarship to Magee. “I don’t have to worry about the bills that were stacking while at the same time I can still focus on my grades and get closer to graduation,” Magee said. “I owe her greatly for that.” To many students, she is the forensics team. She has been a constant presence at
UTEP that provided advice and comfort to her students. “She’s taught me that we are in a place of significance during important times, and that to me is so empowering and comes to show that we all have a unique voice we can tap into here at UTEP,” said Dominic Chacon, a senior environmental science major, who is now going to graduate school because of Trejo’s influence. Mike Brooks, a communications lecturer, has worked with Trejo for over 20 years. “The history of the team itself is kind of dependent on her presence and her involvement here. So I would say she is the heart of forensics really,” Brooks said. Although Trejo still plans on being involved with the team and UTEP, one of her last official acts as director will be hosting a speech and debate camp at UTEP, where middle and high school students spend a week alongside national champions. She still has intellectual energy and ambition and is ready to pursue her next goal: creative writing. “It’s a lifelong childhood fantasy that I was going to be a writer when I grow up, now the question is whether I’m grown up yet.” she said.
For more information about the speech and debate camp, email thetalkoftexas@ gmail.com. ATTENTION Juniors, Graduating Seniors & MBA Candidates in Business Administration, Marketing, Accounting & Computer Science GREAT INCOME OPPORTUNITY! a) Work Part Time: Requires 1 Hr, (4-5) Times/Week. Great for Students or those in NEED of Extra Income. b) Jump-Start an ONLINE INTERACTIVE COMMERCE BUSINESS with ZERO OVERHEAD! *Athletics Training. Nutrition. Sports Nutrition. Wt Loss/Mgmt. Exclusive Skin Care line. Proper Supplementation. Team-Up for Support with Established Business Owners! *For Individual or Group Overview, we have (15-20) minutes segments available. *For Individual or Group Overview, we have (15-20) minutes segments available. P/S, Only serious inquiries please. Call: (915)-252-3180. E-mail: fkmunene@live.com
THEPROSPECTOR
| A6 | NEWS
May 1, 2018
Saying goodbye to being a UTEP student and my job at the Prospector By ashley Muñoz The Prospector
I would first like to thank everyone for the opportunity to work with The Prospector. It has been an amazing four years with Student Media & Publications and UTEP.
Over the years, the department has allowed me to grow as both a student and as an individual. They are the most supportive and kind-hearted people to work with. I have made many memories with the department. My fondest memory with The Prospector was creating the Ms. Centennial drawing, which won a national award. The illustration represented everything UTEP is: strong, beautiful and unique.
Throughout these last four years I have experienced many things such as meeting new people, gaining new skills to prepare me for the work force and even learning a new language. As the years have passed, the road to graduation became clearer and clearer. I have had family members tell me once I graduate, reality sets in–you are now a true “community member” headed to the work force. To be honest, I am scared and
excited to graduate because I have worked two jobs non-stop in order to help my financial situation. I have had to work through the day, go to class and then drive home and rest before heading into my second job at night. After a while, working two jobs and going to school takes a toll on you both mentally and physically. However, working hard does pay off.
There is a saying in my family that we go by, “no sacrifice, no victory.” With every little sacrifice we make, a larger victory is gained. I will be the first in my family to graduate. It is a milestone that means a lot to both my parents and me. Even though I have worked and studied for four years, all of it is nothing compared to the amount of sacrifices my parents have made. I remember my first day at UTEP. I was scared, yet determined. I wanted to force myself to thrive and grow, to go beyond my comfort zone and explore new things. I can honestly say I did, but not without making memories I will truly treasure. I can also say I have had the pleasure of watching UTEP grow as well. The first time I walked through the university grounds, it was barely taking its first steps toward becoming an open-area, pedestrian campus. I’ve watched them build Centennial Plaza from the ground up. I can truly say I have watched and lived through UTEP history. I was also excited to be a part of the Centennial celebration/anniversary. Now, I’m excited to become a UTEP alumnus and am not waiting to see my sister begin her journey at UTEP. It will be fun to see what kind of memories she will make as a Miner. Saying goodbye is bittersweet, but I know I am moving on to a new adventure. As Marilyn Monroe said, “I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you can appreciate them when they go right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to how to trust, and sometimes, good things fall apart so better things can fall in place together.” Ashley Muñoz may NOT be reached at theprospector1@ gmail.com
The University of Texas at El Paso
College of Engineering
Graduate School Doctoral College of Business Administration Doctor of Philosophy Zhuofan Zhang
College of Education Doctor of Philosophy Katherine Susan Clark Lucy Hernandez Michal Nora Lee Paugh Annette Marie Siemssen Laura Ann Venegas
College of Engineering Doctor of Philosophy Mohammed Qassim Alkhatib Salvador Canales Andrade Malynda Aragon Cappelle A S M Arifur Rahim Chowdhury Mohammad Shafinul Haque Hoejin Kim Hebin Luan
College of Health Sciences Doctor of Philosophy Eduardo Aguila Teresa Mercedes Anchondo Dyanne Giselle Herrera Danielle Andrea Walker Doctor of Physical Therapy Marcela Bagues Ashley Nicole Williams
College of Liberal Arts Doctor of Philosophy Mayra Lizette Avila Jessica Rose Carre Mosi Ijumaa Dane'El Jennifer Falcon Gabriel Andrew Frietze Louis Aaron Herman Miguel Juarez Jr Ross Jacob Lambert David Robles Lizbett Tinoco Jasmine Villa
College of Science Doctor of Philosophy Johnathan Salim Abou-Fadel Anthony Matthew Alvarez Daniel Frederick Hughes
Withana Kankanamalage Umayanganie Klaassen
Azar Kordbacheh Illya Aidee Medina Velo Henry Roger Moncada Lopez Omeiza Kolawole Olumoye Alfredo Ornelas Luis Martin Sandoval Magallanes Sanjay Sharma Timilsina Leobardo Valera
School of Nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice Monica Denning-Maldonado Charity Ifunanya Ejiakonye Homero Guaderrama Vanessa Michelle Hernandez Ruby Michelle Jamison Mercedes Martinez Athena Nichole Nathan Mary Ellen Ostrowski Lily Annette Ramirez Elizabeth Reyes Peter John Schanen Sondra Susan Skory Monica Saucedo Vasquez Sandra Viscon Michael Manuel Zavala
Engineering Science/Interdisciplinary Doctor of Philosophy Ngozi Chinoyerem Ochoa Nishat Tasnim
Masters College of Business Administration Master of Accountancy Larissa Ana Adame Nicole Alexandra Aguirre Karen Pamela Baca Oswaldo Balderrama Maria Lourdes Estrada Earl Anthony Landry III Karla Lorenzana Andres Rafael Loya Ruben Paredes
Juan Ruben Romero Antonio Ruvalcaba Jr Erik Salomon Saucedo Abigail Tellez Carlo Terrazas Master of Business Administration Stephanie Rachel Amerena Jonatan Miguel Contreras Miguel A. Cortez Lexi Goranson Joel Martinez Nallely Itzel Medina Yazmin Montoya Halley N. Morell Kawehiokalani Vika Netane Sergio Alejandro Ornelas Olivares Jorge Quintero Ruben Eduardo Quiroga William Austin Richardson Chundu Rigden Carlos Rodriguez Eduardo Rodriguez Mariel Soto Isaiah Nathaniel Webb Ronald G. Welter
College of Education Master of Education Cynthia Acosta Alejandra Acosta Davila Sandra Yadira Aguirre Lori Ann Alt Alicia Alvarado Velia A. Alvidrez-Aguirre Mandy Aofia Vanessa Attel-Wolf Rosa Maria Avila Reyna Estefania Balderas Erika Becerra Leticia Beltran Sonny Bernal Juan Carlos Berumen Belen Maria Bordes Ramon Carrillo Jr Rebecca Carrillo Grissel Castaneda Jessica Chavarria Paola Chow Steven Cordero Judith Edisa Correa Priscilla Davila Aurora Villegas Dominguez Alejandra Guadalupe Escalera Cynthia Cristal Estrada Patricia Flores Barbara Garcia Vasquez Corina Ramirez Garrison Joanna Gonzalez Monica Sue Gonzalez Daniel Gutierrez Clarissa Ilianna Herrera Laura Liliana Herrera Lorraine Herrera Melissa Ibarra Cosanne Lara Angelic Lopez Juan Carlos Lopez Veronica Lujan Felipe Martinez Jr Sofia Matamoros Kindra Ardra Maya Angela Marie Mendoza Cinthia Meraz Pantoja Stephanie Morales Georgina Munguia Laureen Michelle Orozco Rocio Padilla Eric Jacob Palomares Roxanna Solis Pendelton Erika Quintero Eduardo Ramirez Sr Jose Antonio Ramirez Michelle Ramirez Vanessa Chacon Ramirez Patricia Maria Rasura Elizabeth Marie Resendez Noemi Ribot Munoz Carmen Robledo Evangelina Rivera Rodriguez Monica Graciela Rodriguez Dolores Roque Michael Salas Rubi Salazar Rosa Maria Serrato Marina Elizabeth Sifuentes Geisha Adriana Soto Gerardo Talamantes Ernest Telles Nadia Olga Terrazas Daniel Vega Jessica Vera Donacio Constance Romo Villalobos Erin Nicole Williams Samantharai Chaen Yrigoyen Master of Science Victoria Marie Estrada Maria De Jesus Gonzalez Vanessa Gonzalez Priscilla Marie Gutierrez Humberto Americo Perez Monge Samantha J. Salazar Jazmine Araceli Silva
Master of Engineering in Civil and Environmental Engineering Ignacio Luis Delgado Gonzalez Antonio Espinoza Carrillo Luis Carlos Gonzalez Mauricio Alberto Valenzuela Lara Master of Science Kehinde Akinbayo Akinola Aracely Anguiano Luis Francisco Arce Harshavardhini Bagavathyraj Agniprava Banerjee Jesus Jaime Bensojo Veleta Eric Isai Camacho Flores Zejing Cao Valeria Chavira Nora Patricia Cuvelier Karim Dajlala-Molina Maria Carolina De Pablo Christian Del Hoyo Victor Fernando Elicerio Luis Alfonso Espino Garcia Pedro Estrada Jr Peter Alexander Estrada Sergio Eric Flores Martinez Erick Garcia Miriam Itzel Garcia Matthew Isaac Gomez Raul Abnner Gomez Juan Francisco Gonzalez David Guillermo Gonzalez Hermida Jr Luis Alfonso Gutierrez Jose Antonio Hernandez David Hoblik Ashkan David Khorshidi Edna Landa Medina Kyle Zachary Lawson Edgar Adrian Lopez Liliana Lozada Medellin Eric Albert Lucero Misael Luna Roberto Aaron Madrid Francisco Joaquin Martinez Roberto Martinez David Adrian Martinez Holguin Hugo Ascanio Mendieta Quetzalcoatl Mendoza Rosas Cynthia Morales Contreras Abner Jael Moreno Tarango Varaha Venkata Vyas Kumar Naidu Sandra Elena Najera Beltran Eric Navarrete Jorge Luis Navarrete Olayinka Samuel Obafemi Hector Rodolfo Ornelas Jr Dylan Allan Ott Ademiju Olayinka Oyebanjo-Odofin Manuel Palacios Delgado Mr Carlos Parada Gonzalez Aldo Rafael Perez Jose Manuel Perez Jr. Sandra Perez Md Fazle Rabbi Jose Luis Ramirez Edgar Ivan Reyes Julio Alberto Reyes Munoz Jesus Alfredo Rivas Escarcega Ricardo Robledo Grajeda Edgar Daniel Rodriguez Velasquez Daniel Ivan Saenz Melissa Marie Sanchez Cesar Xavier Saucedo Israel Alfonso Segura Gabriel Soto Bryan Keith Stephens David Suarez Mariana Aurora Suarez Maria Fabiola Suarez Gonzalez Carlos Daniel Tafoya Hector Roberto Tejada Ann Marie Uribe Maria Del Carmen Villaverde Mayorga Ralph Alex Woiwode David Charles Worley Master of Science in Environmental Engineering Anthony Joe Rodriguez Master of Science in Information Technology Raphael Toyosi Akande Vincent Chijioke Ikeagu Erick G. Morales Opeyemi Paul Olatunji Aldo Raziel Pillado Rodriguez
College of Health Sciences Master of Public Health Maria De Los Angeles Fuentes Kathleen Anne O'Connor Alexis Nicole Ramos Master of Rehabilitation Counseling Diana Elizabeth Guerrero Master of Science Alexandra Aragon Alexandra Christine Austin Elisa Guadalupe Barraza Cassandra Nicole Curtis Nguyen-chau Dinh Myranda Sue Erickstad Katrina Monique Fisher Nancy Armida Gaytan Ninive Corina Gomez Marcela Grajeda
Kelley Sue Harshaw Nelva Denisse Kneip Kelly Marie Lambeth Emily Ann Marquez Briana Martinez Arlene Orozco Christopher Padilla Johanna Yvette Puga-Martinez Amy Sato Dorothy Marie Stewart Marylu Vazquez Joanna Velasco Kari Lauren Yanez Master of Social Work Rachel Barron-Sifuentes Karla Betancourt Janelle Contreras Jacquelin Isabel Cordero Julissa Elena Corona Norma Guadalupe Duque Martha Madrid Gallegos Monique Renee Garcia Ana Laura Gonzalez Raina Soojin Koller Wendy Magallanes Corina Judith Marrufo Barbara Frances McLean Karen Menagh Jessica Morales Angel Moreno Paloma Moreno Jesus Miguel Ochoa Ana Lucia Orellana Mejia Karla Rubi Puga Adriana Rose Rayas Laura Elisa Reyes II Nidia Reyes Aimee Iliana Rivera Natasha Oakes Rivera Cristina Robledo Mirna Robledo Neida Susana Rodriguez Reyna Michelle Rubio Francisco Daniel Sagredo Carl Shaw Jr Brenda Guadalupe Urena Ruben Velez Kimberly Williams Lekashia Wright
College of Liberal Arts Master of Arts in Teaching Aaron Edward Goulette Master in Public Administration Eric Richard Blyberg Richard Vincent Brockett Katrina Michelle Clark Bailey Rose Eiland Tyler Elbrecht Pedro Roberto Fierro Barraza Jr Paul Fluharty Troy Devon Garner Sherwyn Steve Gibbs Jesus Gonzalez Anna-Kay Annmarie James Anthony Ray Jennings Monica Leal Randy Lee McCoin Monique McDade James Middleton Eddie Montanez Eugene Thomas Mustin Jr Scott Patrick Pierce Alicia Rascon Paul Leroy Riedel Stephen Michael Robbins Steven Ray Rogers Kellen Craig Rowley Julio Angel Rozon Jermaine Thomas Priscilla Darlene Velez Erika Lyniece Vinson Donald Richard Wilson Jr Master of Arts Ana Lucia Acosta Michelle Aguilar Amador Aguillen Xander J. Alix Brandon Lee Ames Lawrence Eugene Andrews Jr Ohood Asiri Amanda D. Barraza Nora Angelica Benavides Kelvin Broadnax Paris Whankeis Broderick Jonathan Michael Brooks Dario Caire Blanca Campos William Raul Castilla Romy Yanahi Ceron Canche Jon L. Clark Thomas Dwayne Conner Carl Duran Cooper II Shelby Rae Curtis Rodolfo Bernardo Davila Adonis de Carvalho Borges Nestor Yered Duran Nungaray Jameel Dashaun Erving Patricia Lira Figueiredo Sean Patrick Fitzwilliam Perla M. Galindo Jaime Javier Garcia Marilyn Garcia Oscar Eduardo Gardea Rodolfo Gonzalez Garza Brandon Nathan Golden Abel Enrique Gomez Enrique Gonzalez Jr Nathalie Gonzalez Ashley Marie Herrera Johnny Herrera Lozano
Taylor Christopher Hines Jamie Lee Hollen Otis Eugene Hudson Jr Sylvester Damien Ishmael David Emmett Jacobson Matthew Lucas Jamison Grace Lavin Matthew Rey Leal Corina Lerma Germaine Liburd Robert R. Lilly Chuling Lo Juan Manuel Martinez Vincent Carlos Martinez Kyla Ann McMillan Kayla Rachel Mehl Daniel Paura Mena Brandon Joshua Moss Charles Sterling Napier Rick A. Neal Richard Neal Nichols Luis Nino De Rivera Scott Richard Obrigewitch Steven Ray Oldham Roberto Israel Ortega Shelbie Nicole Ponder Lucas M. Pullen Mrinalkanti Ray Luis Reynolds Rosalia Guadalupe Rodriguez Micha L. Seeburg Christopher John Shattuck Decker Patrick Smith Franklin Joshua Solomon Lesley Brad Tener Manuel Alfonso TorresBaez Daniel Marcos Vasquez Robert Norman Vose Timothy Daring Walton Andre Lavar Welch Jennifer Wilhite Michael Douglas Williamson Zachary Bradford Wright Bryan Michael Wynn David Yi Master of Defense and Strategic Studies Jeffrey Allen Adkins Antonio D. Carter Roland Andre Ellis III Alvin Romell Gardner James Scott Halchishick Kyle G. Hansen David Lee Henry Darren LaVesa Thomas Gordon Miller Hewa Mahmood Mohammed ameen Stuart C. O'Black Omid Saeed Sedeeq Gregory Brian Slater Vernon Yates Master of Fine Arts Joseph Anthony Crisafulli IV Jessica Marie Granger Saul Hernandez Reynaldo George Hinojosa Jr Joshua Robert Long Eric Robert Luthi Mario Benito Martinez Crystal Denise Pennymon Angela Joanna Marie Ridley Daniela Ruelas Diaz Cesar Vladimir Ruiz Ledesma Criseida Santos Guevara Randall Russell Surles Allyson Mary Whipple Master of Music Raul Ricardo Dominguez Cortez Flora Eugenie Newberry Aina Oladimeji Olonade Susan Elaine Smith Johanny Veiga Barbosa Corina Leticia Villarreal Master of Science Merissa Christine Amerena Julio Cesar Borunda Martinez Adam J. Carlson Vanessa Marie Goss Rebecca Marie Hernandez Lisa Marie Holz Nicole Christine Ruiz Elizabeth Ann Tabarani David Anthony Vijil Jr
College of Science Master of Arts in Teaching Eliana E. Alvarez Crystal Avila Candelario Barragan Blanca Ayde Cardona Kevin Vincent Cataldi Martha Alicia Delgado Dively Inez Diaz Brenda Leticia Gonzalez Christian Paola Heredia Maria Del Sagrario Noyola Anna Rose Trujillo Ana Laura Vazquez Master of Science Pratik Baral Matthew Albert Costa Esenam Adzo Fumador Sara Raquel Garcia Kayla Roshell Garza Ms Myra Guerrero Omar Hernandez Rodriguez Bianka Andrea Holguin Pawan Koirala Claudia Manriquez Roman
The University of Texas at El Pa
Luis Enrique Martinetti Luis Miguel Martinez Milian Andrea J. Montgomery Victor Manuel Parga Jr Mireya Nael Ramirez Samantha Eve Ramirez Alejandro Rodriguez Luis R. Suarez Salas Tai Antonia Subia Caresse Lynn Torres Brenda Guadalupe Zepeda
School of Nursing Master of Science in Nursing Lydia Mae Alkire Brenda Esperanza Arroyo Faith Borunda Diana Cristina Bowen Alejandro Duran III Kevin Eckhardt Jr Jerico Erik Garino Seth Hemker Kimberly M. Hernandez Donia Tym Martinet Amy Lynn McMurdo Lisa Kay Merryman Nydia Pages Margaret Patricia Smallwood Mindy Michelle Smith Patricia Teresa Solis Kristine Annette Tejeda Gabriela Vidal Lisa Carroll Waters Katherine Evelyn Woodard
SPRING 2018 CANDIDATES Undergraduate College of Engineering Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Benjamin Arras Sarah Marie Ballard Karen Barraza Mariana Benitez Elias Aaron Castillo Andres Chavira Luis Carlos Dominguez Estephanie Flores Andrea J. Gamez Alejandro Gomez Medina Matthew Gonzalez Hector Ivan Hermosillo Jorge Obed Jaramillo Yohtaro Christopher Kobayashi Nancy Lopez Hector Daniel Marquez Elizabeth Montes Arreola Luisa Alejandra Morales Carolina Lizet Osegueda Fernanda Esthibaliz Quezada Raymond M. Salazar Isidro Efrain Sianez Alex Soto Fernando J. Soto Jesus Vizcaino Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering and Management Sergio David Hidrogo Castaneda
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering Hector Agustin Aispuro Enrique Anguiano Chavez Laura Betancourt Emmanuel Caro Del Castillo Jesus Corona Jazmine M. Covarrubias Priscilla De Los Santos Adrian Diaz Ana Laura Dominguez Luis Andres Dominguez Jose M. Duran Nicholas R. Echevarria Cristian Flores Edgar Esteban Gomez Enrique Gonzalez Franco I. Gonzalez Jose Daniel Guillen Andrew Herrera Roberto Carlos Jaquez Carlos E. Lopez Eduardo Macias Zugasti Sami Merkel Michael Micheal Mikhael Mary Lynn Moreck Raul Ontiveros Guadalupe Ortega Alfonso Luciano Ramos Christian I. Rivera Angel Guillermo Rodriguez Omar David Salazar Mares Lilia A. Sanchez Luis E. Sandoval Luis Alberto Santos Angel Izael Solis Lyris Nezika Soto Mac Torres Luis Eduardo Valerio Frias Victor Velasco III Bachelor of Science in Engineering Leadership Alejandra Belmont America Fernandez Crystal Fernandez-Pena Miguel Angel Fraga Diego A. Lucero Vanessa Janell Saavedra Pablo I. Servin Noelle K. Zavala Bachelor of Science in Computer Science Ricardo Alvarez James E. Bias Jr Gerardo Cervantes Hector Cervantes Jr Jesus Alejandro Chavez Brandon J. Cobos Erick Javier Duarte Andrew Aaron Duron Adriana Escobar De La Torre Carlos Herrera Ruben Dario Juarez Kimberly E. Kato Karina Macias Oliver Martinez Ulises Martinez Parada Alberto D. Morales Martin A. Morales Patrick A. Morales Marco Antonio Munoz Jr. Daniel Ornelas Abner Palomino Justin Ruben Parra Jose G. Perez Antonio Quiroz
Diego Andres Reynoso Luis Gabriel Romero Aaron Santellanes Victor Carmelo Tantillo Christopher Kell Tarango Toan Huu Ton Joshua A. Villegas Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering Natalia Velma Acosta-Celis Leonel Andujo Liliana Cardoza Sanchez Cesar Antonio Estrada Alfredo Garcia Luis Ricardo Garcia Ramos Ricardo Hyslop Ruth Denisse Lara-Marmolejo Jose Martinez David Jacob Paradis II Braulio Eduardo Reyes Alberto Reyes Terrazas Fernando Salcido Celada Aileen Aime Tapia Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Ana Cristina Acosta Daniela Acosta Harum Cruz Aguirre Daniel Aleman Abdullah Bargh Alharbi Hussam A. Alzateemeh Jose L. Aragon Victor Aragon Victor Ladd Avalos Angel De Jesus Barraza Jerry C. Barrera Steven Matthew Barrera Eric Anthony Batista Jeffrey William Beard Luis Eduardo Bravo Lucero Buendia Ryan J. Bustamante Luis Carlos Calderon Carlos Campos Jr Jaime Aaron Cano Alma Delia Carrasco Mariana Castaneda Alejandra Castellano Richard Aaron Chacon Juan Jose Corona Miguel F. Corral Andrew T. Davis Diego Ricardo De Santos Aaron Diaz Cesar Enrique Dominguez Manuel Eduardo Edwards Gonzalez David Espejo Jackie Denise Flores Alonso Franco Victor H. Garcia Marlyn Angelica Garcia Torres Anthony Michael Gonzalez Regina Faith Goodwin Cristian D. Grijalva Carlos Orlando Gutierrez Lyan Eduardo Gutierrez Hernandez Noshin R. Habib Javier Adrian Hernandez Rodrigo Andres Hernandez Lluvia Yazmin Herrera Lana M. Hussein Reem Wael Issa Jesus Roberto Lara Kevin Kum Hung Lau Fernando Lucero Hector Lugo
Juan F. Mares Jr Omar Marquez Israel Martinez Norberto Oswal Melendez III Rene Miranda Gitzel Moncivais Michael Anthony Morales Daniel Moreno Andres Najera Martinez Joseph Orduno Erick M. Ortega Maldonado Maria Isabel Palacio Aaron R. Pantoja Niral Patel Hector Sebastian Perez Monica Denisse Pinon Martinez Adolfo Quiroz Jr Julian Quiroz Diego Ramirez Ponce De Leon Santiago Emilio Rascon Jaime Eduardo Regis Itza Hanai A. Rodriguez Alfonso Arturo Rodriguez Fernandez Juan Angel Roman Oscar Ruiz Jr David Sanchez Homero Sanchez II Irvin O. Sanchez Erlan Arturo Santeliz Jarenny Esther Santiesteban Sanchez Itzel Adriana Torres Keirim A. Varela David M. Vasquez Dylan M. Veliz Aaron R. Villalva Scott Thomas Wilkins Ian Michael Woodruff Blanca S. Zamora Dulce Gabriela Zamorano Orozco Armando Antonio Zavala III Bachelor of Science in Metallurgical & Materials Engineering Karla Isabel Acevedo Becerra James Edward Cooper Elizabeth V. Favela Teresa Gonzalez Isaac J. Hernandez Ye Jin Ji Jeremy Karisch Esperanza Lopez Hyun Ji Oh Jesus Antonio Palma Jeremy R. Pena Roberto Armando Pena Walter Antonio Rodriguez Villa Rebecca Alexandra Romero Jazmin Valencia Truman James Word
College of Liberal Arts Bachelor of Arts Jessica Acevedo Trevor Cuthbert Adams Stephanie A. Aguilar Reem Mustafa Ali Samantha Nicole Alonzo Delilah Alva Gabriela Alvara Martha P. Alvarado Stephanie Nicole Alvarado Hillary Ashley Alvarez Mariah V. Alvarez Ociris D. Alvarez Luis M. Alvidrez Jr.
Sandra L. Andres Wendy Andujo Jocelyn Antiga Jessie Socorro Arellano Silvia Arenas Miguel Angel Arenivar Carolina Arredondo Rachel Ann Arreola Edith Arriaga Francisco Javier Arrieta Jr. Mario Alberto Arroyo Alejandra Arroyos Alexa Marlene Arzaga Crystal Ayala Amarige Koteiba Azzam Alan Barrera Diana C. Bayona Ashley Nicole Bendtsen Roxana Bernal Melissa Marie Blanco Moises Richard Blankenship Anna Marie Braxton Ryan Thomas Bruce Charlena Victoria Burke Janett Bustamante Brianna Auror Calvillo John A. Camacho Mariana Camacho Valeria Carbajal Jessica E. Cardenas Jeremy Allan Carranco Crystal Carrillo Jorge Carrillo Christopher Michael Carzoli Theresa G. Cast Victoria Layne Castanon Sofia Castiello Estefania Castillo Christopher Sonny Castro Jr Eddie Castro Karla Regina Chacon Ivan Chavarria Alejandro Chavez Jr Athena Ann Chavez Miguel Angel Chavez Jr Rocio Patricia Chavez Hector Manuel Chavira Rubio Nicholas Tirrell Colbert Andrew Contreras David Contreras Gloria Sarai Contreras Denise Cordova Jennifer A. Cormican Idalhy O. Correa Yoly M. Cortez Amber Priscilla Covarrubio Alan Cruz Castruita Valerie Rachel Cuellar Mackenzie Leigh Daniels Karen Michelle Davalos Juan Davila Jr. Mark A. Davis Karen Aimee De Anda Daniela Del Campo Rene Alejandro Delgadillo Adrian Delgado Jr Ilse A. Delgado Leslie Angel Delgado Marco Antonio Delgado Valerie Derma Charles Anthony Desouza Imelda Denisse Diaz Krystal Yvonne Diaz Laura Vanessa Diaz Luis Diaz Jr. Maria Del Rocio Diaz Ivan Dieguez-Enriquez Joaquin Aaron Dominguez Jr
Annaeli Duran Ryann Hannah Ellis Derek Dermont Emmett Melissa Elizabeth Escobar Oscar J. Estrada Matthew Isaiah Euzarraga Emmanuel Falcon Jacob R. Farfan Azul Denisse Farpon Espinoza Alejandra Fernandez Angelica Fernandez Destiny Leann Fierro Fabian Francisco Fierro Deovonna E. Figueroa Star C. Flagel Rebekah Elizabeth Flamm Tierra Ashley Fletcher Jasmin Raeann Flores Justine T. Flores Mike Christopher Flores Jacob Martin Fong Amy J. Freitas Andres S. Freitekh Guillermo Galarza Andres Gallegos Michael Angelo Galvan Angelica Ariadnee Gandara Daniela Garcia Diana Garcia Elizabeth Marie Garcia Jacqueline Nichole Garcia Jessica D. Garcia Julie Garcia Lesley Garcia Luis D. Garcia Maleny Alin Garcia Pablo R. Garcia Priscilla H. Garcia Robert A. Garcia Sylvia Garcia Jacobo Alejandro Garcia Castaneda Margarita A. Garcia-Salas Dario Garza Wendolyn Garza Vargas Randy Alan Gilbreath Clara Whitney Giroux Liliana B. Gomez Victoria Rhiann Gomez Abraham Gonzalez Demetrio Gonzalez Maria Rachel Gonzalez Richard Gonzalez Ana Luisa Guerra Alejandro Gutierrez Jr. Alexandra M. Gutierrez Angel A. Gutierrez Michael J. Gutierrez Michael Torrez Guzman Rocio Guzman Tajei L. Harper Torri Kaitlin Harris Gladys Liliana Hermosillo Hernandez Arlene Hernandez Dafne Lorena Hernandez Roberto S. Hernandez Raquel Hernandez Borjon Abel HernĂĄndez Jr. Tyler J. Herrera Sarah Huizar Carolina Guadalupe Iglesias Rebeka Isaac James Mitchell Jacobson Ricardo Jaloma Amanda Renee Jaramillo Stephanie Jaramillo Virginia L. Jenkins Roman Javier Jimenez Ashley Amaya Johnson
Michael Steven Juarez Alex Michael Jurado Adriana G. Kennedy Alvar Priscilla Jo Kincaid Cassandra Maria Kuntz Cesar A. Lara Gerardo A. Lara Ana Gabriela Lariz Nora Oney Lawler Joseph Christian Lawson Andrew Joseph Lazarin Adam Leyva Tania Vanessa Leyva Edgar M. Llamas Adam Felipe Lopez Breanna Renee Lopez Brian Lopez Nicholas Al Lopez Amy Carina Loya Evelyn Loya Rivera Andres Humberto Lucero Isbell Daniella Machuca Joseph Michael Macias Karla Ivonne Maciel Christopher I. Maldonado Meghann Michelle Malon Valeria Marin Cynthia June Marshall Denise Martinez Haydee Martinez Jessica Martinez Kimberly A. Martinez Megan C. Martinez Phillip Stephen Martinez Victoria Loren Martinez Rebeca Martinez Cervant Charlotte Lori McCall Erik Mecinas Vasquez Noemi A. Medellin Priscilla Medellin Diana I. Medina Hector Mejia III Dominique Melendez Kayla G. Melson Gabrielle Clarisse Mendoz Delilah A. Meraz Krista Marlen Mireles Lisa Marie Molina Eric Andres Monsivais Gabriela Cristina Montelo Ernest Monteros Velia L. Mora Jose A. Morales Christian Morales-Castan Arturo Moreno Cassandra Corinne Moren Rubie Moreno Monica Stephanie Moreno H Dennyse H. Muniz Soto Ashley Marie Munoz Carlos Munoz III Luis Armando Munoz Jr Pilar Aurelio Munoz Roy Najera Almendra Nares Jessica Marie Navarro Maria Elena Navarro Paloma Pilar Nevarez Armen Mark Anthony Nores Denise Olivas Rebekah Rae Onate Norma Erika OrdoĂąez Elizabeth A. Ortega Jesus Daniel Ortega Philip C. Ortega Yvette Ortega Zenyacy Ortega Rojero Adrian Ortiz
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Jose Jesus Ortiz Lorena A. Ortiz Tabitha Herlinda Owens Mayra Perales Alexa G. Perez Branden B. Perez Britney N. Perez Carla Maria Perez Miriam Elizabeth Perez Perla Celeste Perez Jonathan Alexis Picado Desiree Pimentel Sashiel Marie Pina Samantha Aylin Pinedo Eduardo Arturo Jr Poblano Kaleena Renee Ponce Salvador Gabriel Angel Porras Erika Elizabeth Portillo Martin G. Portillo Paulina Portugal Sonia I. Quinones Alan Daniel Quinonez Paulina Ivonne Quintana Jazmine Quiralte Jesus Quiroga Karla Edith Quiz Andrea Fernanda Ramirez Kristina Marie Ramirez Loren Ramirez Ruth Ramirez Sarah Nicole Ramirez Bernadette Alicia Ramos Eric Rangel Jessica Rocio Ray Albert James Reaux Michelle Regalado Alberto Renteria Joseph Anthony Reyes Joshua Demis Reyes Joshua John Rincon Megan Koren Rios Natalie Rivera Alejandra Robason Jessica Robles Guadalupe I. Rodarte Andrew Michael Rodriguez Angela K. Rodriguez Blanca Elvira Rodriguez II Gabriel Rodriguez Joel Rodriguez Mariana Rodriguez Italy Rojas Jorge Balta Roman Michaela Irene Roman Jose I. Romero Jr Valeria Aimee Romo DeVivar Gallardo Michelle Fernanda Ronquillo Jacqueline Rosales Ricardo Rubio Alejandra Ruiz Christian Ruiz Julie Ruiz Brenda Ruiz Lopez Audrey Jean Russell Stephanie Ruvalcaba Steve Saenz Edgar Salas Andi Monet Salazar Jose Abraham Salazar Lizette Salcido Marlon R. Saldana Carlos Alejandro Saldana Perez Jessica Ann Sanchez Mario A. Sanchez Cristian Sandoval Christian Serrano Joseph D. Shelleman III Milagros Shiroma
Mason Connor Shuya Mariana F. Sierra Cynthia Marie Sifuentes William K. Signet Alberto Hilario Silva Hector Orlando Silva Monica Michelle Silva De Lucio Rebecca Eugenia Solis De Los Rios Amaris Soltero Jaime Ivan Sosa Michael A. Sota Jr Elizabeth Anahi Soto Marina Yvonne Soto Michael A. Soto Valeria Soto Brendan Allan Sundt Aylin V. Tafoya Felipe Roberto Talavera Sheyenne Tercero Sidney Carolyn Thomas Alexandra Thome Hector Torres Jose Enrique Torres Tanya Zulema Torres Steffanie Chong Toth Melissa Lisette Trejo Renee Alexandra Trejo Roxanna Nicole Trent Camila Trespalacios Gabriela Trevizo Roxanna Ivette Ulloa Mary Ann Uribe Edward James Uritson IV Raul A. Valadez Alexa Yasmin Valdez Victor Ivan Valdez Stephanie Valerio Danny Vargas Jr. Mayra Angelica Vargas Eybar Vasquez Nevarez Gabriela Vega Edgar A. Velez Melynda Ann Venegas Andrea Ivanova Vicencio Cristal Guadalupe Vicente Jason Jefferey Vickers Elizabeth Vigil Paulette Villa Xochitl Villalobos Kennia Nohemy Villegas Sara Brissel Villegas Amri Viruet Deseree Alexis Ware Mayra Lizbeth Zapata Fandi Viridiana Zapien Lopez Luis Miguel Zarate Alma C. Zepeda Bachelor of Fine Arts Ray Brandon Alba Pablo D. Alcala Ana Cristina Arellano Raul Chavez
Magdalena Montserrat Covarrubias Olmedo
Merle Roland Dewitt Michelle A. Esparza Hector Gabriel Garcia Alix Rebecca Gaytan German Benjamin Gomez Alejandra Gonzalez Guillermo Gutierrez Adriana Hernandez Diego M. Herrera Andrew Jacob Holguin Jorge David Irigoyen Jesus Enrique Lopez Vargas Ana Carolina Martinez Paola Martinez
Anabel Najera Lopez Clyde Darrin Perkins Jeffrey Dannel Quintana Ana Gabriela Ramos Sosa Ian Matthew Roberts Sara Rebeca Sarmiento Justin M. Silva Melissa Trejo Paola Vargas Joaquin J. Vasquez Miriam Vega Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies Paula Y. Akell Christina Venessa Alcantar
Claudia Iveth Alcazar de Aguilar
Melodia S. Ayon Adrian Barrios Joshua Lee Beach Deborah Berg James Anthony Boyd Jaiden Patryck Briones Amanda R. Brown Mariana Cadena Ocejo Michelle Campos Peter Jacob Carrillo Arturo Justino Carrion Victoria Christine Chacon Marcus Loman Clay Elizabeth Gale Clemmons Devin Cockrell Jesus Corrales Jr. Jaime Covarrubias Aaron Lee Daniel Mateo De La Rosa
Samantha Michelle De Santiago
Paloma C. Diop Veronica Dominguez Krystiana Nicole Edwards Karen Vanessa Fajardo Christina M. Favela Arlen Fernandez Jose Arturo Fierro Jr Veronica Isabel Flores Zachary John Galuska Sandra Alicia Garcia Jesus Antonio Garcia Salas Maria C. Gomez Patricia Gomez Grant Eugene Gonzalez Jessica B. Gonzalez Andrea Fabiola Herrera Samantha Benae Herrera Devyn Christine Hunley Zachary Michael Jacques Javier Jimenez John Dylan Kittrell Chantele Flemister Krabill Sabrina Renee Lashley Daniel Lopez Iliana Renee Lopez Ivette Paulina Loya Amanda Bethany Lujan Dana C. Lyles Patricia Annetta Madison Jessica Manjarrez Zoe Farah Mark Raymundo Marshall Nicole Martino Benjamin Joseph Mazzocchi Dominique Victoria Mcalister Conrad Daniel Mccue Holly Ann McDonald Casey Lee Mcfadin Dolores Daligdig Mena Cynthia Prado Molina Bianca Yolanda Mondragon
Gabriela Murdock Antonio Nevarez Yvonne Harriet Nkwocha Laura Veronica Ontiveros Sarah Elizabeth Ornelas Joanna Ortiz Jose Eden Ortiz Omega Ortiz Tiffany Nicole Parra Micaela Pena Tiffany Lizette Pimentel Rosalyn H. Pool Alejandra Ramirez Jessica M. Ramirez Manuel Humberto Ramirez Jr Erik Ramos Monica Rauda Rebecca Raygoza Robert A. Read Leanna L. Rivera Alan Octavio Robles Alisa Miranda Rodriguez Crystal A. Rodriguez Lizbeth Rodriguez Roberto Rodriguez Ruben Alfonso Rodriguez Adrianna Rosales Julie A. Russell Karla Yvone Saenz Cynthia Sanchez Joanne Acera Santos Damian Dawayne Stevenson Daisy Jaquez Tarango Destiny Tipton Robert Scott Toliver Kimberly Nicole Urquidi Lauren Elizabeth Van Zandt Luz-Elena Yanez Victoria Zamarron Bachelor of Music Esai Cantu Perla Elena Cardenas Lidia Chavez Omar Arturo Cordova Michael Cortez Kevin Elizalde Jasmine Alyssa Fernandez Aaron Gomez Cesar Hinojos Genesis Lopez Stephanie Lozano Maria Fernanda Lozano Gomez Rocio Aline Manriquez Jonah Michael Rayas Francisco Javie Renteria Lourdes Salazar Kevin Vazquez Thomas W. Woo Jr Bachelor of Science Celeste Apodaca Amanda R. Ballesteros Elizabeth Barrera Diana Renee Bravo Gabrielle Bianca Campos Amaris Sarai Chaparro Maria G. Chavarria Kyra Anne Clark Vicente Cobos Alvarado Isabel Cruz Aldo Figueroa Janeth Alejandra Hernandez Jessica Melissa Hernandez Jennifer Lee Kim Monica Zoe Lobera Mercedes Lubo Shelby L. Macias
Christian Marie Helen Marquardt Paula M. Martinez Mitzi Mariela Martinez Marquez Manuel Raul Melendez Lujan Daniel A. Munoz Karen Eberechi Omayi Clarissa Marianela Palacios Leslie P. Perez Joseph Reyes Minerva Rodriguez Anapaula Themann Regina Tovar Denae Noe Vega
College of Science Bachelor of Arts Illyana Baeza Bachelor of Science Pardis Abdollahi Zarandi Austin Nathanial Adams Stephanie Alarcon Pamela Angel Alcantara Jesus Manuel Aleman Luis Manuel Amezcua Vanessa Apodaca Darcy C. Aranda David M. Arteaga Jislem Susset Avila Paulina Avila Jaime Ayala Miguel Angel Baeza Cinco Karol Steph Balderrama Cristina Isaura Barraza Enereida Barreras Sergio Barrios Christopher Isaiah Beard Justin Luis Bernal Daniel A. Betancourt Ana Laura Blanco Jonathan Ivan Blattner Alejandro Emmanuel Borrego Jason Borrego Andrew Dean Boyer David Yedlin Broom Bernice Caad Marlynn Cadena Olivia Calderon Christian Michelle Cano Mario Cardenas Jr Aridiana Carrillo Julian Domonic Castanon Christian Pritzel Castillo Jesus Antonio Cedeno Daniel Cheruiyot Anila Chintagunta Luz Elvia E. Cisneros Alejandra Compean Marisa Inez Cone Ryan Emmanuel Contreras December T. Crew Adelis Cruz Deandra De Los Santos Daniela Del Campo Priscilla Del Valle Jose Armando Delgado Arely Virid Diaz Marcela I. Diaz Victoria Marie Diaz Mirelle Celeste Dominguez Osvaldo Elias Dominguez Paulina Dominguez Maricela Duarte Khevan Oliver Dueck Bianca A. Duran Jerry A. Duran Jr Jose Maximiliano Duron
Angela Marisol Encerrado Manriquez Alma Carolina Escobosa Salas Andrea Esparza Gabriel Armando Estrada Pema Euden Paola Faivre Natalia Alejandra Fernandez Natalie M. Fernandez Claudia Patricia Ferreiro-Chavez Danielle Nicole Fincham Valeria Fontes Marco Antonio Gallegos Ruben Gamez Iliana Garcia Zacnite Rosario Garcia Jesus Alberto Garza Sabrina Ann Gayle Cesar Giova Gonzalez Daniel S. Gonzalez Victor Manuel Gonzalez Lucia Fernanda Gonzalez Rodriguez Mark A. Grant Monica Guardado Benjamin C. Guerrero Jose Arturo Guerrero Diego Gutierrez Ruben Guzman Larissa Guzman Moreno Afsaneh Hamed-Zanjani Angelica Hernandez Anthony T. Hernandez Ariel Hernandez Ashley Marie Hernandez Erika R. Hernandez Jacob Hernandez Jaime Hernandez Mariana Hernandez Molina Caroline Hernandez-Casner Raul Higuera Christopher Alexis Ibarra Gerardo Jimenez Gual Aldo Michele Jordan Colin Daniel Knight Sai N. Kolli Noe Labrado Pedroza Manuel Larragoity Colon Jr Candice Michelle Lerma Sonam Choki Lhamo Jahel Priscilla Licea Omar Lira Abigail Lopez Brayant Manuel Lopez Isela Nayeli Lopez Jose Luis Lopez Sergio Esteban Lopez Luis Alfredo Lopez Macias Guillermo Lopez Ramirez Mercedes Lubo Beatrice Lucio Fernanda Lugo Larissa Luna Diana Amairani Maciel Alejandro Madrid Aleida Marquez Anthony Joel Marrufo Nandi Nahomy Martinez Alethia L. Mata Katherine M. Mccormick Adrian Meza Yadira Ivonne Meza Cayla Cecilia Molina Lenore Monterroza Aleena Rubie Montoya Anthony J. Moran Brenda Moreno Martha Maria Moreno Karla Vianney Moriel Erik Munoz
Malvina G. Munoz Soraida Munoz Crystal Danielle Nava Morgan Nicole Newton Timothy Evan Nila Guillermo Ivan Nunez Edith Nuno Luis Antonio Ocana Amaka Jazmin Okwunwanne Carlos O. Ontiveros Lydia A. Ornelas Alejandra Ortega Christian Jesus Ortiz Jorge Salvador Ortiz Daniel Alfredo Pacheco Nunez
Clarissa Marianela Palacios Magdalen Paredes Brenda Cristal Payan Troy Lawrence Payne Brian O. Peinado Rosaisela Pineda Rebecca Elizabeth Platt Luz Vanessa Porras Ashley M. Priego Jorge Puente Ingemar Alexander Quesada Valeria Quezada Maria Elena Quinonez Kayla Quintero Imran Laiq Raja Andrea Ramir Ramirez Celeste A. Ramirez Gimena Paola Ramirez Kaesha S. Ramirez Zahid Ramirez Paul Adair Rascon Diane Renteria Andres Reyes Jesus Antonio Reyes Jr Luis Carlos Reza Leslie Robles Kathia Edith Rodarte Itzahi Kayla Rodela Christian Alexander Rodriguez Rocio Concepcion Ronquillo Jose A. Rosales Joseadrian Rubio Priscilla Angelica Rubio Maria Gabriela Ruiz Maya Andrea Ruiz Enrique Salcido Jose Mario Sanchez Salma Lorena Sandoval Enrique Saucedo Galindo Alison Victoria Segura Ana E. Segura Lerma Diego Seira Ashanti Natesha Shapiro Andre Nicholas Sharp Jorge Orlando Sierra Juan Salvador Sigales Sosa Mark Andrew Smith Jesus Sotelo Clarissa Alexandra Soto Truphena Jebitok Sum Kuenzang Tashi Mayra Daniela Terres Anapaula Themann Quy Phung Nu Ton Angel Torres Jacqueline Lauren Torres Kevin Rafael Torres Robert Anthony Torres Jr Zabdiely Eunice Torres Armando Trejo Valeria Urbina Fabian Andres Uribarri Martin Devante Valdez
The University of Texas at El Paso
Priscilla Valle Valeria G. Varela Adriana Vasquez Brenda Nicol Vasquez Victor Manuel Vasquez Jr Cesar Iram Vazquez Antonio Verduzco Mendez Elizabeth Dolores Vicencio Alexia Paola Victoria Shanahan E. Vigil Abraham Villa Daniel Han Von Salzen Israel Raul Williams Crystal Wong Maria Del Rosario Zamilpa Jesus Daniel Zapata Alexis C. Zubia
College of Education
Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies Patricia Acuna Melissa Aguilar Juan Alberto Alvarez Jr Claudia Ivonne Anaya Garcia Zenia Avelar Jennifer Avila Jennifer Irene Barragan Janeth Cristina Barrera Valeria Blake Agnieszka Danuta Brooks Deanna Camacho Berenice Cangas Claudia Elizabeth Cantu Iris Stephanie Castro Gabrielle M. Cervantes Damaris Contreras Margaret Renee Cunnington Vanessa De La Pena Audrey Naomi Duran April Brianna Escalante Kaitlynn Marie Escontrias Maxim Itzel Esparza Jessica Espinoza Jaqueline Esquivel Mylina Ferrer Munoz Kaitlin Randi Fifield Judith Flores Elizabeth Ann Gabriel Danielle Nichole Garcia Fatima Fabiola Garcia Itzel Carolina Garcia Karla Adelene Garcia Sierra Marie Garcia-Middleton Candy Luz Gardea Mariana Gonzalez Bernice Hernandez Kenia Ivette Hernandez Juliann Sophia Lavigne Cynthia Lewis Heather Lopez Lorraine Elizabeth Lorenzo Andrea Diana Lozano Ryan C. Luebke Alexandra R. Lund Crystal Mendez Stephanie Pauline Mendoza Crystal Karina Meza April Monarez Jessica Montenegro Isabel Montoya Priscilla Lluvia Moreno Tasha Morris-Perez Lorren Nicole Muela Marcos A. Munoz Celeste Danielle Ortiz Abril Ozorio Danitza Nichole Pedregon Lorena Perea Jacqueline Puente Katherine Elizabeth Quesada Stefani Marie Ramirez Joel Rangel Araci Rocio Reyes Flores Maida Ammi Rivas Daisy L. Rodriguez Karla Lizeth Rodriguez Vanessa M. Rosario Marisa Valeria Saenz Karen Patricia Salazar Dominique Shaar Delaila Sifuentes Liana Marie Sosa Maria Cristina Sosa Maira Alejandra Soto Erika Cristal Tapia-Juarez Derek A. Thomas Karina A. Valadez Navil Mitzel Varela Melissa C. Vega Selene Velarde Angela Eunice Veliz Holger Peter Viel Sarah Miranda Villa Mario Edmundo Villanueva Karen Zuniga
College of Business Administration Bachelor of Business Administration Gilberto Simon Acosta Adrian Librado Aguilar Huipom Ahn Jr Sebastian Albores Garcia De Alba Alfonso Antonio Allen Marco Antonio Alonso Carolina Alvarado Cynthia Mercado Alvarez
Aaron Augustine Anaya Jaqueline Andrade Raquel Andre Shahrzad Ansari Sadrabadi Angel A. Aragon Ashley Vianey Argueta Angelica Arreola Jorge Arroyo Jr Adrian Alejandro Arvizo Luis Angel Avitia Pedro Ayala Valente Cesar Babb Luis Fernando Baca Joshua M. Baeza Nicholas Bandstra Daniela Barragan Miguel Angel Barriga Saenz Cristian Hael Barron Mora John J. Beach II Alondra Grisel Becerra Mauricio Becerra Joseph A. Bejarano Eyder Santiago Benitez Jr Samie Goitom Berhane Veronica Taimi Blanco Ricardo Borquez Omar Fayez Boureslan Jorge Ivan Burciaga Brandon Aaron Bustamante Michelle Calderon Marisa Ann Camacho Tania Camargo Ana M. Campos Erika C. Campos Rodolfo Kain Cardenas Estibalis Annel Caro Alberto Salvador Carrillo Anthony Ricardo Carrillo Jonathan H. Carter Blanca Alejandra Castillo Valeria Jimena Cavazos Corral Mariano Cazares Jr. Clarissa Cervantes Tania Chaparro Salcido Charles Justin Chavez Ivan Chavez Raul Chavez Jr. Manuel Enrique Chavez Ortega Jason Chung Jose Daniel Colon Steven Cordova Charles Corner Isai Benjamin Coronado Hector Coronel Jr. Raymundo Issac Cuevas Lidia Franco De La Cruz Natalie De La Cruz Kendra I. De La Pena Oscar A. Del Valle Genesis Diaz Daniel Dominguez Matthew Dominguez Rebecca A. Dominguez Michelle Duarte Lina Dughaish Bianca Danielle Duran Diana Laura Duran Rebecca C. Ed Alyse Cristina Ellis Lisa Ellis Luke Adam Elsner Yasmine Abigail Encinas Anaise Escobar Jazmine Escobedo Gizette Espalin Angela Mariajose Esquerra Joaquin Esquivel Jr Itzae Denise Facio Victoria Fernandez Omar A. Fierro Alexandrya R. Figueroa Arturo Flores Jazmin Alejandra Flores Jason Lee Fowler Sandra Guadalupe Franco Amparan Elizabeth Fuentes Christopher Lee Gallardo Benjamin Cristian Gandara Alejandra Garcia Carlos Fernando Garcia David Garcia Eunice Garibay Munoz Luis A. Gaucin Thomas B. Geller Corey Lee Gentry Joshua Anthony Gilbreath Biyanca Noel Gomez Eric A. Gomez Stacy A. Gonzales Erick Javier Gonzalez Jose O. Gonzalez Tavares Green Kristina Renee Guevara Alejandra Gutierrez Andrew M. Gutierrez Cesar Gutierrez Jesus E. Gutierrez Melissa Gutierrez Jose Adrian Harari Erika Lin Harrawood Adriana Solis Hernandez Priscilla Hernandez Daniel Andres Herrera Luis F. Herrera Lauren Irene Holguin Cristian Ibarra Miguel Angel Ibave Jr Daniel Ivan Infante Francisco Islas Nessim Issa Ulises Jaramillo
Yvonne Vanessa Juarez Humberto Labrado Eric A. Lara Lindsey Marie Lara Brandon Gary Layne Serjik Leon De La Rosa Adrian Antonio Leos Bethanie A. Lester David Lopez Sara Maria Lopez Evelyn Lopez Silerio Steven Reyna Loya Saul Lujan Jr Jesusita Luna Marco A. Luna Rose Luna Shuangpei Ma Valerie K. Maldonado Prescott Lewis Mann April B. Marquez Justen Edward Marquez Melissa Marquez Cesar Enrique Martinez Elmer Abel Martinez Jordan Mike Martinez Luis A. Martinez Sebastian Leonardo Martinez Ariely Poulette Medina Damaris Sujey Medina Carlos Francisco Mejia Jr. Esteban Melendez Maria Alejandra Meouchi Madrid Ana Karen Meraz Alondra Alejandra Miranda Nubia Giszel Miranda Manal Mohammed Moazam Ali Edgar Omar Molina Edward Ruben Molina Eduardo Montes Samaniego Andy Morales Clarisa E. Morales Desiree Marie Morales Joyce Morales Nancy Guadalupe Moreno Yuma Moreno Jeanna A. Mullen Hugo Munoz Eduardo Murguia Lucia C. Murillo Eduarda Nardi Dos Santos Samantha Natera Celia Navarro Jesce Kidd Nimnualrata Emilio Hugo Noriega Nancy J. Noriega Andres Ochoa Jorge Ilan Olivares Salmaan Orozco Daniel P. Ortega Juan Eduardo Ortega Jordan Iveth A. Padilla Jimmy Palacios Jr. Pablo Alejandro Palacios Stephanie Pena-Chavez Chantelle Perez Dante Alejandro Perez Nicklas Lind Pihl Christian James Ponce Michael Porras Michael Francisco Prieto Leslie Quezada Colleen Alexis Rader Fernando Ramirez Arely Ramirez Torres Enrique Ramos Leandro David Ramos Michelle Remes Samuel Retana David Robert Riley Arturo Alexis Rios Alejandra Rivera Catherine Maria Rivera Carlos Robledo Giannino Manuel Rodriguez Juanita Rodriguez Paola Rodriguez Manuel Rodriguez Arzaga Ruben Noe Rodriguez Rodriguez Damien P. Romero Evan Romo America Guadalupe Rosas Manuel Rubio Jr Rodolfo Rubio Roman I. Rubio Lauren Roseanne Rueda Rebecca Adriana Ruelas Ricardo Ruiz Martinez Andres Salcido III Brenda Loraine Sanchez Lauren Nicole Sandoval Kevin Santiesteban-Ochoa Rachel N. Santos Victoria A. Saucedo Blanca M. Savusa Tamara Seda Devany R. Serrano Hector Eduardo Sifuentes Serena Rose Soledad Ernesto Sotelo Carlos Bernardo Soto-Quezada Triston Michael Sowles Hector Terrazas Alexander Edward R Thomson Christian Tovar Hugo Daniel Troncozo Rafael Alejandro Urquide-Sandoval Alexandra Valenzuela Daniel Valles Yadira Valles Octavio Varela Jr Victor Rene Vazquez
Alma Victoria Vazquez Cardona Adrian Vega Ricardo Vejarano Naomi A. Vela Adrian Velasquez Katia Fernanda Villa Alvarez Alex Anthony Villalobos Daphne Naomi Visscher Abraham G. Vizcarra Lois Celine Wagenvoort Patrick H. Ward Anton Joseph Warnick Paul Ryan Wickenheiser Israel Raul Williams Tatum Kate Winter Tsz H. Wong Joshuah Zachary Zavala Zachary Alec Ziegler Liliana Zubia
College of Health Sciences Bachelor of Science Heather Stephanie Adriano Erick Antonio Alarcon Alexandra Brooke Alexander Larissa Esther Andrade Austin A. Armendariz George F. Augustain Jr. Adriana Avina Corona Damariza Barraza Selina R. Barrientos Carlos A. Batres Jaclyn N. Berger Diana Bernal Charles Jefferson Beshears Annamarie Blake Guadalupe Bugarin Daniel A. Camacho Adrian Antonio Camarena Ariana Sarahi Campos Benjamin Jesus Castro Larissa Castro Priscilla Chacon Emily Ann Chavez Jessica Y. Chavez Mayra Alexandra Chavez Courtney Maureen Clayton Stephanie Marie Cobos Vicente Cobos Alvarado Savannah Xiomara Contreras Sonia Alejandra Cordova Rogelio Corral III Mark E. Cortez Brandon Tyler Dawson James Henry Dice III Aracely Dones Rebecca Antonia Drennan Monica Elizabeth Escobar Dominique Paulina Favela Bernice Franco Luis Armando Gamboa III Abril Almendra Ganem Aaron Osvaldo Garcia Ruben Garcia Samantha Yvette Garcia Derron Lee Gatewood Joshua Goldman Cesar Giova Gonzalez Gabriela Gonzalez Karla Valeria Gonzalez Miranda Marie Gonzalez Isabelle Matthews Gorman Manuel I. Grajeda Diana Ruby Guardado Jose L. Guillen III Ariana Bianca Gutierrez Lazarus Wilcot Gutierrez Phillip Michael Harper Taylor R. Harper Danny Angel Hernandez Christopher Michael Holguin Emily Durrett Horsch Claudia Alejandra Huereca Derek Keith James Korina Jimenez Rylee Lynn Jones Itzel Jurado Kelsey Renee La Bier Travis Allan Laliberte Jose Vicente Lamas Jr Giuliana A. Leal Filiberto Lopez Jr Jason Lopez Jocelynn Lopez Susana I. Lopez Amber Luna Ariana Luna Erika A. Luna Juan Francisco Manjarrez Karina Marquez Ana Luisa Martinez Flatonia Watkins McKinney Raul Alejandro Medellin Portillo Mariel Melchor Pamela Mendoza Gabino Meza Lydia A. Miranda Rebecca Miranda Sarahi Morales Samantha Courtney Munoz Geneva Nieto Jovana Nieto Nico Nunez Jesus David Olivas Humberto Orozco Lauren A. Ortega Steven James Peters Christopher Michael Portillo Sonia A. Provencio
Joaquin Aaron Quevedo Israel Christian Ramirez Jazmine Ramirez Saul Ramos Vanessa Reyes Clarissa V. Robles Alondra Rodriguez Annette Rodriguez Erick Rodriguez Halil E. Rodriguez Matthew Michael Rodriguez Verona De Jesus Rodriguez Ariel Julian Rojas J Humberto Sebastian Rojas Lucero Lizeth Rojas Gallegos Diana Ronquillo Patricio M. Ruvalcaba Jose R. Saenz Amanda Marie Sanchez Ivette Marie Sanchez Neida Sandoval Michelle L. Schmidt Rachael M. Schoenrock Kevin Sias Jordan E. Sonora Tameka Rena Sumter Ricardo R. Tacuba Alexis Dee-Ann Thornton Chantal Nicole Tillman Luis Tinoco Laura Angel Torres Jr Monica Torres Yazmine Torres Michelle Trejo Florence Nkiru Uwakwe Oscar E. Valenzuela Demi Rae Veliz Bachelor of Social Work Odette Rocio Abbud Aguero Rosalva Blanco Matthew Christopher Bryan Gabriela Cervantes Sarai A. Chairez Esther Corral Abby Carolina Del Toro Aaron Isaac Escajeda Aracely Favela Evelyn Gallegos Fransheska Garcia Genesis Marie Garcia Jessica Garcia Valeria Garcia Sadie Guerrero Rebekah M. Kulowski Andrew Luevano Laura Elvia Marquez Alejandra Martinez Destiny U. Miramontes Jesny Liceth Miranda Crystal Morales Catherine Gloria Moreno Villarreal Alina Gabriela Morin Natalie Pena Nicole Pena Cynthia Peralta Lucila Rodriguez Gilbert Sandoval Cristina G. Schaffino Michael Christopher Shibley Rosa E. Torres Sonia Villegas Adriana A. Zachary Alexandria M. Zuniga
School of Nursing Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Yamile Abdelaziz Everth Paola Achim Melissa Bianc Aguilar Isabel D. Aguirre Isha Allina Ahmad Manuel Alonzo Amira Thabet Awad-Del Valle Veronica Bahner Sharonda Monique Baker Isela Beanes Sophia Lynn Bond Ohnah Joy Brown Jonathan Christopher Bustillos Adrian Caldera Eileen Camacho Jessica Eliana Cardiel Ezra Benito Ceniceros Karen Chavira Carlos Contreras Daniel Ramon Contreras Eileen L. Contreras Gabriela J. Contreras Ana Karina Cruz Lira Amy Yvette Delgado Idaly Mariana Diaz Victor G. Duran Vivian Alexis Duron Amanda Esparza Jorge Armando Esparza Lozano Claudia Esquivel Jesus Daniel Esquivel Eva L. Fierro Rebekah Elizabeth Flamm Roberto A. Gamillo III Victor Garcia Ana Patricia Gastelum Jennifer Gilman Carmen Leticia Gonzalez Vanessa Gosseck-Ramirez
Tiffany Brooke Granados Alexis Selene Gutierrez Mariana R. Gutierrez Roberto Adrian Gutierrez Marion Maude Harrienger Savannah Loene Hearon Christina Elizabeth Hernandez Sheila Vernette Hughes Irasema Ibarra Natasha Corinne Jones Luis Vincent Leal Jillian Ruth Lehr Karen Lozano Sophia Lucero Melissa Luera-Sanchez Erikka Kay Luevano Joselyn Luevano Cassandra Yvette Luna Alfredo Martinez Ashley Martinez Lorraine Michelle Mata Tania Isabel Medina Evan Gray Merworth Donna Faye Midkiff Joshua Thomas Moore Armida Moya Cheryl Antoinette Mull Angela Juliana Munoz Jennifer Munoz Estela Sarahi Navarro Blanca E. Nunez Luis Leonel Ochoa Jr Diana Desiree Ontiveros Anne Pacheco Claudio Pacheco Jr Sinai Perez Diane Quintana Chelsea Lauren Reeser David J. Reyes Edgar Reyes Megan A. Rivera Janeth Rivera Tavarez Emily Gail Roberts Bernardo Rodriguez III Jennifer Ann Rodriguez Naomi Rodriguez Paul Anthony Rodriguez Alyssa Danielle Ruiz Robert Ruiz Ashley Abigail Sanchez Daniela Sanchez Terrazas Nadia Lourdes Shashaty Sherry Lynn Shelton Fukamanji Sikazwe Sarah K. Silberman Noah C. Skory Nataliya Viktorivna Skrypkina Josabeth Elena Stedt Jennifer Steed Rogelio Tarin Lizette Verenice Torres David Andrew Tovar Annie E. Valenzuela Lorena Adriana Vega Monica Velazquez Karla Paulina Vidrio Edgar Raul Villalobos Kayla Rose Villalobos April F. Vinson Sarah Hope Wheat Te'Kandria M. Wingfield Delilah Zapata Angela M. Zavala
THEPROSPECTOR
NEWS | A11 |
May 1, 2018
Mother of three reflects on going to school at the same time as her sons By Jake deven The Prospector
Most college students might not be too excited if one of their parents were enrolled at the same school as them at the same time. But for brothers Albert and Samuel Nava, doing it with their mom has been a rewarding experience. Jaclyn Nava, 40, graduated in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from UTEP, and will be graduating this spring from the School of Nursing. Returning to school after 15 years was an effort she first made with hesitation, but she said attending college at the same time as her two sons, 22-year-old Albert and 18-year-old Samuel, has been a welcome change this time around. “The transition of going back to school was a little difficult,” Nava said. “I feel like I don’t learn things as fast, I don’t retain things as easy, but with my two sons going to school with me has been a big help.” One of the biggest challenges when switching from accounting to nursing was retraining her brain to understand science concepts, as opposed to having the business-focused mindset developed in her years as an accountant. Aside from studying theory and learning new material, Nava also must complete a series of clinicals, requiring her to spend all day at the hospital, putting what she is learning in theory into practice. “(Accounting) is a very different profession than nursing. I wanted a second career, I wanted to do something different,” Nava said. “I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but it is almost a 180. So, my hat goes off to nursing students because it’s very challenging.” As a wife and mother of three, Nava knows what it’s like to have a busy schedule on top of raising a family. Homework
jake deven/ The Prospector Jaclyn Nava and her sons Albert Nava Jr.,left, and Samuel Nava, right, have been going to school together at UTEP. and studying were added to her already busy list that includes cooking, cleaning and a million other things that parents need to get done in order to ensure a productive day. Although Nava said that rather than homework and studying being an inconvenience, she actually looks forward to getting together with her sons and learning as they help each other with assignments. “It’s cool to see my mom going through what we’re going through because we didn’t see that part of her when we were babies, and to see her balance family life with school is really inspiring,” said Samuel, Jacklyn’s second oldest son and a sophomore at EPCC. Having a family support system behind her has served as motivation, as Nava said that at first she felt a little nervous about going back to school since
many of her classmates would be closer to her sons’ ages. “I kind of felt a little bit intimidated going back to school with students who are the same age as my two boys, but I actually think that having my boys being that age, I was able to relate to my classmates very well,” Nava said. Nava and her oldest son Albert, a firstyear doctoral student in UTEP’s School of Pharmacy, have been going to school together for over a year now. Everything from homework and studying to lunch and carpooling have become a synchronized venture that the mother and son say has helped them stay motivated. “We have a round table at home and we all study there, so we all understand that finals are here,” Nava said. “So we all get our books and our laptops and study together. And instead of being at the
movies on Friday nights, we study and sometimes even have group members come over to study.” With Nava and her sons all being health science students, sharing textbooks and notes is a luxury that not many students can relate to. The family often examines each other’s respective fields to see how they can help one another. Nava, a soon-to-be registered nurse, has gotten help from her sons to understand the uses and side effects of medications that she’s come across during her clinicals. “We’ve talked a lot about the role of the nurse and the role of the pharmacist and how one can help the other in settings such as a hospital,” Nava said. Her sons see their mom go through that stress and anxiety right before an exam and find it humorous that she understands what it is like to stress over a test. “We used to say we weren’t ready for a test after studying all night and she would say ‘that’s not possible,’ but now she knows what it feels like,” Albert said. Being away from school for a long period of time would likely take a toll on anyone who’s thinking of returning, especially in the digital age, where campuses everywhere are uniting technology and education. For Nava, the innovative solutions that UTEP adopted since she was a business undergrad have been the hardest to get used to. Having homework assignments and exams online is a new experience for her, but the learning curve has been valuable to her relationship with her sons. “They help me a lot with the technology stuff, like Google Docs and Blackboard. I had no idea what those were,
so it was awesome to learn through my sons,” Nava said. Another aspect of the college life that she has adopted from her sons and has grown to enjoy, which her sons find hilarious, is the meme culture. “She’s posting them all over our group chat,” Albert said. Nava’s sons say their mom’s switch from accounting to nursing is one of the many reasons why they chose to pursue a degree in a related field. Albert’s original plan was to attend the pharmacy program at UT Austin, until UTEP announced their pharmacy program that will allow him to get his Ph.D. Nava is eternally thankful for her cousin, a former Texas legislator, who was one of the original supporters for the School of Pharmacy at UTEP. “There was a lot of little things that pointed back to our family, which was the strangest thing but I guess it was meant to be,” Nava said. “The stars just aligned. I never thought that Albert would be in El Paso going to pharmacy school while I’m going to nursing school. And when we put a monetary value to it, it’s almost a hundred thousand dollars that we’re saving.” Being one of the first in her family to graduate college back in 2001, Nava’s pursuit of a new education in a challenging climate is a feat that demonstrates her willingness to provide for and succeed with her family. She is currently interning at The Hospitals of Providence in the pediatrics department, where she hopes that it will turn into a full-time position. “My mom has a bachelor’s of business administration in accounting, soon to be an RN, and on top of that, a Ph.D. in parenting,” Albert said. Follow Jake Deven on Twitter @jakedeven
THEPROSPECTOR
| A12 | NEWS
May 1, 2018
Top 10 seniors continue longstanding UTEP tradition
He was also the founding president for the Society of Collegiate Leadership and Achievement, an honors society that seeks to increase community service within the campus and that strives to strengthen the leadership and networking capabilities of everyone at UTEP. Morales interned with the National Education Association, but said that working at UTEP is what he is striving for. “This is my place, I don’t see myself working for any other company, university, and not to sound too cliché, but even for another family,” he said.
Photo by University communications The top 10 seniors pose at the Honors Convocation on April 22 at Magoffin Auditorium including Christian Morales-Castañeda, Tyler Herrera, Paloma Martinez, Christina Morales, Rachel Arreola, Victoria Diaz, Malvina Muñoz, Victor Hurtado, Aileen Tapia and Lana Hussein.
By Rene delgadillo The Prospector
Each spring semester, UTEP takes the time to celebrate one of the school’s honored traditions by celebrating the accomplishments of its top 10 seniors. “They represent the very best of UTEP talent, high aspirations and hard work, and we very proudly celebrate their outstanding achievements as UTEP students, and their promise of even greater future success as UTEP graduates,” said President Diana Natalicio in an email. These year’s top 10 students said that being part of this list requires more than getting the highest grade on an exam or being the first one to finish a research paper. Victoria Diaz–biological sciences, with a biomedical concentration Throughout her years as a Miner, Diaz was the vice president and president of the University’s Scholar Society and a member of A-Prime Time, an organization designed to support the student’s involvement with outside and on-campus events. Diaz also completed a research internship with Rice University. Diaz is in the process of choosing what her future will look like. She has received letters of acceptance from the El Paso Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine and UT Health Science Center of Houston’s McGovern Medical School. As a member of A-Prime Time, she completed a service learning program by visiting the state of Queretaro in Mexico. During her time in Queretaro, Diaz was shocked because patients were not receiving the proper medical treatment they deserved. “I made a promise to myself as a doctor that I would help the people that need it the most, and the people who are suffering the most,” Diaz said. “One of my biggest plans after I become a doctor is to one day return to El Paso and help our community.” Aileen Tapia–industrial and systems engineering Tapia said that being a top 10 senior is not about getting the highest grades, but about being an active student who shows a real interest in their career.
“I legit cried when I opened the letter,” Tapia said. “My hard work was being honored and recognized and it just felt awesome.” Tapia was a member of Alpha Pi Mu, the industrial engineering honors society at UTEP, and the engineering collegiate senator for UTEP’s Student Government Association. She was also a member of Latinos in Engineering and Science, one the 8,000 national representatives for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and interned with Lockheed Martin, General Electric and Boeing, the world’s largest aerospace company. Tapia’s future is in Houston, where she will start working with Accenture as a consultant analyst. “One of my long-term goals is to have my own consulting company–in specific to data analytics,” Tapia said. “I also want to be part of a women’s program because I feel that Latinas in STEM and women empowerment are things that we really need to work on.” Carlos Ontiveros–biological sciences with a biomedical concentration Ontiveros has served as the president and the vice president of internal affairs for the Medical Professions Organization, where he helped UTEP and high school premedical students in their journeys toward becoming healthcare professionals. He was a member of the UTEP Phage (bacterial virus) Hunters program, where he was able to become the co-author of four genomic annotation publications. During his time at UTEP, Ontiveros was able to intern with the Scripps Research Institute in California to study the Zika virus and evolution genetics during the 2016 outbreak of Zika virus in the Americas. Ontiveros received letters of acceptance for three medical schools including two MD/ Ph.D. programs and one MD program. He has decided to attend the MD/ Ph.D. program at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio’s Long School of Medicine. “I would really love the chance to come back to UTEP and give back to the community that brought me in and took care of me and was able to prepare me to be successful,” Ontiveros said.
Lana Hussein–mechanical engineering Hussein was an active student at UTEP, where she served as the chair of the Appropriations Committee and cochair of the Excel Program for the Student Government Association. Hussein had multiple research internships at UTEP, where she served as a biological sciences, biomedical engineering and a mechanical engineering intern. She is currently an engineering intern at the Texas Gas Service Company, where she works on new gas designs and structures for buildings among other things. Hussein, who is graduating with honors, will move to Houston to start working at her dream job. “ExxonMobil has always been my dream job,” Hussein said. “I’ve always wanted to intern and work with them, and it feels great to know that right after graduation I’ll be one of their employees.” Tyler Herrera–political science Herrera served as a research assistant at the Intelligence and National Security Department at UTEP for two years and was part of the Supreme Court for UTEP’s Student Government Association. He was an intern with Congressman Beto O’Rourke in 2015 and an intern for the Department of Defense in Washington D.C. “I worked with wounded veterans to get them prosthetic limbs, wheelchairs, PTSD counseling and cancer treatment,” Herrera said. Herrera has now accepted a job at the U.S. Department of State to work in the Foreign Service. “I’m going to have a career overseas after graduation and I just hope to learn to speak more languages,” Herrera said. He said that graduating on the top 10 list was a way to honor those who supported him in his college experience. “I wanted to do it for my parents it was more for them than for me,” he said. “I just wanted to give them something to show off my appreciation that I feel for them.” Paloma Martinez–art history As the president of the Art History Association, Martinez took the initiative to show her artistic skills to the community of El Paso. In 2017, she painted a mural at the Mexican Consulate of El Paso that represents the unifi-
cation of the United States and Mexico. She was one of eight students who interned with the Metropolitan Museum of Art at New York City in 2016. Martinez also served as the Fox Fine Arts’ representative for the Student Government Association. “I’m planning to move to New York City in July, even though I don’t have a concrete job offer yet,” Martinez said. “And after that year I want to get into a fine arts department.” Martinez said she does see herself as a professor at some point in her life, but that succeeding as an artist is her main goal. Malvina Muñoz–biological sciences with a biomedical concentration Muñoz, who is a member of the Medical Professions Organization at UTEP, has served as a member and as president of Miners Against Hunger. She’s also been a success networking team facilitator for the National Society of Leadership and Success, a secretary for Students Pushing At-Risk Kids toward Success and a member of the honors society of Phi Kappa Phi, as well as being a member of the University’s Scholars Society. Muñoz, who will also graduate with honors, will continue to further her education by attending the biomedical engineering doctoral program at UTEP. Her goal is to become a biomedical engineer and create devices that will help those in need of support. “El Paso has done so much for me,” Muñoz said. “So I would love to create a program, maybe a non-profit organization. I would like to provide anything that I create, like life-saving devices for people who can’t afford them.” Christian Morales-Castañeda English and American literature When Morales opened the letter that said he was among the top 10 seniors, he cried for 30 minutes. He said that it was an honor to know that his love for the university and his hard work were recognized by UTEP. During his time at UTEP, he served as the traffic court chief justice for the Student Government Association, public relations officer for Sigma Tau Delta, which is an English Honor Society, and a member of the Student Black Union, among other organizations.
Victor Hurtado–art history As an active member of the Art History Association, Hurtado has gone out to the community of El Paso to give talks and presentations about the artwork in El Paso. He interned with the Texas Historical Commission in Austin, where he worked with the Community Heritage Development Division and the Division of Architecture, which is focused on art preservation. After his internship, Hurtado joined the Architectural Preservation Committee with the Texas Trost Society, where he has given tours about the history of El Paso. He has also created several documentaries on historic preservation, specifically about the destruction of several architectural structures in the downtown area of El Paso. Hurtado will be taking a gap year to take different language courses that will help him have a better knowledge and appreciation of art and history behind it. After that, he hopes to continue to further his education by enrolling in graduate school. He said that students need to have a better knowledge of the arts and architecture of El Paso and that he would like the opportunity to come back as a professor. “I really think UTEP needs more cultural programs, it needs students with a knowledge of cultural backgrounds,” Hurtado said. “Art history is needed here. El Paso is a very cultural city and it’s, unfortunately, being undervalued and it would be great to come back and teach.” Rachel Arreola–theatre arts Arreola’s journey to graduation will be slightly different from the majority of the graduating seniors at UTEP. Arreola, who is an Archer Fellow and an intern with the Kennedy Center, a performing arts center in Washington D.C., will fly back to El Paso just in time for her graduation. Arreola will then fly back to D.C. to finish her internship where she has been working in Turnaround Arts—a program that uses the arts as an educational tool to encourage students to engage inside and outside the classroom. While at UTEP, Arreola served as a teaching assistant for the Department of Theatre and Dance, as well as being an intern for Congressman Beto O’Rourke and for O’Rourke’s Senate campaign. She said that high school students should try to give UTEP an opportunity and break the mentality of “UTEP is my last option.” “I don’t know why, but some of us in high school have this mentality that UTEP should be our last college option,” Arreola said. “Once I became involved with student organizations and learned about the traditions and history of UTEP I appreciated the university for what it has to offer to students.” Arreola, who will also be graduating with honors, said that one of her goals is to be a producer for theatrical and film productions and says she will be applying to different theater companies around the country. Follow Rene Delgadillo on Twitter at @rdelgadillonews
theprospeCtor
NEWS | a13 |
May 1, 2018
QuEStIoN oF tHE WEEK
What are your best and worst memories during your time at UTEP? clauDia hernanDez, serGio MuÑoz / the ProsPector
LUIS BRAVO
senior mechanical engineering major “One of my best experiences here at UTEP was when I barely came back from a study abroad program that we had, that could be one of the best experiences that I ever had here. Sometimes I can’t even believe that I am almost there. We went to Campeche, I think it was last week. It’s a class from special topics in the area of industrial engineering. It’s related to renewable sources and projects that we have to implement to save water and stuff like that. My worst memory is just the exams, the exams week and the final exams. It’s always been really hard. Usually when it comes to finals, it’s always one right after the other and then you have to prepare for all of them and in my degree sometimes it’s very hard, the classes that we have to take. One of the most difficult ones is determine dynamics, it’s really hard.”
JESS MARIE RODRIGUEZ senior metalsmithing and jewelry major “Luckily nothing with the studios is a problem. If there is a problem at UTEP it’s definitely the parking. I think it happens a lot that if you buy a really expensive parking, you don’t end up getting to park there and that kind of really sucks. Right now I have to walk a mile to get here every day, to and from, and when you stay in the studio till 3 a.m. in the morning, it’s kind of scary. I would definitely fix the lighting in the garage because sometimes it does not go off like it supposed to. Leaving so late like I do, it’s kind of terrifying to go to a pitch-black parking garage. So those are some of the lesser parts of UTEP. But, here in the art department, I really don’t have any bad experiences. We actually have really good facilities here. I enjoy that these facilities are fully equipped and although we do have a lot of budget cuts and not a lot of funding coming to us, we still have all the amenities to perform well in our fields.”
MANUEL RENDON
senior marketing major “I used to work as an orientation leader here on campus and I am not going to lie, it was one of the best experiences I ever had. I got to meet very cool people, including the guy who is doing it right now. But, just knowing everything about UTEP, getting free UTEP shir ts and having UTEP pride was probably the best experience. Teaching others students what UTEP is about was probably my best experience. Also, the midnight breakfast my junior year because it was fun. I passed all my classes and I ate until 3 a.m. in the morning. My worst experience was registering. I had to get advised and they told me I needed depar tment approval. So, I couldn’t register and I had to go to the depar tment. It was frustrating because I didn’t know why they did not let me register my classes. I was just trying to take classes like a good student.”
MARIANA TORRES
senior finance and international business major “My best memory is the first summer I started working here because I work with P3. Every two weeks, we had little activities for the students and stuff and we would get free food. It was just a full hour for us to have fun and I really liked that. I have been working there for almost three years. A stressful experience has been this semester. I am taking derivatives and it’s really, really hard. It’s financial derivatives and I haven’t been sleeping all semester. We have projects in Excel and reports that are practically due every week and it’s a really hard class, really challenging. We have to learn how to write BBA for the macros and stuff. Right now we have a group project that no one has ever passed or even finished and we have the final exam next week.”
JAKE LASLEY
senior computer science major “My best experience at UTEP, I would say, was my freshman year. It was a lot different from high school. I really enjoyed the change. I had some really cool professors and I think that changed my perspective on college life. My favorite class was intro to ethics because the professor was very interesting. I hadn’t had any kind of class that dealt with ethics or different philosophies before and it was pretty eye opening for me. I’m going to say this semester has been my worst memory at UTEP because I’m taking 15 hours right now, but I picked some tough classes, so I’m taking a capstone class and several technical electives right now and it’s just been a lot of work.”
See what more students had to say in a video at theprospectordaily.com
Graduating as the worst honors student What I learned at UTEP By PauleTTe villa The Prospector
This last semester on the day before spring break, my friend invited me to go visit our old high school because she and other UTEP students had to give a presentation on how to attend college to the parents of students in the English as a Second Language (ESL) program. I was eventually forced to participate, which made me feel melancholic seeing those parents trying to find the best sources for their children because they didn’t know English. I suddenly remembered going through similar experiences with my parents before entering college that I had completely blocked out of my mind. I always felt left behind ever since I started my education in the U.S. due to language barriers, discrimination and misunderstanding of the culture, which led me to always underestimating myself. I had C’s in most of my classes, spent many days in tutoring, got several referrals, had intense parent-teacher conferences and even met my high school sweetheart in summer school because I failed pre-AP English. But somehow teachers enjoyed my creativity, I got commended performance on TAKS tests and I gained college credits through AP exams. I just accepted the fact that I would never be an outstanding student or have a bright future like the top 10 percent of the class, so I just went with the flow. Coincidently, that was the theme of the yearbook, where I was one of the editors and which
was the first time I had stepped out of my comfort zone. In the last year of high school, I finally felt comfortable having full conversations in English and I fell in love with interviewing, editing, making videos, taking photographs and everything related with publishing and multimedia, which is why I decided to major in multimedia journalism with a minor in graphic design. College went by pretty fast, but it sure was not easy, since I started to develop an anxiety disorder. Receiving letters of being on the dean’s list was always odd to me, since having some good grades and a high GPA was never my intention. I suddenly felt this pressure to keep doing well and not lower my expectations. I felt more pressured this semester, since I was told I would be walking cum laude and I even went to the Liberal Art’s office to ask if they were sure it was not a mistake. I also started to compare myself to other overachieving students and felt insecure about why I should be graduating if I am not even at their level. Finally, I realized the main source of my pain were not the exams, projects, deadlines or critiques, but it was me. It was my insecurities that stopped me from truly enjoying my academic career because I was being hard on myself for being the excellent student I never got to be before. I might have been a slacker in high school, but I was relaxed and happy in life, and I kind of want that back. After graduation, I will be on a sabbatical year to explore what I really want, take care of myself, travel, spend quality time with friends and family without any worries and still put into practice the skills I have gained these years through some freelance work. I plan to pursue a master’s degree in the future because I want to, not because I have to.
But I need to take a break in order to feel that urge and passion of doing something again. The best things about college were finding moments of vulnerability with my classmates and getting to know them outside of a competitive environment. I learned a lot from them, the same as I did with my professors. Speaking of my professors, I could honestly name at least one thing I learned and appreciated in each and every one of them. They were truly a strong source of inspiration. Finally, I want to thank everyone I got to meet at The Prospector, even if it was for a short period of time. It was hard to adapt in just one semester, especially being my last and hardest one, but all of you were really nice to me and I truly wish you all the best. I would like to specifically thank Kathy, Gigi, Rene and Michaela for your understanding and patience. I apologize for all the stress I put you through. Gaby and Alejandra, I enjoyed our conversations and my respects to both of your for being in The Prospector and the graphic design program at the same time. I learned way more than what I expected from this publication and I encourage any journalism or graphic design student to join, even if it’s just for a semester. Going back to the high school presentation, I told the parents that I understood their experience and also told the students not be discouraged with their performance in high school. For those continuing at UTEP, be thankful for having the sources the university offers, be curious and do not see it as an obligation and enjoy having opportunity of studying in this unique border city. Paulette villa may noT be reached at theprospector1@ gmail.com
By aleJandRa gonzález The Prospector
All my life, I grew up with this idea of going to college, dedicating myself to education and being able to take the necessary steps to form a career that would guide me to success. But now that I really am taking that step forward, I realize how naïve I was to think that everything would go my way. One of the first lessons that struck me was that the public school system is a total waste of time and energy. I had my whole life planned out since the beginning of junior high and worked hard in high school to one day become a veterinarian. The hardest truth was that in my first two years of college, I struggled too much and knew I wasn’t well prepared for the future I had set my life for. I was forced to make one of the most important decisions of my life and change my entire career plan to something that would actually make me happy. This awful experience at the start of college taught me the second-most important lesson and that was how to deal with failure. To tell you the truth, it was scary not knowing if my decision would work out in the end and that pressure really weighed down on me. But failing wasn’t bad at all, because thanks to failure I was able to find where I belonged and that was in the art world. I chose an art major as my new career path because it had been something that I have always been into, graphic design as my major and a minor in drawing. Graphic design was an unraveling series of learning experiences that I knew nothing about, but that failure just brought me more opportunities to learn from. Now I don’t see failure the same way I used to, and I think that is the real lesson because when facing failure it only pushes you to become better.
Art became something I wasn’t really expecting it to become. It became an actual journey of struggle and hard work, the dedication to always push yourself even at times when you think you can’t do it anymore or won’t make it. To tell you the truth, I am still living that right now at this very moment. And that is the beauty of being a college student—the struggle always exists and pushes you even further. That is something I wished I had really opened up myself to when I first began this journey. The vast opportunities of obtaining experience, and being a part of a student body, like The Prospector, was something I wished I had been a part of from the very beginning. I used to be afraid of taking chances with my work and limited myself with just concentrating on my classes. But to tell you the truth, these last 12 months working at The Prospector have given me more insight of the real world, of my capabilities in working under pressure and my weaknesses when not doing something I could say I was proud of. I think that in my six years of college, this year has been the most fortuitous. I think that is what college is all about, to learn from the opportunities it can offer but also what it brings out in you. No matter what major you concentrate on, the essential part of the journey is to always continue learning from your experiences, the professors that will keep on motivating you and all the people you get to meet. It makes me feel a little nostalgic to think about everything I had to go through just to get here–just when I have made strong connections with all my professors, classmates, boss and coworkers, I am a few steps away from waving them all goodbye and start a new journey of my own. As startling as it may be to move away from being a student and actually work out in the real world, I know that I am leaving UTEP with an improved mindset, and will to learn as much as I can from what life now offers. alejandra gonzález may be reached at alegonzalez@ gmail.com
THEPROSPECTOR
| A14 | NEWS
May 1, 2018
Goodbye UTEP and Prospy and thanks for the journalistic adventure By aylin tafoya The Prospector
I’ve always been one to take the initiative in order to keep advancing in life, and one to look at other alternatives rather than giving up. Much like how journalists have been doing for a long time. Becoming a journalist is my dream. It’s a dream I didn’t know I had until recent
years at UTEP. I searched high and low for a major that fit my skills, personality and passions. Finally I ended up head over heels for this profession. I’ve been deviated into other career paths by what other people thought I should do, by taking the easy way out and conforming to what was expected of me. However, when I finally took a step back and listened to the “language of the world,” multimedia journalism spoke to me. It was only a matter of time before I realized my calling and pursued such an interesting, challenging, eye-opening and inspiring career. The element that I most value in life is the truth and becoming a journalist
has given me a platform where I can speak my mind and speak the truth. I call it “standing in the sun.” Imagine being at the beach, relaxing on the shore with your feet in the sand, waiting for the waves to reach you and in a way purify you. All the while, the rays of the sun on your skin make you shine and keep you warm. When you stand in the sun, you’re exposed, yet you’re at peace. You’re your true self. This is what journalists are trying to do for the world and how being a journalist makes me feel. Uncovering stories through writing, taking photos of the fragments of life around us, recording what needs to be shared around the world while traveling
the globe and meeting new people who are capable of making an impact within their societies are my goals in life. These are goals that I was able to accomplish and get closer to by being part of a great team at The Prospector. I was hesitant to join at first because it meant I was actually taking a step into the real world. But I would do it again, eagerly, and even earlier in life than I did. At The Prospector, I was taught that journalists are students and teachers, simultaneously. They learn something new every day and then they go out and spread that knowledge. When they try to be silenced, they find other means of distributing the news without leaving
any nook and cranny untouched. Working with this team taught me that journalists are good people, because they care for others more than they care for themselves. To be a journalist is to be great and I always strive for greatness. To be a journalist is to be constantly challenged and I always like a stimulating environment. It’s how most great ideas are developed and how most great people come to make a change and difference in life. To be a journalist, for me, means to be happy, and everyone deserves to feel happy. Aylin Tafoya may NOT be reached at theprospector1@ gmail.com
TAKE CARE OF YOUR WATER. KEEP IT CLEAN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY OFFICE HERTZOG BUILDING, ROOM 170 (915) 747 - 7124 • eh&s@utep.edu
Do not dump waste, chemicals, paint, custodial waste, and general rubbish items (tires, old car parts, shopping carts, etc.) into storm drains, channels, or ditches. No tirar basura, aparatos electrodomésticos, muebles, llantas, y chatarra a canales y acequias del sistema de drenaje pluvial.
Properly dispose of hazardous wastes, pesticides, and fertilizers. Call UTEP EH&S to schedule waste pickups. Deseche correctamente los residuos peligrosos, pesticidas, y fertilizantes. Llama al departamento EH&S en UTEP y agenda fecha para recoger los desperdicios.
Leave natural vegetation in place where possible to prevent erosion. Si es posible, deje crecer la vegetación en forma natural para evitar la erosión.
Storm drains are easily identified with “NO DUMPING” decals at stormwater inlets. Alcantarillado de aguas pluviales es identificado con anuncios de “NO REVERTIR DESECHOS AQUI”
Keep material out of the stormwater conveyance system (curbs, gutters, sidewalks, streets, drains, culverts, and arroyos). Dispose of grass, leaves, yard waste, and construction debris properly.
Recycle oil, antifreeze, and other vehicle fluids, or dispose of them properly to prevent the pollution of stormwater, groundwater and the Rio Grande.
Recicle aceite, No tapar el flujo pluvial a anti-congelante y lubricantes canales, alcantarillas y arroyos o disponga propiamente con basura. Disponga de ellos para prevenir correctamente de basura contaminación del sistema vegetal (césped, ramas, y hojas) de drenaje pluvial, mantos así como basura de construcción. acuíferos y el Río Bravo.
theprospeCtor
NEWS | a15 |
May 1, 2018
Growth in El Paso continues as the second quarter of 2018 approaches By adRian BRoaddus The Prospector
Here are just some of the most important topics that arose in 2018:
OʼROURKE VS. CRUZ:
can Texas vote blue in a sea of red? After storming through the Democratic Primary, El Paso native and Congressman Beto O’Rourke is the Texas Democratic Party’s big hope to unseat Ted Cruz in the 2018 U.S. Senate race. He has been traveling throughout Texas, hosting town halls. There hasn’t been a Democratic senator from Texas since 1993, but O’Rourke said “failure is not an option” after his primary victory in March. This past month, he announced that he raised $6.7 million in donations through 2018, which surpassed Cruz’s $3.2 million raised in the same period. O’Rourke is running a grassroots campaign and rejects corporate donors to fund his campaign. His political platform includes immigration reform, giving back a voice to smaller communities across Texas and his opposition to the war on drugs. Quinnipiac University research showed that Cruz currently has an advantage by three points, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points. Cruz continues to push Texas as a red state, claiming that Beto does not stand a chance against him. The election is slated for Nov. 6.
streetcar Project Wrapping up final stages The El Paso Streetcar project has been in construction since 2017, and now it is on its final stages of progress. Now, overhead electrical work will close certain traffic lanes in the coming weeks to finalize the project before the project sets its first car on the tracks. It will affect streets such Oregon, Stanton, Glory Road and Baltimore Drive, which could affect traffic in the UTEP area. When it is completed, the streetcars will travel on a five-mile route, linking the downtown area to the Cincinnati district and the UTEP campus. It plans to have 27 stops, include Wi-Fi on each car and will look to provide alternate transportation to the area. The $97million project hopes to be finished this year and run the first car by the fall.
usl team awaits identity In February, MountainStar Sports Group announced that they would be bringing a United Soccer League team to El Paso as part of a league expansion project. El Paso’s team will start play in March 2019, and in the coming weeks they will announce the team’s name, bring in coaches and players and work toward a future stadium. Last week, Andrew Forrest was named general manager of business operations for the El Paso USL organization. “Andrew’s accomplishments in professional soccer team business management and his extensive experience in sales and operations
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will drive an effective organization for El Paso USL,” said Alan Ledford, president of MountainStar Sports Group. “We are excited to have Andrew join our organization as we prepare for the inaugural season of professional soccer in El Paso in March of 2019.” For the first season, the Sun City USL team will play its regular season games at Southwest University Park, sharing it with the Chihuahuas baseball team. MountainStar Sports Group plans on having a more perma-
escobar on pace to make Texas history
the 16th Congressional District seat, Veronica Escobar is on track to become Texas’ first Latina woman elected into Congress. She will take on local Republican nominee Rick Seeberger in the general election on Nov. 6. Escobar’s platform is focused on improving problems on the border, helping immigrants and she has continuously voiced her opinions against President Donald Trump.
After her victory over Dori Fenenbock in the Democratic Primary for
follow adrian Broaddus on Twitter @adrian_broaddus
nent location for the USL team by the 2020 season, which could be different from the disputed Duranguito area’s multi-event center. They want to place the USL team somewhere downtown, but the location is yet to be determined.
THEPROSPECTOR
| A16 | NEWS
May 1, 2018
A farewell to the best of times and the Prospector By jeremy carranco The Prospector
Through four years of sleepless nights, either studying or staring at my phone for countless hours, to lifesaving coffee breaks or making bad decisions on Cincinnati Street—the memories from my time as a student at UTEP will always have a special place in my heart. College was nothing like I expected it to be, but it was a blast. Put the stress of classes and deadlines aside, I made my best memories while being a student at UTEP. Sure, coffee became a love of mine only after becoming a college student, as well as going out on the weekends, but aside from those happy moments, I also met some great people. The memories from this journey will always put a smile on my face whenever I think back.
Arriving on campus as a freshman in the fall of 2014, I never would have imagined time would fly by so fast. In four years, I went from being a scared freshman and not knowing what I wanted to do, to developing a love and passion for sports journalism, to landing an internship at the San Antonio Express-News following graduation. I started to fall in love with covering sports when I started working with the Prospector. I always knew I wanted to be a sports writer because of my love for sports growing up, but I never really got serious about it until I got involved. My two and a half years prior to The Prospector, my only focus was getting As in my classes and it was all I cared about. Soon, I started to realize the competition in this field values experience rather than good grades. And while I kept my grades at the top, I never did anything outside of that until I started writing for The Prospector.
The first game I ever covered was a UTEP men’s basketball game back in February of 2017 and I still remember it like it was yesterday. The Miners came in on a losing streak and were struggling to find a win, but to the surprise of everyone there that night, they upset Conference USA leader Middle Tennessee, 57-54, for a win that still remains the program’s best the past two seasons. While I struggled about how I wanted to write out the recap because of the shocking result, I am thankful for that first experience because I quickly learned how to prepare myself for games going forward, having multiple drafts for multiple results. Since then, I have covered every sport at UTEP, while also serving as the beat writer for the UTEP women’s basketball team during the 2017-18 season at The Prospector. I never really enjoyed women’s basketball until I started covering it, and now I can say it has made me a huge fan. During the season, I covered every home game and
one road game at NMSU. For each game, I wrote a recap, recorded postgame interviews and tweeted updates on Twitter. Consistency was key for me, but more importantly I told myself I could do better every game going forward. Aside from covering athletics at UTEP, I wrote about sports both collegiality and professionally across the country. The most rewarding experience of them all was when I had the opportunity to be at the Final Four media day in San Antonio last month. I met some of the most prestigious names in all of sports, while also having the opportunity to interview players and coaches from all of the Final Four teams. Some of the names I had the chance to talk to included writer Pat Forde from Yahoo Sports, former NBA player and now analyst Charles Barkley and Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown. With time came more experience and since becoming sports editor at The Prospector in the fall of 2017, I can honestly say I’m
ready to be a sports journalist for the rest of my life. While I can’t really say how many articles I have written since I started working, I am proud of each one because with each story I gained more confidence. I was forced to step out of my comfort zone at times, whether it was writing for entertainment, news or balancing the positive and negatives about UTEP athletics in my storytelling. I am thankful for going through these situations because I learned from it and became a better journalist. Aside from my challenges as a student journalist on campus, balancing my summer job at the Chihuahuas with intensive summer courses was the toughest challenge of them all. I learned to organize and plan because there would be some days when I wouldn’t be able to get to an article or homework assignment until just hours before deadline. Despite the tough task, I am grateful for it because it helped me pick up the pace and organize each and every part of my life. With just days left here in El Paso and at UTEP, I am going to reflect and remember everything because this place helped shape me and find my path. College was worth it, even though I may not have thought that four years ago. I want to thank every single person that I have gotten to know and work with at The Prospector for their advice and insight, storytelling and many everlasting memories both in and outside the office. I want to first and foremost thank our director, Kathleen Flores, a knowledgeable woman with a strong journalistic mind, who really cranked down on journalism ethics and AP style and ensured the strength in our articles. I also want to thank the rest of the front office staff, Marcela Luna, Isabel Castillo and Veronica Gonzalez for their hard work all year round. A special thanks to the student employees by my side, Adrian Broaddus, who went with me to cover my first game and helped me throughout my sports writing; Jason Green, who hired me and really motivated me to start gaining experience; Rene Delgadillo and Christian Vasquez, for their insight on how journalism works best on social media; Gaby Velasquez, for her outstanding photos and communication, and our Editor-in-Chief Michaela Román for sharing her experience, drive and passion that really motivated everyone in the office to be the best journalists we could be, putting the best newspaper out each week. I can’t forget to mention my sports writers aside from Broaddus and Green—Mikey Flores, Daniel Mendez and Isaiah Ramirez— thank you for all your hard work and dedication in the last year to help make our sports coverage strong. Lastly, I also want to thank Eddie Velazquez, Leslie Sariñana, Gigi Flores, Alejandra Gonzalez, Elenie Gonzalez, Sergio Muñoz and Claudia Hernandez for either putting a smile on my face or helping me with a story in the last year. I won’t forget any of you and wish you all the best of luck. As I move on from UTEP and begin my life as a sports journalist, I will take in these last few weeks and reflect on the best of times. I wouldn’t be surprised if a few tears run down my face. Jeremy Carranco may NOT be reached at theprospector1@gmail.com
PAGE B1 May 1, 2018
entertainment
Editor
Claudia flores , 747-7446
Graphic design seniors prepare for the ‘Next Stop’
paulette villa and gaby velasquez/ The Prospector “Next Stop” graphic design senior exhibition will take place at the UTEP Glass Gallery from Thursday, May 3, through Friday, May 11.
By Paulette Villa The Prospector
In 2009, graphic design professor, Anne M. Giangiulio, came up with the idea that each semester an entire class of seniors graduating in the graphic design program have to create an exhibition of their best work during their last day of classes and invite the public in order to their name out and start becoming professionals. The exhibition will have 17 different stations, one for each student, consisting of walls, shelves and pedestals in order to place their work. The work of each student varies from a variety of graphic design assignments, such as logos with graphic standards manuals, stationery identity designs, packaging, catalogs, posters and t-shirts. “You’ll see them at the last minute putting together their business cards, since we get members of the design community to come here, and sometimes our students get jobs right out of the exhibition,” said Clive Cochran, senior lecturer design 9–portfolio class (GD9). Seniors graduating with a BFA in graphic design are required to take GD9 as their final lesson. The class consists of doing packaging designs and polishing all of the assignments they have done since the beginning of their educational career in order to build their portfolio. “Originally it started as a way to evaluate students, where we have to do an evaluation called Programmatic Learning Outcomes (PLO),” Cochran said. “It’s a way of seeing what our strengths and weaknesses are, to what areas we need to em-
phasize as teachers.” Besides working on their portfolio and class assignments, students are responsible for promoting their exhibition, decorating the space, providing food to attendees and cleaning up when is over. Every Tuesday and Thursday, during or after GD9 class, students had to organize meetings on their own in order to prepare for their event. “Guys, please let’s all try to participate and get involved because this is the last thing we will be doing together as students,” said Betty Fernandez, a senior graphic design major with a minor in communications, during their meeting on Thursday, April 26, one week before their exhibition. Following up on Fernandez’s statement, Gabriel Garcia, a senior graphic design major with a minor in drawing, emphasized that they understood everyone had a lot going on in their final classes. The event’s poster is a homage to graphic designer Massimo Vignelli’s 1972 New York City subway map. Every semester, the exhibition has a theme decided by the whole class. This semester is “Next Stop,” signifying their trajectory as graphic design students, their exhibition, graduation and finding a job. “I think the dream is to find a nice steady job here in El Paso. I have been applying for a couple of months now, got my first few round of interviews already,” said Garcia, who also worked on campus as a graphic designer and has an internship with the El Paso Museum of Art. Fernandez will leave her job at
the Stanlee and Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts, where she was as a graphic designer for every exhibition since 2016. “After graduation, I want to prepare my portfolio perfectly and begin to apply to advertising agencies and magazines, from Juarez or El Paso,” Fernandez said, “I would also like to do master’s degree in interior design. While I pay a debt,
writing, works as a graphic designer and writer at the Undergraduate Learning Center (UGLC). “My plan is to attend the bilingual creative writing MFA here at UTEP,” Huizar said. “I have already gotten into the program, so I planned to move on into that field because writing is one of my passions.” Dennise Gonzalez, a senior graphic design major with a double minor in communication and French, has worked as a freelance designer. “I’m looking into programs that will help me grow more into expanding my point of view on different cultures, which is why I also want to apply to a school abroad for my master’s,” Gonzalez said. Ana Ramos, a senior double majoring in graphic design and painting, will go on an internship during the summer in Nashville to work as a graphic designer for LifeWay. “You get stressed designing, printing and building everything, it is a mess, but once you see everything done and the fact you can hold your final product is the best feeling ever,” Ramos said. Victoria Garcia, a senior graphic design major with a minor in marketing, planned at first on becoming an architect, but since UTEP didn’t offer the program, she eventually fell in love with designing and decided to stay. “I only show my work to my friends and family, but now showcasing it to the public. I find it very exciting, and also the fact of sharing this exhibition with people whose work I appreciate,” Garcia said. Hektor Chavira, a senior graphic
I think the dream is to find a nice steady job here in El Paso. I have been applying for a couple of months now, got my first few round of interviews already. - Gabriel Garcia graphic design and drawing student I get into another.” Ricardo Carmona, a senior graphic design major, has worked as a freelance artist and also as a lab monitor at the graphic design lab. “I would like to make my own business by creating several art studios, such as one on doing editography, engraving, screen printing, and another one with ceramics and graphic design,” Carmona said. Sarah Huizar, a senior graphic design major with a double minor in communication and creative
design major with a minor in communication, plans to keep working as a graphic designer for Special Events at UTEP. “I am very excited to show the overall work I have done in all of my years here and also very glad to be selected,” Chavira said. Enrique Torres, a senior graphic design major with a minor in communication, has been interested in graphic design ever since he was a child seeing logos on television. “I feel excited, stressed, tired, but just the fact of doing this and ending my career ‘con broche de oro’(on a high note) feels great,” Torres said. According to professor Cochran, a UTEP alumnus from the graphic design program, former students that graduated from the program can be found all over the United States, and every advertising or design studio in El Paso is staffed with them. “One thing that I think the university should be very proud of is how much they’ve grown by the time they come to portfolio and the amazing wealth of talent there is,” Cochran said, “Maybe I’m a little prejudiced, but I think we have some exceptional students. I think my colleagues agree on that, they are just amazing.” The event will take place on Thursday, May 3, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at UTEP’s Glass Gallery, located on the third floor of the Fox Fine Arts Center. The seniors’ work will stay up at the gallery until May 11. Paulette Villa may be reached at paulette. villa.345@gmail.com.
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THEPROSPECTOR
| B2 | ENTERTAINMENT
May 1, 2018
Top 10 senior takes her art to international exhibits By Elenie Gonzalez The Prospector
Painting became an escape for Paloma Vianey Martinez while she longed for solace away from the turbulence infesting Ciudad Juárez during the increase of violence in 2011. She found a way to occupy her mind and use her creativity so that she
would not become bored or dull. Martinez, who lives in Cd. Juárez, loved her city and did not want others to perceive it as only “the most dangerous city in the world,” as some would suggest. She knew the potential that her beloved city had and felt she needed to share it with the public. “When the violence was very abrupt, that meant that I had to find
myself at home. I couldn’t go out much and I said to myself, ‘I don’t want to just do nothing, I have to do something,’ so that’s when I started training to be an artist and I started painting more,” Martinez said. “I wanted to depict a composition that could portray the culture and Juárez in a positive context instead of ‘Juárez is world-wide known for terrible things.’ So what I wanted to do was take all that negativity and transform it into something positive.” Martinez is an art history major with a painting minor and will be graduating this semester as a top 10 senior. She has worked tirelessly throughout her college career to develop her talent and worked toward becoming a successful artist. As a scholarship recipient, she was able to put all her focus on her craft. She’s spent countless hours using a paintbrush as a means to bring to life her vision of the border. Commuting daily between Cd. Juárez and El Paso, she has a great appreciation toward the borderland. The painter has a focus on public art and had her artwork displayed publicly. Last year, she painted a 10 by 30foot mural at the Consulate General of Mexico in El Paso called “A Bridge Uniting Two Countries.” The mural is a composition that has two windows. Martinez explains that one window represents Mexico and the other represents the United States and these two countries are united by a bridge instead of a division. “Since it was at the consulate, I tried to stay within the theme of unity, instead of diving the two coun-
Claudia Flores/ The Prospector Paloma Vianey Martinez during the inauguration of her mural “A Bridge Uniting Two Countries” last year at the Consulate General of Mexico in El Paso. tries I tried to unite them,” Martinez said. “That mural took many, many hours, but I think it was definitely worth it. I saw it as a service to the community because I do want to become a public artist.” Martinez had her work exhibited in Mexico, the United Kingdom and will be traveling to Tokyo in a few weeks to exhibit at an international arts fair. She also received a prestigious internship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City in the summer of 2016. She will once again find herself back in New York this summer after graduation. She plans to move in July and find work in an art gallery. Although she has some offers, nothing is set in stone, but believes that it is the best place for her to grow her art. Martinez believes that NYC has many opportunities for artists in the
public art area and she will keep applying for opportunities during her time there. One of Martinez’s goals while in the Big Apple includes getting into graduate school to get her master’s degree in fine arts. She doesn’t know what lies ahead in her future, but she knows that art will always remain a part of her career path and life. “I do want to paint and keep changing society through art. I see it as community service as a community aspect instead of lucrative,” Martinez said. “I think art has given me a path, I mean I still don’t know if I’m going to be a successful artist, but I have been persistent about it. I’ve been rejected so many times, but at the same time I’ve also been accepted to really cool things.” Follow Elenie Gonzalez on Twitter @eleniegonz
THEPROSPECTOR
ENTERTAINMENT | B3 |
May 1, 2018
Student art exhibit to take place at the Rubin Center
gaby velasquez / The Prospector Sarah Aguilar, senior student art major places part of her collection of objects on the wall for the 2018 Annual Juried UTEP Student Art Exhibition.
By claudia flores The Prospector
As part of the annual tradition, the Gerald and Stanlee Rubin Center is set to present the 2018 Annual Juried UTEP Student Art Exhibition for the 2017-18 academic year. “The show is put together by the Department of Art and the Rubin Center and the requirements to enter are to be a student enrolled in an art class seeking a BFA degree,” said Daniel Szwaczkowski, preparator at The Rubin Center. “And they apply by buying a couple of applications, so they can purchase up to five entries and with that they’re entering their pieces.” For the exhibit, two jurors are brought in from out of state to look over the students’ work to see if their work will be chosen as part of the exhibit. “The jurors come in with many years of experience within the arts. They’re usually curators or directors, and they come in with their own bias and they want to see that the students are clearly representing the ideas they’re trying to convey, or
they just want something pretty to look at,” Szwwaczkowski said. Students are allowed to bring in any work within the department courses, which includes painting, drawing, metals and ceramics, among others. The exhibit also features a special category for those who are not part of the department but wish to showcase their work and take a shot at forming part of the annual exhibit. “There is an interdisciplinary category for students who aren’t enrolled in the art department. They have the chance to win awards for the best of each category and the overall best of show, which is a purchased work, which means the department buys that piece,” Szwaczkowski said. Sara Aguilar, a senior art student, with a focus in drawing and a minor in printmaking, said she’s trying her best shot to get in the show. “It is really nerve-racking without really knowing if I’m going to make it or not, and that’s what makes it really interesting,” Aguilar said. She has been working on her
piece since the fall. The piece consists of a collection of objects that she most people consider as trash, but, to her, these objects document a part of her life and surroundings. “I started with six, then 40, then 60 and now I have 108. And they’re all different questions—maybe just one or two repeated—but it’s been really fun to see how far I can push myself to do this work. I don’t think it’s finished cause its just so much fun,” she said. If Aguilar makes it into the show, this will be her second time joining the exhibit. “If I make it, I will feel great about myself. I would be so lucky to get into the show. It’s always a hit or miss. It’s like playing the lottery here,” Aguilar said. “I was in the last show last year and that gave me the motivation to maybe try for a prize, and if I don’t make it, I’m going to try again because it’s something I have to get used to in the art world is rejection.”. The Student Juried Art Exhibit has been a tradition since the art department opened in the mid ‘70s.
“The graphic design studios used to be the main galleries where they also held the student shows and all the exhibits and that lasted until the early 2000, and in 2004 the Rubin Center was open and that’s when the show started to take place here,” Szwaczkowski said. According to Szwaczkowski, persistence and passion are what it takes for artists to have a successful career. “Everyone has talent, and many of our students have a great degree of talent, but talent doesn’t do it and talent doesn’t cut it all the time, so it does take a great deal of tenacity,” Szwaczkowski said. “If they really want to make a mark, studying business and management really comes in handy so they can know how to market themselves.” Szwaczkowski added that exhibits like these give students the chance to learn about the process of applying to exhibits and art shows to grow as artists. “In baseball they have recruiter and if they see the talent of a young professional they might sign him up for ball team, you never know, but we don’t really have recruiters
in the arts. So the idea is to give the artist the opportunity to showcase their artwork,” Szwaczkowski said. “If you want to become a living artist and make money, you need to know how to apply to an exhibit. You need to know how to display your artwork. You need to know all these details of how to get your artwork out there.” Aguilar said that as a student she recommends other aspiring artists to keep trying and always ask for feedback. She added that shows like these make artists feel accepted and feel important and that students have a voice in the university. “Liberal Arts is one of the largest colleges, but if you go to our facilities, the bathrooms are always stinky. They’re really bad facilities, but having this gives us the voice to show the best of what we have, even with facilities like that we can always make beautiful work,” she said. The 2018 Annual Juried UTEP Student Art Exhibition will be shown from May 4 through August 10. Claudia Flores may be reached at gigibertaflores43@gmail.com.
gaby velasquez / The Prospector Daniel Szwaczkowski, preparator at The Rubin Center, hangs students’ artwork for the 2018 Annual Juried UTEP Student Art Exhibition.
THEPROSPECTOR
| B4 | ENTERTAINMENT
May 1, 2018
Headliners set to bring diverse and unique sets to Neon Desert By aylin tafoya The Prospector
For many years, creative and renowned artists have come to Neon Desert Music Festival. Each year a new lineup is released, leaving future attendees surprised. This year, some changes have been made due to unforeseen circumstances, but the organizers of the festival have been transparent for the fans and have appropriately handled the situation. A wide range of DJs, rappers, Latin artists and local talent has been selected to perform with El Paso’s crowds in the heart of downtown on Memorial Day weekend. Dillon Francis Platinum-selling DJ and producer Dillon Francis is set to headline El Paso’s Neon Desert Music Festival this May. He stands out as a titan in the electronic dance music scene, igniting the stages of Coachella, Electric Daisy Carnival, Ultra, Tomorrow World and Electric Zoo. Known for songs like “I.D.G.A.F.O.S.,” “Get Low” and “Dill the Noise,” Francis came back onto the scene once again and dabbles with Latin influences on his newest single “We the Funk,” featuring Fuego. Francis is sure to set the mood for partying on the main stage at Neon. Café Tacvba Winner of multiple Latin Grammy and Grammy awards, Café Tacvba is widely recognized as one of Mexico’s leading alternative rock bands and one of the most influential musical groups to emerge from Latin America. They elevated their performances and genre with a unique sound formed by the blending of elements, such as indig-
enous folk, electronic and punk music. “I really appreciate that the border is represented not only through a festival in a predominantly Hispanic city, but with Latin artists headlining it” said Isabel Del Toro, senior majoring in electrical engineering at UTEP. “With Daddy Yankee in 2016, and J Balvin last year, it always feels extra special to have a little sazon (spice) at Neon.” With a career spanning 28 years, they continue to expand an already massive audience of devoted fans with songs like “La Ingrata,” “QUE NO” and “Dejate Caer.” Third Eye Blind Since 1997, San Francisco’s Third Eye Blind has recorded four best-selling albums and assembled a spectacular career. Those creations gave birth to older songs such as “Semi-Charmed Life,” “Never Let You Go,” “Tattoo of the Sun” and newer hits such as “Everything Is Easy” and “Get Me Out of Here.” After a stunning festival run in 2016 with appearances at Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, Bumbershoot, Bonnaroo and many others, they completed a 20thanniversary celebration in summer 2017 and are currently set to perform at Neon Desert, while a new record is expected later in 2018. At the Drive-In At the Drive-In is a post-hardcore band from El Paso formed in 1994. They released three studio albums and five EPs before their breakup in 2001, with their third and final album before their split, “2000’s Relationship of Command,” and received numerous honors and were cited as a landmark of the punk music genre.
With a brief one-year reunion in January of 2012, At the Drive-In played the 2012 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, as well as the 2012 Lollapalooza Festival. In 2016, the band reunited for a second and final time, with guitarist and occasional lead vocalist Jim Ward, who is no longer participating. He was a part of the ensemble in the groups’ early years, but they currently consist of Cedric Bixler, Omar Rodríguez, Paul Hinojos, Tony Hajjar and Keeley Davis, who replaced Ward. The band recently released their fourth studio album, “in•ter•a•li•a” in 2017, and is now on the way back to their native Sun City to perform at the festival. Lil Wayne Grammy Award-winner, Lil Wayne is known for his hit albums, mixtapes and singles, including “A Milli” and “Lollipop.” By working with artists ranging from Robin Thicke to Nicki Minaj, the fluidity of his career has landed him a spot at NDMF, marking his second appearance in El Paso since 2016. Wayne will be replacing Cardi B after the news of her pregnancy making her unable to travel to perform was confirmed on her Instagram story. “I’m actually really excited for Lil Wayne to be the new headliner for Neon. He’s been a big part of the rap game for years, and I missed his last performance in EP, so this is my chance to see him live,” said Daniela Barranon, a junior multimedia journalism major., “I still know every lyric to ‘How to Love’ and will proudly sing along with the rest of the crowd.” In 2004, Lil Wayne released “Tha Carter.” This was a tremendously popular album that helped strengthen his
special to the prospector Café Tacvba will perform at Neon Desert Music Festival this May. reputation as one of rap’s leading per- after having to serve a prison sentence formers. Quickly following that latest for illegal possession of a weapon, reupsurge of success, Wayne released cording sessions came to a halt. Instead, “Tha Carter II” in December 2005, and Lil Wayne’s fame kept growing when he made a cameo appearance on the Des- released his two other albums in 2010, tiny’s Child smash hit “Soldier,” only “Rebirth” and “I Am Not a Human Befurther boosting his fame. ing” before going to prison. Following In response to several unreleased its delayed release, “Tha Carter IV” was tracks being made public over the in- finally out to digital retailers at midnight ternet in 2007, Lil Wayne released the on August 28, 2011. download-only EP “The Leak.” The In November 2012, Lil Wayne ansongs came from “Tha Carter III,” nounced “Tha Carter V” would be his which was his most anticipated studio final album, but ran into roadblocks. Dealbum that hit the ground running in laying the production of new music once the summer of the following year. Selling again. Lil Wayne said in an interview that more than one million copies in its first he had authority of releasing the album week of release, “Tha Carter III” landed whenever he pleased in whatever form Wayne at the top of the hip-hop, pop and he desired. rap charts. Tickets may be purchased online atMaking it a series, “Tha Carter IV” neondesertmusicfestival.com/tickets/. was set to debut while there was still Aylin Tafoya may be reached at momentum from his past successes, but aylinvtafoya97@gmail.com.
Top 10 upcoming albums to look forward to this summer
Special to the prospector Panic! at the Disco will release their sixth album on June 22.
By Brianna Chavez The Prospector
Summer time is perfect for relaxing and chilling out by the pool. However, it’s also a perfect time to enjoy brand new music. Here are 10 albums that you need to look out for this summer. “Almost Everyday” by Matt and Kim - May 4 The indie electronic band Matt and Kim is made up of Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino. “Almost Everyday” is the sixth full-length album that Johnson and Schifino will release, following their last album “New Glow,” which came out in 2015. They surprised fans by releasing an EP titled “WE WERE THE WERIDOS” in 2016. The indie electronic band is known for their popular 2009 song, “Daylight.” Johnson recently told the Boston Globe that the duo wrote “Almost Everyday” during a small hiatus, when Schifino tore her ACL on stage in 2017. Johnson went on to say that
their hiatus made him realize what life could be like without touring and playing music. “I’m excited for the world to hear these songs, and I think they came from a really inspired place,” he said. The band has released four singles from the new album, including “Forever,” and more recently, “Glad I Tried.” “7” by Beach House - May 11 Indie band Beach House will release “7,” coincidently also their seventh album, on May 11. The band’s last album, “B-Sides and Rarities,” was released in 2016. It was made up of unreleased music and covers, hence the title. Before that, they released a pair of records in 2015, “Depression Cherry” and “Thank Your Lucky Stars.” Their first single off the album, “Lemon Glow,” set a different dark tone for the band. The band told Pitchfork that their upcoming album revolves around the idea that there’s beauty in terror. “You don’t get to control how much darkness or light exists in the universe, they’re inherently part of the
fabric of everything. But we all need art and dancing and joy,” said lead vocalist Victoria Legrand. El Pasoans can catch them at Tricky Falls on May 8. “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino” by Arctic Monkeys - May 11 It’s been five years since Arctic Monkeys released their fifth album, “AM,” and songs such as “Do I Wanna Know?” and “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” Almost one year ago, several pictures of the band working on new music surfaced on Instagram. The band put out a short teaser trailer on their YouTube channel back in April releasing the title of their sixth album, “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino.” The alternative rock band is currently on a sold-out tour that extends all the way until October. You can pre-order their album on any online music website. “Love is Dead” by Chvrches - May 25 In many cases, especially politically, 2017 was anything but rainbows and butterflies and Scottish synth-pop band Chrvches took notice. Lead vocalist Lauren Mayberry told Pitchfork that this album is very personal and honest. “The whole record isn’t completely depressing—it’s more about sitting with certain kinds of melancholy and wondering what you do about that. It’s about frustration, but figuring out a way to be able to feel like that and move on,” she said. The band has released several singles, including “Get Out” and “My Enemy,” which features The National frontman Matt Berninger, and “Miracle.” This is the band’s third album. “Vibras” by J Balvin- May 25 Colombian reggaeton singer J Balvin is quickly gaining popularity all over the world. His biggest hit “Mi Gente,” with Willy William and Beyonce peaked at number three on the Billboard charts. He’s also featured on many hit songs including Cardi B’s track, “I Like It,” and former One Direction member Liam Payne’s song “Familiar.” His new-
est album “Vibras” will feature songs “Ahora” and “Ambiente.” He recently announced a teaser to a song for the 2018 FIFA World Cup called “Positivo.” J Balvin is coming to the Don Haskins Center on Sunday, Sept. 30. Tickets are on sale at all Ticketmaster locations. “F.A.M.E” by Maluma- May (TBA) Another popular reggaeton artist on the rise is 23-year-old Maluma. His newest album “F.A.M.E” is expected to be released this May. No release date has been announced. “F.A.M.E” stands for Faith, Alma (Soul), Music and Essence. Maluma told Billboard at the 2018 Billboard Latin Music Week event that his new album is very diverse, especially in sound. He also revealed that singer, rapper and producer Timbaland produced one of his favorite songs on the album. His worldwide tour stopped in El Paso on April 20. Untitled by Kanye West - June 1 After a controversial week of statements on Twitter, Kanye West’s upcoming album is probably the most anticipated album of the summer, for better or for worse. On April 19, Kanye tweeted “my album is 7 songs,” followed by a release date of June 1. On April 27, he released “Lift Yourself ” after being trolled on the internet. “Ye vs. The People,” which features rapper T.I. as “the people” was released shortly afterward. Kanye opens the song with, “I know Obama was Heaven-sent. But ever since Trump won, it proved that I could be President,” hinting at a presidential campaign once again. Kanye also tweeted on April 28 that the mug shot of the surgeon who performed plastic surgery on his mother a day before her death will be the album cover for his untitled record. Kanye is also producing several other albums that will be released after this album, including one with Nas, Pusha T and a duo album with Kid Cudi. “Lost And Found” by Jorja Smith - June 8
The 20-year-old British singer Jorja Smith is set to release her debut album, “Lost And Found,” this June just before her 21st birthday. She’s collaborated with Drake on “Get it Together,” Kendrick Lamar and Kali Uchis to name a few. The R&B singer’s soothing, yet soulful voice is a mix between FKA Twigs, Lauryn Hill and even Amy Winehouse. Several songs including “Where Did I Go?” and her first single “Blue Lights” are expected to be on the tracklist. Her album is now available for pre-order. “Pray For The Wicked” by Panic! At The Disco - June 22 After a brief hiatus, which included a role on Broadway for lead singer Brendon Urie, Panic! At The Disco will release their sixth album on June 22. The rock band gave fans a preview to their album when they released two singles “Say Amen (Saturday Night)” and “(F*** A) Silver Lining.” Urie said most of the album was written after moving back to LA following his time on Broadway. “‘Pray For The Wicked’ is my thank you to our fans and the most fun I’ve ever had making album,” he said in a press release. The band also announced they will go on an arena tour this summer beginning in July. “Scorpion” by Drake- June (TBA) “Scorpion” will technically be Drake’s first full-length album since “Views,” which was released in 2016. In 2017, Drake released “More Life” in the form of a playlist. The rapper made the announcement on Instagram posing in a black leather jacket with the title and release date on the back. The announcement comes after the releasing his newest singles, “Nice for What” and “God’s Plan,” which both peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard charts. An official release date for the record has not yet been announced.
Brianna Chavez may be reached at brichavez2008@gmail.com.
Congrat
tulations
| B8 | SPORTS
THEPROSPECTOR May 1, 2018
PAGE B9 May 1, 2018
Sports
Editor
Jeremy Carranco, 747-7446
Corner finds growth in a life dedicated to golf By jeremy Carranco The Prospector
From the moment he picked up a club at the age of 7, Charles Corner made the game of golf his life staple. “I got a golf club from my dad on my 7th birthday and I just started swinging it around my yard,” Corner said. “That eventually turned into me playing with him when he went out on the course and from there I started to play in tournaments.” Hailing from Canada in the town of Cayuga, Ontario, Corner looked to future and current professional golfers to help shape the way he wanted to play. “Growing up, I liked a lot of the younger guys coming out of college, like Rickey Fowler, Jordan Speith, Justin Thomas, that new wave of different golfers that had a different approach to the game” he said. “Obviously, Tiger Woods was a golf icon when I was growing up, so I liked him too right off the bat.” Even though he wanted to be on the course every chance he got, the weather in Cayuga did not allow him to. He had to learn quick and adjust to cold weather conditions in order to find the right time to practice on the course. At times he had to play indoors in order to keep his body prepared. Once he found out he was heading to UTEP to play in the southwest in 2014, Corner knew he would have more time on the course. “I went from practicing and playing six months of the year to 12 months of the year. I was excited to finally play when I could,” he said. “That was big for me and a positive aspect in helping me get my game to the next level. Also, people here were so welcoming, so it’s been a great experience.” Just recently wrapping up his senior year on the UTEP men’s golf team and now finalizing his bache-
lor’s degree in finance, Corner’s playing career as a Miner can be summed up as successful and consistent. With two C-USA Player of the Week honors and eight top-10 finishes in four seasons, Corner’s name is not one to be forgotten when looking back at some of UTEP’s top golfers in history. “Coming in as a freshman, Charles (Corner) had the talent, but was pretty raw and unrefined,” said UTEP head coach Scott Lieberwirth. “To see where he is now and the growth in four years, it’s just been fantastic and he’s exactly what you picture your seniors to be when they come in as freshman.” In the classroom, the senior has been just as bright with a 3.60 GPA in finance that earned him recognition by C-USA as one of five men’s golf student-athletes named to the 2018 InTouch Credit Union AllAcademic Team. As a multi C-USA Honor Roll winner and Academic Medal recipient, Corner was also named an All-Conference Second Teamer and a Golf Coaches Association of America Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar. From his side since the beginning, senior teammate Nicklas Phil, who ended at the top of the UTEP scorecard and sixth at the C-USA championships, knows the importance Corner had for both himself and his team. “It’s been quite the journey. Me and Charles came in together and seeing him grown over these four years has been crazy,” Phil said. “He (Corner) came in very inexperienced, but has definitely taken advantage of hard work, proving he can be the best on the team.” Both Corner and Phil also took the ride together as finance majors. “We’ve been roommates for four years, members of this team for four years and also went side-by-
Photo courtesy of UTEP Athletics Senior Charles Corner will go down in UTEP men’s golf history as one of the most consistent players to play within the program. side as finance majors for four years, so we’ve gotten really close,” Phil said. “I’m going to always remember this journey and Charles is always going to be a big part of that.” Despite a disappointing 31st individual finish at the C-USA championships to conclude his career, Corner helped his team claim the C-USA crown last year and finished at the top of the Miner scorecard in four of five spring tournaments this season. He also constructed a team-best 71.5 stroke average through 10 events with three top-five finishes and his second-place showing at the Price’s Give ‘Em Five Invitational, which lifted UTEP to the team crown.
Lieberwirth says having a player like Corner on his team through four years has made other players see him as a role model. “Charles is always in a great mood, has personality and a sense of humor, definitely what you want from any player because it makes a job like mine easier,” Lieberwirth said. “This is what you hope seniors to be, the guys (other players) look up to him.” Joining the team as a freshman in 2014, the Canadian product’s aim was to just get better every time he stepped on the course. Now, the senior is expected to return to the course as a graduate assistant for the UTEP coaching staff
starting next season, while also balancing some professional play. “I’m going to be returning as a graduate assistant in the fall and doing my MBA in finance, while also playing a little bit of pro golf,” Corner said. “I’m going to get a chance to give back and help push the team and help them reach more goals. I want to bring a player’s perspective to the game.” Corner is set to graduate in May before returning to the course to help future Miner golfers find the love and passion for the game just like him. Jeremy Carranco may be reached at the San Antonio Express News.
Athletes to watch for at the C-USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships By Isaiah ramirez The Prospector
The UTEP men’s and women’s track and field teams are set to compete at the Conference USA’s outdoor championships in Houston from May 10 through May 13. Both teams will look to qualify for the NCAA preliminary rounds in Sacramento, California, at the allday event taking place May 24, while the women’s team is looking to repeat as the C-USA outdoor champions. Looking ahead toward Houston, there are several athletes to watch with the Miners.
WATCHLIST: Michael Saruni—UTEP’s solidi-
File photo / The Prospector UTEP women’s track hopes to repeat last year’s title win in this year’s C-USA championships.
fied star and recognized across the globe, sophomore Saruni will look to repeat as the 800-meter Conference USA champion and head back to the NCAA preliminaries, where last year Saurni finished in fifth place in the west region in the 800-m race. Saruni, who is a national championship winner in the 800-m in the race in the indoor event, was also recently named to the Bowerman Mid-Outdoor Watch List—a list compiled of the top-10 track and field athletes in the country. Jonah Koech—The standout junior from Eldoret, Kenya, captured
a gold medal at the C-USA outdoor event last year with a time of 3:44:64 in the 1,500-m race, going on to finish 13th at the NCAA West Region Championships. At the Texas Team Invitational earlier this season, Koech finished first in the 800-m race, finishing with a time of 1:50.80. In 2016, Koech received a gold medal in the 800-m race and hopes to do the same this year in Houston.
Antony
Kosegi—Kosegi hopes to go one step further than his performance last year at the outdoor in order to capture an illustrious gold medal. Last year at the event, he finished second with the silver medal in the 5,000-m and 10,000-m race at the C-USA championships. In 2015, Kosegi placed third in the 10,000-m run at the C-USA championships with a time of 32:44:08 and finished in fifth place in the 5,000-m run with a time of 14:59:04. Earlier this year, the junior won the gold medal in the 5,000-m race at the Texas Team Invitational with a time of 15:12.63. Kosegi is looking to carry his earlier season success into the conference meet next week. Lilian Koech—At last year’s event as a sophomore, Koech won two silver medals in the 800-m and 1,500-m race, becoming a contributing factor
in the Miners’ first conference outdoor championship in program history. In 2015, Koech was named the C-USA Outdoor Co-Performer of the meet and named to the All C-USA second team in the 800-m and 1,500-m race. At the outdoor event in the same year, she took home the gold in the 1,500-m with a time of 4:42.70 and in the 5,000m with a time of 16:58.11. Koech hopes to find the success she did in 2015 at this year’s conference meet in Houston.
Lucia Mokrasova—A senior from
Trencin, Slovakia, Mokrasova is looking to close out her UTEP career with a gold medal. Last season, the multievent fielder ranked 12th nationally in the heptathlon with 5,671 points registered at the Texas Relays, she also set the school record in the heptathlon with that mark. In 2016, Mokrasova captured a silver medal in the heptathlon at the outdoor C-USA championships and was named to the All C-USA first team in the pentathlon and to the All C-USA second team in the heptathlon. The standout senior also was named as an Honorable Mention All-American at the NCAA Championships at the 2017 outdoor championships, with an impressive 5,172 points in the heptathlon. Follow The Prospector on Twitter @_ProspectSports.
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Recapping the 2018 NFL draft with winners and losers By mike flores The Prospector
The 2018 NFL draft was a big night for many football players all around the nation. The athletes made their dreams a reality when they heard their names called, joining one of the NFL’s 32 franchises. The draft turned out to be special for UTEP, as offensive lineman Will Hernandez was taken with the No. 34 pick overall to the New York Giants. Hernandez was the highest selected Miner since 2006, when Thomas Howard was picked by the Oakland Raiders. Also, with Hernandez getting drafted, it marked back-to-back years that a UTEP football player was taken in the draft—a first since the 2008 draft. Hernandez made a name for himself during his time as a Miner, blocking and paving the way for UTEP’s all-time leading rusher Aaron Jones (4,114 yards). During Hernandez’s 49 career starts as a Miner, UTEP’s offensive line was one of the conference’s best. The line under Hernandez allowed one or no sacks in 27 contests, ranked first in Conference USA for sacks allowed in 2014 and 2015 and Hernandez received backto-back AP All-American honors. Due to his stellar collegiate career, Hernandez was projected a late first-round pick by many sports media outlets. However, Hernandez did not hear his name called in the first day of the draft, but was the second pick in the second round. In 2017, the Giants were ranked with the 26th-worst rushing of-
fense, recording just 1,549 total rushing yards. With the second overall pick in the first round, New York got their tailback of the future in Penn State star Saquon Barkley. To protect their prized pick, the Giants got the 6-foot-2, 327-pounder from UTEP to go along with Nate Soldier on their line. Both of the Giants’ top picks could help pick up their rushing game and offense in total for a team that went a disappointing 3-13. Besides Hernandez, some other Miners made their way to NFL rosters too. Linebacker Alvin Jones was picked up as a free agent by the Baltimore Ravens and lineman Logan Tuley-Tillman was invited to the San Francisco 49ers minicamp.
WINNERS: 1. Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals lost two very important pieces to their team this offseason, head coach and quarterback whisperer Bruce Arians and quarterback Carson Palmer, both left due to retirement. After Palmer called it quits, the team was in desperate need for a signal caller. They brought out their checkbook for an unproven and injury risk of a quarterback in Sam Bradford. It seemed unlikely that Bradford was the solution at quarterback for the Cardinals in the long-term. So, on draft night, with the 15th pick, it didn’t look good for the Cardinals, as they were looking to grab their quarterback of the future, until they moved up five draft spots via trade, taking UCLA’s Josh Rosen.
File photo / The Prospector Former UTEP guard Will Hernandez was selected in the second round of the draft and 34th overall by the New York Giants. Not only is Rosen the most NFLready quarterback from a superior class of signal callers, but also he gives the Cardinals the hopes of a bright future for the next decade. Arizona also has one of the best tailbacks, David Johnson, to take the pressure off of Rosen. The Cardinals said they would be aggressive in getting a quarterback and they did so on the first night of the draft.
To go along with Rosen, Arizona added a target for him with their second-round draft choice, Texas A&M wideout Christian Kirk.
2. Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome was the talk of the night in the first round of the draft. His Ravens moved back twice in the draft, piling up future draft picks, but still managed to get the players they needed and wanted.
With two first-round picks, the Ravens bolstered up their struggling offense. They selected an impact tight end Hayden Hurst from South Carolina. Hurst has drawn comparisons to Eagles playmaking tight end Zach Ertz because both are around 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, had very similar NFL Combine results and can each make winning plays from a dying position.
see draft on page B12
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Mokrasova holds a bundle of broken records into track and field By daniel mendez The Prospector
claudia Hernandez / The Prospector Lucia Mokrasova holds the school record in both the heptathlon and indoor pentathlon.
The UTEP track team is diverse and filled with multiple cultures. It is the home for athletes who break national and world records in their events. Senior Lucia Mokrasova, who is from Trenčín, Slovakia, is one of those athletes. Mokrasova is the school record holder in the heptathlon and indoor pentathlon. The record breaker has finished in the top three of Conference USA Indoor Track and Field in 2018 season and is coming off an All C-USA First Team (pentathlon) and All C-USA Second Team (heptathlon) recognition. After a strong indoor season, where she improved her school pentathlon record (3,964 points), the senior hopes to close out the outdoor track season stronger than she started. “I didn’t start really well,” Mokrasova said. “I didn’t get the start that I wanted, but this year is a little different for me. We are working on different things, so I’m just trying to stay patient.” Those new things were different techniques in training, such as improving her jumping. But what the Slovenian has found the most rewarding accomplishment so far in her senior season is her record on the pentathlon. “It was unexpected this year for me, because I didn’t know what to expect, but at the end, I was so happy because pentathlon was very difficult for me mentally,” she said. “So, it was kind of like a reward for me.” The 24-year-old has been all around the European circuit competing in IAAF World Junior Championships prior to coming to UTEP. When she first set foot on campus, she was one of the first European athletes on the track team. As she is completing her senior season, she has seen the growth in herself. “For me, it’s been kind of tough, I had a hard time,” Mokrasova said. “But
I was trying to like always find some positives, like how you have to maybe push yourself or help yourself mentally to balance school and sports. It’s teaching me a lot, so I’m grateful for it.” One of the best things about the culturally diverse team is that Mokrasova says she has learned about many different cultures from her teammates. Other than breaking records, her favorite moments as a Miner were the track meets themselves. From the atmosphere of the meet to her preparation before the meet begins, she always found a deep passion for the different meets. As for future endeavors past this season, she wants to finish school. The C-USA First Team athlete does not
Kiki’s Balloon Twisting
want to lose focus and start thinking how this track season could be her last. “Because then you get really emotional and maybe you’ll lose focus or you already thinking ahead and I don’t really like that,” Mokrasova said. “I just do my best this year and see what’s going to be next year.” One of the things she looks forward to is to continue spending time in El Paso. Her comfort level with the city is something she keeps working on. “I think I’m still in process,” she said. “It’s like to me, it was kind of like a shock, but you have to keep working at it because that’s what helps you to feel comfortable, so for me I’m still in process.” Follow The Prospector Sports on Twitter @_ProspectSports.
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| B12 | SPORTS draft from page B10 Baltimore only has one more year of Joe Flacco getting guaranteed money, so with the 32nd overall pick, they got former Heisman trophy-winning quarterback Lamar Jackson to possibly succeed Flacco. Also adding to their offensive look, the Ravens picked up NMSU wide receiver Jaleel Scott, who adds to a receiving core, consisting of Michael Crabtree and Willie Snead.
May 1, 2018
3. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers went 11-5, made the playoffs, have an MVP quarterback in Cam Newton and a stellar defense led by linebacker Luke Kuechly. But the one thing the Panthers were lacking was a No. 1 wide receiver. Their receiving core last year was a bunch of no names after they traded Kelvin Benjamin to the Bills. This year’s draft was weak on wide receivers outside of the Calvin Ridley and the one the Panthers
ended up drafting—D.J. Moore, the 6-foot-0 wide out from Maryland. Moore will be an immediate starter who can make a quick impact to a beefy roster. Newton will be more than happy with his new toy. Even former Panthers receiver Steve Smith, who led the team in all-time receiving yards, said that the Panthers finally replaced his talent by selecting Moore. The Panthers also selected the fastest guy in this year’s draft in LSU cornerback Donte Jackson. Not only
is he fast, but he has a knack for the football. Him and third-round pick Rashaan Gaulden, a former Tennessee cornerback, will add depth to an already strong defense. Honorable mention winners—Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers
LOSERS: 1. New Orleans Saints
The Saints made the most questionable pick of the entire draft with their fourth-round selection of Florida State offensive tackle Rick Leonard. He might turn out to be a good player for them, but selecting him as the 426th best player was a mistake. Leonard was not projected to get drafted in many mock drafts. Not to mention, the Saints gave up their first-round pick of next year to move up 13 spots to pick up UTSA defensive end Marcus Davenport, who is a work in progress still. When a team moves up that much, they usually get a player that is for sure going to succeed. With the 14th selection, Lamar Jackson was still on the board. That might have been a safer pick, knowing that quarterback Drew Brees is already 39 years old. Imagine the future of Jackson with the duo of running backs Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram and wide receiver Michael Thomas. The Saints would have been scary on offense even after Brees.
2. Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks used to have one of the most feared defenses in the league with the Legion of Boom. However, most of that defense is either gone or old and beat up now. Their defense is eroding quick and Seattle did little to nothing in this year’s draft to improve on that side of the ball.
In the first round, they went for San Diego State tailback Rashaad Penny. They want to get back to their vicious ground attack they had with Marshawn Lynch, but tailback was not one of their biggest needs. They need help on defense and offensive line play. Second-round pick Rasheem Green was a decent grab, but Seattle will miss the play of Sheldon Richardson from that position. Also, with their fifth-round pick, Seattle traded up to get a punter. The most useless position in the game was picked while a number of good players were still left on the board. The Seahawks are falling apart as a team and their draft was below par.
3. Cincinnati Bengals
First-round picks are the most valuable possession a team can have. With the Bengals first-round pick, they selected Ohio State Center Billy Price, who tore his pectoral muscle at the combine. Even when Price is healthy and ready to go, he will be protecting Andy Dalton, who is a quarterback not many believe in. Plus, Price’s knocks are pretty big—he has bad footwork and has a lot of mechanical breakdowns. Lamar Jackson could and probably will be better than Dalton someday in the AFC North. The Bengals went heavy on defense, but they should have balanced out their picks with some offensive players. Last season, Cincinnati was dead last in total offense and bottom six in both total rushing and passing yards. HONORABLE MENTION LOSERS— Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles Rams. Follow The Prospector Sports on Twitter @_ProspectSports.