Making an Impact in Many Ways: Maggie Ibarra ’07 on Teaching, Family and Community  

September 2026
By Alexandra Sanchez ’17

For Maggie Ibarra, attending UTEP was about more than earning a degree. It was about coming home, experiencing college life and figuring out where her journey would take her.

Originally from Illinois, Ibarra grew up in El Paso and eventually returned after spending some time in California. After earning her associate degree from Pasadena City College, UTEP felt like the next best step.

“UTEP, I mean, it’s my home,” Ibarra said. “I grew up here, even though I’m originally from Illinois. My sisters attended UTEP as well.”

She entered UTEP in the early 2000s with a love for learning and a strong background in dance. A former Trooperette at Eastwood High School and Silhouette at Hanks High School, she decided to audition for the UTEP Golddiggers, now known as the UTEP Dance Team.

“I was just excited to be at a university,” she said.

Ibarra spent a semester as a Golddigger while pursuing a degree in early childhood through fourth-grade interdisciplinary studies. Although she ultimately decided to focus more on her studies and internship, she looks back on that time fondly.

“I did enjoy my entire two years that I was there,” she said. “It was the best two years that I had.”

One of the things Ibarra remembers most is the support she received from her professors and UTEP staff. Through her education program, she completed an internship with the Socorro Independent School District, an experience that eventually shaped her career.

After graduating from UTEP in 2007, Ibarra attended a UTEP job fair and landed a teaching position in Arizona. She moved there and began what would become a 20-year career in education.

“I was glad that UTEP offered that,” she said. “It gave me the chance to get started right away on my career instead of waiting.”

During her time in Arizona, Ibarra earned her master’s degree from Grand Canyon University. Eventually, she returned to El Paso, bringing years of experience with her.

Today, she continues to teach and has been at her current campus since it opened in 2019. She says the people around her are a big part of what makes her love her job.

“I love my administration. I love my coworkers,” she said. “I definitely enjoy this campus because of that.”

And, of course, there are the students.

For Ibarra, seeing a child make progress, whether it’s improving reading skills or finally understanding something they’ve struggled with, is one of the most rewarding parts of teaching.

“It’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, they got it!’” she said. “Seeing the kids with their own success stories is definitely what motivates me to still stay in teaching.”

When she isn’t in the classroom, Ibarra has another role: business owner.

Alongside her sisters and brother-in-law, she runs Peachwave, a frozen yogurt shop on Edgemere. The family business has been open for about five years, and Ibarra says they’re starting to see more people discover the shop.

The family takes pride in making the yogurt fresh and keeping the shop clean and welcoming. And because it’s a family business, Ibarra gets to see plenty of familiar faces, including some of her students.

“I get to see my students come in,” she said. “The community that I’m working with, they come in.”

With plans for a second location in 2028, Ibarra is still looking ahead while balancing teaching, running a business and being a mom to her daughter, who is involved in cheer.

Her advice for others trying to balance multiple passions is simple: find something you love and keep growing.

“Just making sure that you have that drive and that passion to keep you going,” she said. “Choose something that you’re willing to grow in.”

For Ibarra, that growth has taken her from a UTEP classroom and the Golddiggers to a 20-year teaching career, a family business and plenty of new goals still ahead. And if there’s one thing her journey shows, it’s that there’s always room to learn something new and keep moving forward.