The Don Haskins Center is usually a place of deafening cheers and orange-clad UTEP fans, but for the Class of 2026, the silence of the arena during rehearsals carries a different kind of weight.

For many seniors, the walk scheduled for June 9 at 7 p.m. represents more than a ceremony; it is a physical bridge between their family’s history and a collegiate future.

For senior Griselle Gomez, the scale of the university landmark validates four years of perseverance. Gomez views the arena not just as a venue, but as the final destination of a long journey.

“Walking into the Don Haskins Center is going to feel like the ultimate reward for everything we’ve put in since freshman year,” Gomez said. “It’s not just a building; it’s where all our hard work becomes official.”

The transition is especially significant for the school’s many first-generation students who are currently counting down the days. Senior Samash Carrasco explained that the closer the date gets, the more the magnitude of the event sets in.

The thought of the spotlight and the support system in the crowd remains at the forefront of his mind.

“I keep thinking about the moment the lights hit the stage and I see my family in the stands,” Carrasco said. “It’s a mix of nerves and pure excitement, but mostly I’m just proud of how far we’ve all come.”

As the final rehearsals begin, the venue helps turn the abstract idea of adulthood into a looming reality. Senior Lang Tang emphasized that the professional atmosphere of the arena changes the stakes of the graduation before it even begins.

Tang noted that the environment itself forces a shift in perspective.

“Being at the Don Haskins makes the whole experience feel so much bigger than just a school event,” Tang said. “It’s the bridge between who we were in high school and who we are going to be next.”

When the music finally starts on that June evening, the Don Haskins Center will stop being just a stadium and start being the place where the Class of 2026 takes its first official step into the world.