Saul Jimenez

Saul earned a Health and Physical Education degree at Oklahoma Panhandle State University and is currently teaching for the second largest school district in the United States where he is a special education teacher in Math and Social Science for seventh and eighth graders for the Los Angeles Unified School District.

During his time at Panhandle State, Saul was actively involved in Hispanic American Leadership Organization (HALO) and the soccer club in addition to the time he spent on the football field for the Aggies leading him to be named the defensive team’s MVP in 2009.

Saul commented, “I really appreciated how helpful the people were at every single office at OPSU. My professors took their time to make a personal connection with every student which allowed me to adjust to the OPSU community. I was often pleased with the effort by all professors to make me feel at home and comfortable enough to ask questions or approach them with any concern. In addition, coming from a large city, I enjoyed the peace and quiet that came with living in a small town.”

The Hispanic Student Service department at Panhandle State played a significant role in his time in Goodwell. “The Hispanic Student Services at Oklahoma Panhandle State University allowed me to develop the skills necessary to prepare myself for my career as an educator and community leader. More specifically, the Hispanic American Leadership Organization (HALO) gave me the tools necessary to prepare for any challenge as an undocumented student and competitor in the professional world.”

He added, “Since my experiences with HALO, I’ve been able to impact my community through advocacy, coaching, and teaching.”

Outside of work, Saul enjoys both his time in the gym and on the soccer field. “I play in two soccer teams over the weekend and I weight train almost every day of the week.”

Teri Mora, Director of Hispanic Student Services said, “Saul was a wonderful addition to our Hispanic Student Services area. Coming from the Los Angeles area, he brought a bigger picture of Hispanic leadership and Hispanic issues and was able to promote that here in the Panhandle. He also worked with the Upward Bound program for two summers and was a tremendous mentor to our young Hispanic students.”