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Omar Antonio Gandara-Barron personifies the well-rounded UTEP 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 UTEP in 2017. As a graduate student, he worked as an MLS graduate assistant who helped many of UTEP’s student-athletes balance academics, athletics and personal responsibilities. The first-generation college student also gave back to the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é 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.