Photo By Sgt. Lennon Dregoiw | U.S. Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Juan C. Ibarra, a student judge advocate, and a native of...... read more read more
NORMAN, Okla. – In February of 2023, 2nd Lt. Juan C. Ibarra stood in the stands witnessing his younger brother graduate Marine Corps recruit training at the Shepherd Field Parade Deck at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California. At the time, Ibarra was in college and was only a year away from graduating with a degree in criminal justice. When he saw his younger brother who embodied each of the Marine Corps core values of honor, courage, and commitment upon graduating recruit training, he yearned for the same characteristics within himself.
“I was astonished at the results the Marine Corps provided for the transformation of my younger brother. We saw a different young man,” said Ibarra. “Seeing him and the rest of the Marines graduate that day, lit a fire within me and motivated me to pursue that path as well.”
Tending to his fire lit within him, Ibarra took the next steps of becoming a Marine. Before graduating from the University of Central Oklahoma with his criminal justice degree, he reached out to his local Marine Corps Officer Selection Officer (OSO) to explore his options about becoming a Marine Corps Officer. Once his local OSO helped him align his goals and interests to something within the Marine Corps, Ibarra found himself interested in the Marine Corps Judge Advocate Program. This program allows licensed attorneys to uphold the law and the core values of the Marine Corps.
“What interests me about law is that it gives you a unique opportunity to help others. I always wanted to serve in a career that allowed me to be in a spot where I could help other people out and be able to call it a job.”
Once he identified what he wanted to pursue within the Marine Corps, he then had to qualify to become a Marine Corps Officer. Ibarra had to improve his physical fitness, and his leadership experience before he could become a qualified officer candidate.
“To become a qualified applicant for the Marine Corps Officer Program, they must be able to meet the physical, mental, and moral qualifications of a Marine Corps Officer candidate,” said Captain Robert Posadas, the OSO for Officer Selection Station Norman, Oklahoma. “If someone doesn’t meet those required standards, we help them get to where they need to be.”
Once he became qualified, Ibarra took advantage of the Platoon Leadership Course the Marine Corps Officer program offered. This allowed him to attend Officer Candidate School (OCS) before graduating with his criminal justice degree. After completing OCS he returned back to Oklahoma to finish his senior year of college and was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. upon graduating from the University of Central Oklahoma. The next step was to get accepted into a law school.
The University of Oklahoma College of Law slogan, “We change lives,” is something that Ibarra was no stranger to. He changed his life by becoming a Marine Corps Officer and he was ready to do it again by earning his law degree at this school. He was accepted into the OU College of Law Program and began his first year of law school in August of 2024.
“The education I have received at the University of Oklahoma College of Law has allowed me to put myself in a position where I can genuinely help others and make a difference. This school has set me up for success in serving as a Marine Corps judge advocate in the future,” said Ibarra.
Ibarra still has a little more than two years left of law school. Once he graduates law school and passes the bar exam, which is required to become a licensed attorney, he will then attend the basic school, followed by the naval justice school, and then he will be assigned a permanent duty station where he will begin serving as a judge advocate for the Marine Corps.
“What I enjoy about the things that I have learned so far in law school is that you’re dealing with everyday people. Everyday people sometimes find themselves in difficult situations and having a law degree and serving as a licensed attorney gives you the opportunity to help them out with some of the most difficult problems they may face in their life, and I look forward to doing that within the Marine Corps.”
| Date Taken: | 01.28.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.06.2025 11:10 |
| Story ID: | 490243 |
| Location: | NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Hometown: | OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,783 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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