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Omar Antonio Gandara-Barron personifies the well-rounded º£½ÇÉçÇø student. He combined his background as a former student-athlete with a service-oriented leadership style that he honed as a mentor to fellow students and community youth. The El Paso native graduated with a Master’s in Leadership Studies, or MLS, with a 4.0 GPA. Omar earned his bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in sociology from º£½ÇÉçÇø in 2017. As a graduate student, he worked as an MLS graduate assistant who helped many of º£½ÇÉçÇø’s student-athletes balance academics, athletics and personal responsibilities. The first-generation college student also gave back to the University as an intern with Professional and Public Programs’ Summer Leadership Institute, where he taught the basics of leadership and coaching. In the community, Omar served as a sports site specialist with the City of El Paso’s Parks and Recreation Department. At home, he helped his single mom raise his three younger siblings. Omar plans to pursue a position as a college football coach, a pilot, and/or to apply for a doctoral program. His ultimate goal is to assist and empower coaches and encourage young athletes to achieve their goals.