By Laura L. Acosta, Lisa Y. Garibay and Daniel Perez
UTEP Communications
“Let’s go Miners!” signaled the start of the final University of Texas at El Paso December 2015 Commencement ceremony on Dec. 12.
John Aranda, president of UTEP’s Alumni Association, pumped up graduates from the colleges of Science, Engineering and Health Sciences as they prepared to exit Memorial Gym and begin their procession into the Don Haskins Center to celebrate the conferral of their hard-earned undergraduate and graduate degrees.
“At the count of three, I want you to shout, ‘Picks Up,’” Aranda instructed soon-to-be graduates. “I want them to hear us at the Don Haskins Center!”
More than 2,300 graduates were eligible to receive their degrees during the day’s three ceremonies.
The morning ceremony was marked by rain but the sky had cleared by the 7 p.m. ceremony. A cold wind ushered in graduates who were greeted by warm wishes from delighted family and friends.
Arin Saldivar-Duchene bejeweled her mortarboard with colorful rhinestones so her family, including her father – UTEP alumnus Eric Saldivar – would be able to spot her on the Haskins Center floor.
“I’ve had three knee surgeries while I was here and I’m about to have another one next week,” said Saldivar-Duchene, who graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in biology. “My crutches were bejeweled so I figured I had to go out bejeweled. “
Saldivar-Duchene’s knee surgeries inspired her to switch from medical school to starting her master’s degree in biomedical engineering at UTEP next fall.
“I want to be able to create something in that field and make a difference,” Saldivar-Duchene said. “I didn’t think this (graduation) day was going to get here this fast. But I can’t wait to come back for more.”
It took eight years for graduation day to get here for Gabriel Morales, but it was worth the wait.
The father of a 7-year-old girl and 3-year-old boy graduated with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. He wrapped LED lights around the construction hat that engineering graduates usually wear instead of the traditional mortarboard.
“It’s very surreal,” said Morales, who juggled school, work and family on his way to earning his degree. “I get to close this chapter in my life and begin doing what I want to do.”
His plans include a career in construction management. Morales originally studied music composition theory, but he eventually switched to civil engineering. He hopes a career in construction management will allow him to have the best of both worlds.
“I related a career in construction management to that of being a composer,” Morales explained. “As a composer you get to create your music. And as an engineer in construction, you get to see all your pieces come together.”
During the ceremony, UTEP President Diana Natalicio personally congratulated graduates as they crossed the stage to receive their diplomas.
“I want you to know how genuinely proud I am of each of you and your accomplishments,” President Natalicio said. “I am moved and inspired by the fact that this University has played a major role in unlocking your potential and transforming your future. This is a great moment for you and for all of us who have been a part of your higher education journey.”
President Natalicio congratulated Arlianne Bejarano after she was hooded on stage for earning her Doctor in Physical Therapy degree.
“I definitely learned a lot,” said Bejarano, whose goal is to become a fellow in manual therapy. “The Doctor of Physical Therapy program provided a really good foundation. I feel like it definitely prepared us to work with patients.”
Paul Sanchez, a civil engineering major, has been helping out at Commencement for the past three years. As a Miner Ambassador, Sanchez ushers guests to their seats.
As he looked at the graduates crossing the stage at the Haskins Center, Sanchez was overcome with a feeling of excitement.
“I’m almost there; I can feel it,” said Sanchez, who will graduate from UTEP in May 2016. “It’s going to be great.”
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The future of critical areas involving youth, the economy and health care is in good hands, as demonstrated by the passion of graduates at the afternoon Commencement ceremony. The ceremony recognized graduates from UTEP’s School of Nursing and colleges of Business Administration and Education.
Patricia Brooks said it was a great feeling to be at the ceremony.
“It’s been a lot of work,” she said. Fellow master’s recipient Guadalupe Aguirre added, “But it’s worth it.”
Brooks’ degree is in special education with a concentration in learning disabilities, which she hopes will address the needs of greater numbers of children with autism whose parents are struggling to find resources for them in school. Aguirre’s degree focused on bilingual special education, which the current high school teacher hopes will serve her students.
“They’re the reason I wanted to accomplish this goal,” she said. The 57-year-old was so fired up by her graduate school experience that she can’t wait to continue her education with a Ph.D.
Fernando Parra was excited to finally be able to go to work at a hospital after four years of hard studying. He’s even excited to get to take the NCLEX state board of nursing exam because it means he gets to put himself out there for jobs. After completing clinical work toward his degree at The Hospitals of Providence East Campus, Parra’s supervisors told him that they’d welcome him back with a job any time, and that security is a great feeling for the 23-year-old who’s hoping to apply his skills in the intensive care unit.
With his diploma in hand, Jesus Avila will head to New York City to work with IBM in corporate treasury. He received his B.S. in mechanical engineering from UTEP in 2011, but returned to the University for his second bachelor’s degree – a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in financial analysis – in order to secure top employment in his field. During his second time around, he participated in the Sponsors for Educational Opportunity Career program, billed as the nation’s premier summer internship and training program targeting talented, underrepresented college students of color, which connected him to IBM. Avila served as president of the Financial Management Association within the college and co-founded his own student organization called Leaders of Corporate America.
The afternoon ceremony marked a new high for the University’s Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Program with 47 master’s recipients – the largest cohort in the program’s history.
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During the morning Commencement exercises for the College of Liberal Arts, U.S. Army Capt. Christopher Anderson said he was not much for “dog and pony shows,” but he knew that earning his Master of Leadership Studies degree was an important personal and professional step.
Anderson, a native of Poughkeepsie, New York, completed his degree online during a deployment in Gaziantep, Turkey, where he commanded a tactical ballistic missile defense unit. Wearing red, white and blue cords to signify his military affiliation, the soldier admitted that his graduate studies were rigorous, but manageable. He smiled as he recalled the biggest problem being troublesome Internet connections.
“My computer didn’t play well with others,” he said as the graduation candidates congregated at Memorial Gym a few minutes before the ceremony. He said the degree affirms and enhances much of his Army training. “It’s another tool in my kit to lead effectively.”
Anderson, who earned his bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering from West Point in 2010, said he changed his mind about participating in the ceremony after sensing the excitement of others during his hooding event and realizing his accomplishment. He said he called his mother before he was hooded and she expressed her pride in him, her first child to earn a graduate degree.
“I got off the phone before she could get emotional,” he said.
The candidates filled the floor of the Haskins Center as UTEP’s Ceremonial Brass Ensemble performed “Pomp and Circumstance” and thousands hooted and hollered for their friends and loved ones. A large percentage of candidates entered with decorated mortar boards with such thoughts as “What now?” and “”I did it. Hire Me.”
Silvia Villarreal decorated her cap with pink flowers and the words, “Be the change.” The resident of Clint, Texas, a small town in east El Paso County, is an instructional aide who helps students in special education classes in the Clint school district. The graduate, who postponed college for 11 years to help her family, said her cap’s message is a positive one and a challenge to others.
Villarreal earned her bachelor’s in multidisciplinary studies with concentrations in Spanish and humanities. She thanked UTEP for encouraging her to dream big. She beamed as she recalled her study abroad experience in Granada, Spain, during the fall 2014 semester. She hopes to return to Spain to be a teaching assistant before returning to the Paso del Norte region to become a teacher. Around her neck was a shiny green stole that signified her membership in the Miners Going Global club and blue cords representing her 3.5 GPA.
“It was the experience of a lifetime,” she said of her study abroad experience before launching into a testimonial about the value of being bilingual. “It is an advantage that can open so many doors.”
To see a photo gallery from the morning Commencement ceremony, click here.
To see a photo gallery from the afternoon Commencement ceremony, click here.
To see a photo gallery from the evening Commencement ceremony, click here.