Graduation can be an exciting time that fills graduates with pride as they reach this milestone. However, hidden underneath graduation caps are minds full of doubt and anxiety over the future.
Handshake reported that 2025 seniors are feeling overwhelmed with negativity over the job market. According to Handshake’s research, 57% of students from the class of 2025 have pessimistic thoughts about starting their careers. This fear of the future can come from worries such as financial concerns, fear of entering the workplace, feeling isolated and finding purpose in the middle of it all.
In a time when the future often feels overwhelming, comfort can be found in two places: the warmth of the past and the wisdom of those who have already walked the same path. For the class of 2025, University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) alumni offer five key lessons along with classic lines from films to help navigate post graduation life.
1. When overwhelmed with anxiety: “Just keep swimming”- Dory from Finding Nemo (2003)
When feeling trapped with pessimism and anxiety, many students’ responses are to automatically freeze. According to UTEP alum Alondra Cavazos, the key is turning anxiety into action.
Cavazos graduated from UTEP in December 2024, with a degree in biological sciences. She works as an oral surgical assistant and is preparing for a career in dentistry. Like other graduates, Cavazos knows how it feels to be uncertain about the future.
“I handled my uncertainty and anxiety by staying actively involved in the field I am pursuing. It’s easy to compare yourself with other people, but I’ve come to learn that everyone has unique circumstances and different journeys,” Cavazos said. “What mattered most is keeping my end goal in sight. Staying connected to the field reminds me why I chose this path in the first place and helps me push through moments of doubt.”
Cavazos says a great way to get involved is by attending job fairs and networking events, researching more industries and roles, participating in activities such as community service and volunteering, depending on which industry they want to get into.
2. When handling a tough job market: “The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.” – Mulan (1998)
Career Plug reported that in 2024 the applicant-to-interview ratio was 3%. This can be discouraging to students, especially when they compare themselves to other people around them or social media.
Eunice Gonzalez understands the pressure; she graduated with a degree in graphic design earlier this year and is currently working at a marketing agency in El Paso.
“The biggest challenge was finding a job.” Gonzalez said. “Right alongside that challenge was the feeling of not being good enough. The professional world feels like a scary monster, and there were many times I doubted myself, my abilities and my skills. I truly believe it’s key to have some self-confidence. It’s a fun mix of trusting your skills, having the courage to jump into the unknown, and keeping a ‘never stop learning’ attitude.”
Diego Campos Luna graduated with a bachelor’s in industrial engineering in December 2024. and will be graduating from his master’s in manufacturing engineering this December 2025. Like many students, he decided to further his education to get better opportunities and be more prepared for the industry.
“I think the biggest challenge most of us face, which is job hunting. Starting to search for a job, applying to all the vacancies you see, even to the point you consider applying for positions not related to your major just to have an income can make you stress a lot. What I did was to continue with my master’s so I could keep my position as teaching assistant while searching for other jobs,” Campos said.
Campos believes that an ability every student should have is learning to relax and the job hunt can be overwhelming.
“Well, I guess the main thing is not thinking about stuff that it is not in your control, you can be responsible by planning to the future and having different backup plans without fixating on one thing or job position, but we need to be conscious about the fact that a lot of things are not in our control so we shouldn’t stress about them.,” Campos said.“You can prepare yourself for an interview, modify your resume, keep studying and maintain focus on your classes but you cannot control whether you are selected for a job after a long process, or even managing to get the recruiting team to look at your resume for more than 15 seconds. You really do not gain anything by overthinking things, just do whatever is in your reach to the best of your ability and try to relax.”
3. When scared of the AI and technological advancements: “You can’t stop the change, any more than you can stop the suns from setting.” Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999)
Financial times declared society has entered the “Graduapocalypse.” AI taking jobs makes it seem like the future has arrived too early.
“The creative field is definitely one of the most affected by AI. These days, people want designs fast, and AI can create templates and concepts in seconds. However, I believe that, so far, no machine can compete with the creativity and ingenuity of the human mind. I see AI as an extra tool to help me with my work, rather than the solution. My professor Cochran used to say, The only things a designer needs to design are a pencil and paper!” Gonzalez said.
AI can also represent an exciting new time that will accelerate processes and help achieve better lifestyle qualities quicker. Another important thing to remember is that when things change, one must learn to adapt.
“For my master’s, I am taking a class about the algorithms used for AI. There is a lot of science backing it, but what I can see is that eventually there will be an AI that will help on organizing data, analyzing it and giving the results almost instantly, which is something engineers would appreciate.” Campos said.
4. When feeling under-qualified: “Sometimes you gotta run before you can walk.” Iron Man (2008)
Starting out as a recent graduate can feel very intimidating, especially when one doesn’t feel prepared for the job. Higher ED reported that one in two American graduates agree that their college major didn’t prepare them for the job market. This issue is attributed to the lack of real-world experience in the upper education curriculum.
Cavazos, like other students, also felt stronger in the acquired knowledge than the practical skills her degree offered. However, her story proves that this challenge also represents an opportunity.
“When I first started applying for dental assistant positions, I had some doubts because I lacked hands on experience, and many clinics preferred candidates who were already trained,” Cavazos said. “However, I decided to reach out to a clinic personally where I had previously shadowed, and they offered me a position. That opportunity became a turning point for me. Since then, I’ve been able to build meaningful connections in the dental field, which has helped me grow both professionally and personally, and have continued to fuel my motivation to pursue dentistry.”
5. When feeling lonely and lost: “You’re not lost. You’re just in between places.” New Girl (2013)
Graduation isn’t just about endings; it’s about new beginnings. The path may not always be clear, but every step forward still holds purpose.
“Always be yourself and never compare your journey to anyone else. It’s so important to stay true to who you are and to remember why you chose your career path in the first place. Every step you take toward your goal, no matter how small, holds meaning and value!” Cavazos said.
The future may not be clear, but like UTEP alumni, thechallenge is what leads to the best parts of the story, and for class of 2025, this is just the beginning.
Vivien G. Noe C, is a staff reporter, at The Prospector and can be reached at [email protected]
