OPSU Technology Major Creates Successful Business Venture

Jayden Valdez, a 2023 Business and Technology graduate from OPSU, dreamt of a business plan during his junior year of college that turned into a mobile coffee shop. Originally based out of Hooker, The Hub, is a Christian mission-based coffee shop that Valdez came up with alongside his business partner, Nathan Jenkins. Recently they have relocated to the Guymon area and have tripled their sales.

“I wasn’t quite sure what food truck I wanted to make, but then I connected with Craig Shepherd and Nathan Jenkins out of the Nazarene Church where we had built a coffee shop inside the church for the community,” stated Valdez. “It kind of grew from nowhere, really. I couldn’t have told you two years ago that I would own and operate a coffee business, but here I am,”

Valdez earned a Bachelor of Business Administration majoring in Computer Information Systems. Giving credit to Professor, Kim Smith, Valdez mentioned that she planted the seed for him to get into this business. “She helped me throughout the process of what the logistics would be and how would it look like.”

Valdez was also named the J.R.P. Sewell Award recipient at the 2023 Commencement ceremony. This award promotes and honors scholarship, leadership, and citizenship. Only graduated seniors who have completed all of their coursework at Panhandle State and have a 3.0 cumulative GPA are eligible. Valdez stated, “In my last two years of college, I was striving for this peak award. Working through and achieving that was a big moment announced at Graduation.”