March 18 and 19 mark CSU Pueblo’s graduation fair – an event dedicated to graduating seniors earning their bachelor or master’s degrees.
The fair itself comprises several booths for students to obtain tickets for their friends and family to watch the ceremony, a photobooth for graduates to snap a professional headshot in their gowns, and a variety of businesses offering students opportunities following graduation.
“For people who are juniors and sophomores, it’s [the graduation fair] a reminder that there’s an end to school, and also, it gets the community involved. It reminds people that you’re about to transition into the workforce or into even higher education,” Soni Brinsko said, who currently is the staff writer for the marketing, communications, and community relations department at CSU Pueblo.
For Brinsko and other booth vendors, supporting the senior population by providing a one-stop-shop for all of their graduation questions is the main reason for the fair.
“We do everything in stages. We’re not trying to overwhelm anyone and we understand that graduation can be a big time in someone’s life. A lot of things that are going on, you still have to go to school, but you also have to do all this stuff like signing your grad contract and getting everything ready,” Brinksko added.
Some of the booths featured provide students with specialized information, such as veteran graduates or those interested in donating to the CSU Pueblo foundation, which earns students a philanthropy cord to wear while walking across the stage on May 16 2026.
While gowns, caps, and tassels are available at the graduation fair, anyone on the lookout for stoles and honor cords will find them in their graduation packet which will be available for pickup on May 14 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. or on May 15 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. More information on the day of is expected to be emailed to students within the next few weeks.
The Pueblo County Clerk & Recorder and Target were also in attendance, with booths advertising job opportunities to students upon graduation. However, some students expressed that they already had opportunities lined up once they obtained their degree.
“At first, I was majoring in biology, and that’s when I decided that wasn’t for me,” Jenice Almeida said, a graduating senior who’s majoring in both criminology and psychology. So I chose the second best degree that interests me, and I ended up in criminology. I talked with some advisors, and they told me that it’s actually easier to just get both and get them done at the same time.”
“I’m planning on staying here in Pueblo… I actually have an interview later this week for a judicial clerk,” Almeida said.
Alongside the variety of booths intended for those both with opportunities planned out and those who do not have an exact plan, PhotoNetwork, a company that provides photography across the U.S., was also in attendance to take pictures of graduates in their gowns for keepsake purposes. The service provides free headshots with students able to purchase photo packages after the images are texted or emailed to them.
With the fair setting the stage for the next steps of graduation for seniors, graduates can intend on arriving on campus at 6 a.m. on May 16 for the ceremony, which will begin at 8:30 a.m. For continuing updates on graduation, visit CSU Pueblo Commencement page.
