New faces are strolling the campus as New Student Orientation (NSO) is underway in the summer months at UTEP. New students are getting a slice of what it’s like to be a Miner by doing tours, learning about student organizations, and registering for classes.

Guiding the new students around campus are orientation leaders, consisting of several UTEP students who have dedicated their time to becoming NSO leaders.  For example, orientation leader Brenda Rocio Avila-Lechuga said she became a part of the NSO team because of her altruism.

“What made me join the orientation team was that feeling of (wanting to) support the incoming students (with) helping them from their transition from high school to college,” Avila-Lechuga said.

Avila-Lechuga said as she does the tours, she can see that the incoming students are bound for success.

“Seeing the incoming students gives me a lot of hope here for the community on campus because as we are growing more and more, we can see them with the enthusiasm and urge to grow,” Avila-Lechuga said. “It’s what characterizes UTEP students, the feeling of always wanting to be successful.”

Orientation leader Gabriella Folden said interacting with the NSO groups has allowed her to look forward to the upcoming semester.

“I’m in the College of Liberal Arts, when it comes to orientation, so I’m seeing a lot of very extroverted and creative people, and it’s really cool seeing little hints of their personality and what they’ll bring to campus,” Folden said.

NSO would like to give friendly reminders to the students participating in these tours. Because of the excessive heat, be sure to wear sunscreen, bring appropriate walking shoes, and a water bottle.

Freshman tours will run until August 10 for the fall 2024 semester. NSO is a great opportunity for students to get familiar with and become involved with the UTEP campus.

Sofia Sierra is the web and copy editor and may be reached at [email protected].