{"id":73876,"date":"2025-12-03T04:00:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-03T04:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/73876\/"},"modified":"2025-12-03T04:00:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-03T04:00:08","slug":"what-comes-after-graduation-the-prospector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/73876\/","title":{"rendered":"What comes after Graduation? \u2013 The Prospector"},"content":{"rendered":"

Graduating college is often painted as a moment of clarity\u2013the moment when students know what comes next. For University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) senior, Aitiana Mondragon, the future feels exciting, uncertain and still a work in progress.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While some graduates are leaving El Paso with job offers in hand, Mondragon is leaving with something less absolute; her master\u2019s applications, a suitcase, and the understanding that uncertainty is part of the process. Her story reflects what many graduating students are also realizing;post-grad life is about moving forward even while the plan is still forming.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mondragon, a computer science major, plans to move to New Jersey in fall 2026 to pursue a master\u2019s in software engineering or cybersecurity at the Stevens Institute of Technology. Mondragon said she was initially hesitant to pursue STEM until a teacher at her high school encouraged her to consider it, an experience that now motivates her to want to mentor others.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t see myself good at math or science or anything of that sort. But I had a teacher back in high school who opened the door for me. I want to be able to do that for other little girls who didn\u2019t know and offer them that insight,\u201d Mondragon said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mondragon may not be leaving with a job offer, but she is graduating with direction and an acceptance that plans can shift along the way. She\u2019s preparing to relocate to a new city, as well as financial planning, tuition costs and to find work while she applies to various graduate programs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Life is unpredictable and for Mondragon, who says she likes checklists and structure, the uncertainty of post-grad life creates its own challenges.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI like knowing things. I like to be ahead of the game. I like having my to-do list, being able to check things off,\u201d Mondragon said. \u201cObviously, when you move it\u2019s going to be a new environment, new people, new friends, new school. That\u2019s what scares me, having to adjust. But that\u2019s life, isn\u2019t it? We have to get used to it whether we like it or not.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Currently, Mondragon is focusing on completing her studies and preparing for the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT). She is also applying to different programs and gathering letters of recommendation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cGrasping that my plan isn\u2019t foolproof and that I\u2019ll probably have to adjust it. That\u2018s been the challenge, but also knowing what I want to do,\u201d Mondragon said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mondragon said that while high school introduced her to STEM, UTEP and especially the computer science department, gave her the support system she needed to pursue it seriously.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Her family has also been a major part of her support system.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMy family here\u2026 they\u2019ve been my biggest supporters throughout my college career. Anytime things were tough, I could go to them and that helped a lot, especially the first couple months,\u201d Mondragon said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Leaving El Paso has been a long-term goal for Mondragon, one she made with herself when she graduated high school as valedictorian. Financially, UTEP was her best option at the time, but she told herself that when she finished, she would seek opportunities elsewhere and gain the independence she wanted.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mondragon says that while many feel El Paso doesn\u2019t offer as many opportunites, she doesn\u2019t believe students have to leave to succeed, people just need to be willing to look a little closer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe possibilities aren\u2019t limited here; everybody has this falsehood that UTEP is limiting or doesn\u2019t offer enough opportunities,\u201d Mondragon said. \u201cNot saying El Paso doesn\u2019t have anything, they definitely do, but it requires more of the internal search,\u201d Mondragon said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mondragon knows that uncertainty can be intimidating, but she sees it as part of growth, not aa sign of failure.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re dealt a hand of cards and it\u2019s what you make of it, you know, it\u2019s what you\u2019re willing to find,\u201d Mondragon said\u00a0<\/p>\n

As graduation nears, Mondragon says she is stepping forward with what she does have: the support of her mentors, the determination to keep learning and the confidence to figure out the rest of the way.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jewel Ocampo is a staff reporter and may be reached at\u202f[email\u00a0protected]<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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