Several student workers and employees who work for UNLV Information Technology (IT) are earning their degree and well-prepared to take the next step in their career. These graduates have significantly contributed to work done by our IT team and are now bringing the skills they’ve learned in IT to their future profession.

This year’s fall commencement will be held in the Thomas & Mack Center. Graduates earning their master’s and doctoral degrees will have their commencement on December 16 at 4 p.m. Commencement for undergraduates will be held on December 17 at corresponding times.

Undergraduates earning their diploma as part of the fall 2025 graduating class include:

• Anika Avelino, psychology

“Working in IT has helped me gain experience talking to diverse groups of students and staff and learning to work in a team setting,” Avelino said. “After graduation, I plan to go to grad school for clinical mental health counseling and eventually become a therapist.”

• Ray Anthony Castillo, mechanical engineering
• Anastasia Frattarole, computer engineering
• Melissa Garcia, nursing
• Carter Hollie, computer science
• Cisco Lang, Asian and Asian American studies
• Alec Martinez, computer science
• Yafet Tiruha, mechanical engineering

Graduate students earning their master's diploma include:

• Vijay Paul Vuppidi, management information systems

“My favorite part of working in IT has been the work culture. It’s not a place where you just go in, do your tasks, and leave. It’s an environment where you’re constantly learning,” Vuppidi said. “After graduation, I plan to secure a full-time position and apply the skills I’ve gained throughout my academic and work experience to build a career in the cybersecurity industry.”

• Leng "Steven" Nam Xeng, data analytics

“My experience with digital enablement has given me a practical understanding of enterprise systems, data flows, and user-support operations,” Xeng said. “This exposure has strengthened my analytical mindset and prepared me to design solutions that are both technically sound and operationally meaningful as I plan to advance into the field of data analytics or system architecture development.”

Additionally, Randall Lantaya, who works as a public service intern at our IT Help Desk will be graduating this winter with his bachelor's degree in information systems.

“UNLV IT has solely shaped my entire professional development. Out of all my experiences throughout college, UNLV IT has given me the sheer grit and tenacity to push through even the most arduous times,” Lantaya said. “I'm thankful to have had the experience to grow here and I'm planning to stay with IT for a while.”

These graduates have shown hard work and great dedication to enhancing the technology at UNLV. Congratulations to this fall’s graduating class and for more information on the commencement ceremony, please visit the UNLV commencement page.