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Today's Featured Biography

 
Jim Ybarra

After graduation from WHS, I attended NWOSU for two years. I then transferred to OU where I met my future wife, Margaret. We were married in December 1969. We had three beautiful children. They now live in and around OKC, which makes it very easy to see my grandkids. I could not balance college life and financially supporting a family, so I left school and worked quite a bit for the next several years with a string of insignificant positions. My wife developed diabetes and later this had a crippling toll on her life. She passed in 1991 due to congestive heart failure and kidney failure. By then, my children had grown, attended the public schools in Norman and graduated from high school. Vanessa is the oldest and she has four children. Jimmy is the middle sibling. He is currently a staff sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserves and returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. That year was specially difficult for me while he was away. My youngest, Lauren, has two children and is an elementary teacher.

After the passing of my wife, I decided to go back to college and finish course work towards a degree. I obtained an associate degree from Oklahoma City Community College in 1995; I transferred to OU and completed a bachelor’s in business administration in 1997 and a master degree in 2002. While working towards my master degree, I was asked by the Vice President of the Student Affairs Department to conduct field research to determine whether a mediation program for OU students would be feasible. This research became my master thesis. From 1993 to 2003 I was involved in many extra-curricular activities in school and in the community ranging from church to primarily working with the Hispanic community at local, state and national levels. I hadn’t any exposure to the Hispanic community in general until this time in my life and I believe this may have motivated my emersion into working with Hispanics. From there, I organized different projects such as free summer tutorial programs targeting Hispanic youth in the OKC barrio for some years. I engaged with Hispanic professionals in various boards and leadership endeavors. One project I am especially proud of is the Hispanic Summits where I served as Coordinator from 1993 to 1997. This was a grass roots effort to identify as many Hispanic organizations in Oklahoma, then invite their leaders to attend roundtable forums to identify and address issues central to Oklahoma Hispanics. The result was four successful Hispanic Summits with representation from over seventy Oklahoma Hispanic organizations and public agency representatives meeting for the first time and drafting a consensus agenda that was eventually delivered to the Governor and his Latino/Hispanic Advisory Board at the state capitol in the spring of 1997. Simultaneously, I was very active in founding, organizing and promoting the National Hispanic Business Association. As a charter founder, I traveled to several states visiting local college Hispanic student organizations. I served as a national representative of the infant NHBA and today it is a highly successful entity in promoting and advancing retention and graduation of Hispanic business students nationwide. I later served three years on the NHBA Board of Directors overseeing various projects.

Somewhere I found time to participate in long distance running from 1985 to 2000 when I had to stop due to deterioration of the cartilage in my vertebrae. I ran in many road races ranging from three mile cross country runs, to five, ten kilometer races and eventually five marathons between 1991 and 1995. All of this activity had a tremendous impact on everything I seemed to touch. However, the greatest impact was from my grandchildren. This was an experience I truly cherish and continue to embrace with great pride, happiness and tenderness. I really love babysitting. Lauren’s first son, Hunter, was born on Christmas Day in 2000. Hunter was diagnosed with CCMS, which is cerebral costo mandibular syndrome. This is a very rare disorder in children. Little Hunter had seven surgeries during his life and always bounced back after each one. I took care of him during the first six months of his life so his Mom and Dad could continue working. His bedroom resembled a mini hospital room with all his medical equipment. Hunter and I bonded very closely then and I think he might have thought he had three parents because we were together so often. I recall that during that time how I had the opportunity to reflect on my life and how I had been living it. As I would take care of him each day, I knew this little life was very dependent on his parents, his medical caregivers and me for his fragile existence. Yet, he seemed to thrive and develop physically in spite of his several disabilities and poor prognosis. Even though he had a severe form of scoliosis, he learned to walk. Because of a trach at two weeks into his life, we never got to hear his little voice. Still, he tried very hard to live as a little boy. All of this had a tremendous personal transformation upon me. I started to take an inventory on how I was living and how I related with all around me. I grew to acquire a lot of patience for people and most importantly, to slow down my life and enjoy what I did have. I believe this would have been difficult to achieve had it not been for Hunter in my life. God took him away from us on October 19, 2002. It took me awhile to actually realize that Hunter is in a better place free of all the disabilities he endured. I just wanted him back so much. I have a beautiful baby book of Hunter, as well of my other grandchildren. But, Hunter’s abruptly ends. Grandparent baby photo books are not suppose to end like this. His parents did everything right in providing care and love for him. It really took awhile for me to get beyond his loss. But, I’m forever grateful to have had Hunter in my life. Enjoy your grandkids. Love them; hold them, read their stories over and over to them no matter how many times they ask. Lauren and Rick’s two other children are very sweet. Hannah is three and a half with no disabilities at all. Little Hugh is two and has crainosyntosis and hydrocephalus. Hugh has undergone eight surgeries but his prognosis is very good. Unfortunately, Hugh’s surgeries have to be performed at the Children’s Center in Dallas, TX. due to the lack of the medical infrastructure to support pediatric neurosurgery in Oklahoma.


[I will update my personal biography in the very near future]


Presently, I am working with Sitel, Inc., an outsourcing company. I have been with Sitel for over eight years and I am management with a good company. I enjoy going to work everyday, I have lots of great people around me and I strive to create and maintain a high performing workforce. In May 2007, I was nominated to serve a three-year term on the OU School of Social Board of Visitors and I accepted the invitation. I have always appreciated my association with the University of Oklahoma. Since May 2007, I have been serving as a volunteer ESL tutor with the Norman Public Library in Norman, OK. It's been awhile since I last did this type of activity, but I have always received much more in serving others. In December 2007, I was requested to participate in the planning committee of the Norman Public Library, providing suggestions to enhance the library's multi-projects and this is continues as an on-going endeavor.

I was asked by our reunion committee to serve as the Class Administrator for the WHS Class of 1967 website at classreport.org and through this endeavor, I have happily been reacquainted with many of you. I will commit myself to attempt to stay in contact with all you and to hopefully attend many more class reunions in the future.

Respectfully,

Jim Ybarra

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