Juan Cabrera

Meet Juan Cabrera, Coordinator for Latino Programs and Services

After spending two and a half years as a business major, Juan Cabrera realized his passion for working with young people. That, combined with his own experience where he saw some gaps and needs of working with students of color, led him toward an education degree and a career in higher education.

Cabrera, who is from Port Lavaca, Texas, earned his Bachelor of Science degree in education from Baylor University before completing a Master of Education in Adult and Higher Education with an emphasis in student affairs at OU.

Throughout his time in higher education, Cabrera has worked in a variety of areas, ranging from residence life here at OU to a pre-collegiate outreach program to an adult education department. In early September, Cabrera began working as the new coordinator for Latino Programs and Services, located in the Office of Student Life.

After finishing his undergraduate degree in December 2017, Cabrera had a semester before entering grad school. That was when he worked in the adult education department at a community college back home, which was where his parents attended.

“It was a pretty special deal because I was the first one to kind of go off to a four-year university, and they both started their community college careers when I was in high school,” Cabrera said. “So I like to say we’re a first-gen family all together.”

Through his current role, Cabrera serves as the main advisor for two student organizations, the Hispanic American Student Association and Latinos Without Borders, and oversees various programming and events hosted through the Office of Student Life.

"I think the thing that’s special about OU is the people, and no matter where I went or what I did or what I applied to or who I interviewed with, the people always brought me back here. And now that I’m back, I feel right at home."

- Juan Cabrera

Although programming had to be scaled back due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Latino Programs and Services celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month through a mix of virtual and in-person events. This included a Drive-In Movie Night showing of “Coco,” a voting information coordinated with the Voto Latino student organization, and a guest speaker at the HASA meeting. One hands-on activity was an art day, hosted in collaboration with the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art celebrating the sculptures of Jesús Moroles, a prominent Mexican-American sculptor who has some works featured on campus. Students were able to pick up their own art kit to then sculpt pieces that represent them and their identities.

“We’re really just trying to be as interactive as we can in many different ways to highlight many different areas of our culture,” Cabrera explained. “At the end of the day we try to find ways to honor and to celebrate the tremendous effort of the Hispanic and the Latino communities in the U.S.”

For Cabrera, the people at OU are what made him interested in a full-time position here.

“One thing that really draws me to the university is the people, the people who really care and are about student support,” Cabrera shared. “I think the thing that’s special about OU is the people, and no matter where I went or what I did or what I applied to or who I interviewed with, the people always brought me back here. And now that I’m back, I feel right at home.”