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 Published May 4, 2023                                                       By Darlene Muguiro                                                               UTEP College of Health Sciences

This May, the College of Health Sciences is celebrating its fifth cohort of Outstanding Seniors. The designation of CHS Outstanding Senior is awarded to ten graduating seniors in the College each academic year. These students are selected on the basis of academic achievement, personal excellence, and positive impact on the College of Health Sciences. This year, CHS will recognize students in a special ceremony to be held Monday, May 8th.

In this story, we are highlighting the first five of the 10 students. The second group will be featured in a separate piece to be published May 5^th.

Karina Aguirre Torres (Social Work): As a first-generation college student, Karina learned early in her academic career how to advocate for her own education. Following her active-duty service in the military, she entered UTEP and immediately sought the assistance of staff to help her navigate registration and apply for financial aid.

During her time in the BSW Program, Karina sought out opportunities to expand her knowledge, including participating in a research project focused on the well-being of single mothers and their children. While interning at Endeavors Veteran Support Services, where she helped screen veterans for the agency’s rapid rehousing program, she began to truly understand the impact of her calling to serve this population.   

Following graduation, Karina will begin the Advanced Standing Master of Social Work program at UTEP. When she completes her MSW, she plans to apply for her clinical license and focus on treatment of active-duty soldiers and veterans. In the future, she aspires to obtain a Doctor of Social Work degree to further develop her clinical skills and to continue research on the mental health of service personnel.

Abraham Avalos (Rehabilitation Sciences – PT): Some of Abraham’s most memorable experiences during his time as a student in the Rehabilitation Sciences program were Dr. Carolina Valencia’s Scientific Inquiry course and his role as a Miracle League of El Paso volunteer working with children and adults with disabilities. While the first taught him the importance of active learning, the second changed his perspective on life and helped him begin to appreciate the simpler things in life.

Abraham managed a demanding schedule that included classes, work, volunteering, and shadowing with a local pediatric clinic, as well as positions as the secretary and community outreach officer for the Pre-Physical Therapy Association (PPTA) and off-campus training coordinator for the Student Association in Rehabilitation Sciences. In his roles with the PPTA, he mentored other CHS students seeking to apply to PT school and identified area rehabilitation clinics open to student shadowing, a critical component of PT program applications.

Abraham will begin the UTEP Physical Therapy Program this May. After becoming a licensed PT, he plans to pursue a certification as a strength and conditioning specialist. In the future, he hopes to return to UTEP as a clinical instructor for the PT program and mentor for pre-PT undergraduates.

Patricia Camila Carballo (Rehabilitation Sciences – Physical Therapy): Early in her academic career, Camila went through a terrifying season of life, caring for her sick parents and tragically losing her father to COVID-19. Despite the great loss, she and her mother were determined to keep her in school, and Camila ultimately found work as a peer leader for a Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é 1301 class. The position provided both financial assistance and a group of friends who became her emotional safety net for the next two years.

Camila balanced her studies and work responsibilities with a steady flow of extracurricular activities, primarily through her participation in the Student Association in Rehabilitation Sciences (STARS), where she ultimately assumed the position of historian. In this role, Camila expanded her design skills, creating flyers for events and managing the group’s social media accounts. Her creativity, along with enhanced communication among STARS members through social media, will be the legacy she leaves behind for future officers.

Following graduation, Camila plans to pursue a physical therapy degree at UTEP, specializing in geriatrics. She plans to serve as a mentor for future generations of PT students, and hopes that her journey to resiliency through personal tragedy will inspire them to rise above life’s challenges to reach their goals.

Kaycee Carmignani (Social Work): Kaycee’s path to higher education was filled with twists and turns. Prior to beginning the Bachelor of Social Work program, she was a young single mother who had escaped domestic violence. She began imagining a new life for herself and her boys, and ultimately found a new partner who supported her dreams.

Kaycee says it was during Dr. Jason Mallonee’s research methods class that she knew she had found her purpose in life – to address mental health stigma in the military. As a military spouse and relative of a formerly homefree veteran, she was already aware of the great needs among this vulnerable population, but the course helped her to understand how to begin identifying gaps in service and proposing meaningful solutions.   

Kaycee hopes that her experience will help change the narrative on campus about nontraditional students, and will encourage others to believe that they can adapt and thrive at UTEP. After graduation, she will begin the Advanced Standing Master of Social Work program and aims to become a licensed clinical social worker. In the future, she hopes to obtain a Doctor of Social Work degree so she can continue researching mental health in the military and helping create beneficial policies and programs for service members and their families.

Michelle Castaneda (Kinesiology): Michelle wasn’t quite sure what she was getting herself into when she first arrived at UTEP as a transfer student from EPCC. When she walked into her first Kinesiology class, she felt out of place.  She noticed the other students in the class looked athletic and appeared to her to be healthier than she felt. Michelle admits she had very little physical activity in her day-to-day life, and this initially led her to consider changing her major and shifting her career focus. However, she decided to invest time in herself and make significant positive changes in her lifestyle to achieve what she now sees as a much healthier life and better outlook for her future.

Michelle’s most cherished extracurricular experience as a Kinesiology student was participating in the Student Bowl at the 2023 Texas Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine. She firmly believes that the universe rewards action. The grueling experience of first being considered for a spot on the team, and then preparing for and competing at the event, ultimately yielded opportunities for her to network with scientists and doctors in her field. She says that the knowledge she gained while at TACSM will benefit the lives of those she will touch in her future profession.  

Following graduation, Michelle plans to complete a certification as an exercise physiologist and prepare for an application to the UTEP Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program. 

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Go Miners!