Abel Ochoa

Abel works with faculty and staff across the University to develop and enhance ongoing youth outreach and engagement initiatives. In this role, he helps to create new and expand existing college access and success models by engaging internal and external stakeholders and organizations that share the University’s interest in ensuring equitable outcomes for Chicago’s youth; especially students who reside or attend school in the mid-South-Side. Abel also provides leadership to the Collegiate Scholars Program and Office of Special Programs-College Prep, which are existing college readiness programs that are an integral part of UChicago Promise, and reinforce the institution’s commitment to broadening access to the University’s transformative education and outreach programs.

For the past 10 years, Abel has worked with youth and coached them and their families in the college preparation process. Before joining the University of Chicago, Abel worked for the Office of Undergraduate Admission at Northwestern University. Abel is a native of Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood and holds a BA in Political Science and Spanish from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MA in Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University. Abel is an alumnus of the Latino Policy Forum’s inaugural 2016-2017 Multicultural Leadership Academy and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business 2017 Executive Program for Emerging Leaders.