Texas Border Business
By Selene Rodriguez
Between patrol shifts, late-night homework assignments and coaching his children’s sports teams, South Texas College graduate Julian Ocañas has earned his associate degree in Law Enforcement in just one year while balancing family life and a career in public service.
A former Marine and proud officer with the McAllen Police Department, Ocañas is building a future in public service that he hopes will inspire his two children to pursue their own goals through hard work and education.
“I always wanted to go back to school,” Ocañas said. “I wanted my kids to see that if their dad could earn a degree while working, they could accomplish their goals too.”
Ocañas, 27, has long carried a desire to serve others. Inspired by his grandfather, a Marine, and his father, who served in the Army National Guard, he enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2017 straight out of high school.
Around the same time, he married his wife, and during his four years of military service, the couple welcomed two children, while Ocañas was stationed in Japan and California.
“I struggled a lot mentally after getting out of the military, but she helped me through it,” Ocañas said. “She pushed me to keep moving forward and encouraged me to do something meaningful. That’s when I decided to pursue law enforcement.”
After returning home from the military in 2021, he joined the McAllen Police Department as a corrections officer, a role he said helped him adjust to civilian life.
He spent about a year and a half in the position before applying to the department’s police academy. After graduating from the academy, Ocañas went on to serve as a McAllen police officer, a role he has held for the past three years.
“In the military, I worked in military police, and I realized I really enjoyed it,” he said. “I loved serving my country, and becoming a police officer felt like a way to continue serving while being home with my family.”
He also began thinking about returning to college, a personal goal that had been put on hold after high school. After receiving college credit from his peace officer certification and courses he completed while in high school, Ocañas was able to complete STC’s two-year Law Enforcement program in half the time.
“He works incredibly hard,” said his wife Sabrina Ocañas. “He’s a full-time dad, a full-time police officer and a full-time student taking five classes while working. On top of that, he coaches both of our kids’ baseball and softball teams. I’m really proud of him for everything he’s accomplished.”
Graduating alongside nearly 4,000 STC graduates this weekend, Ocañas said his coursework helped strengthen his understanding of policing, particularly in areas that were only briefly covered during police academy training.
“We learned about different case laws and situations that I had heard about before, but never fully understood until taking these classes,” Ocañas said. “It gave me a better understanding of the work we do every day.”
As he celebrates earning his associate degree, Ocañas plans to continue his education by pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley while continuing his career in law enforcement.
“I feel proud and excited,” he said. “Ever since graduating high school, earning a college degree was something I always wanted to accomplish. Being able to do it now while working, raising my family and serving my community means everything to me.”
STC’s Commencement Ceremonies will be hosted at the Bert Ogden Arena May 8 and 9. For more information, visit southtexascollege.edu/graduation/.
