Marfa Athletic Director Linda Ojeda is the Grand Marshal of the Sul Ross State University Homecoming parade on Friday, Oct. 18, at 7:30 p.m.

The parade will begin at the Alpine Civic Center and travel east down Holland Avenue, ending at Jackson Field.

A graduate of Del Rio High School, Ojeda moved to Alpine in 2001 to pursue her undergraduate studies at SRSU. She received her bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in English in 2005 and earned her master’s degree in Education in 2009.

During her time at Sul Ross, Ojeda worked under the guidance of Coaches Tracy Tadlock and Troy Canaba, who she credits for her development as an athlete and leader, in her first three years as a Lady Lobo softball player.  She was a four-year starter in softball, receiving accolades as an ASC All-West Division catcher (2002) and third baseman (2003-2005). She was also named the Sul Ross Defensive Player of the Year (2002) and Most Valuable Player (2005).

Ojeda played for the Lady Lobos women’s basketball team during her freshman and sophomore years and was honored as the 2004 Sul Ross State University Homecoming Queen.

She began her teaching and coaching career in Van Horn, followed by Marfa ISD, where she landed in the fall of 2008. In 2017, she became the first female Athletic Director in the Big Bend area. She coached several championship teams in Marfa with numerous runs deep into the UIL state play-offs, including three Regional Championship appearances.

Ojeda was also selected to represent the Texas Girls Coaches Association as a member of the All-State selection committee for softball and volleyball. Her leadership extended to serving on the Texas Council of Women School Executives Planning Board in 2018 where she helped plan and advocate resources for women school executives.

She also led the Frontier CASA non-profit organization as president for two years, revitalizing the program that provides court-appointed special advocates for children in foster care. In recognition of her achievements, Ojeda was inducted into the Sul Ross State University Hall of Honor in February 2023.

As the Marfa ISD Athletic Director, she has initiated programs to enhance the culture surrounding women’s sports and has advocated for public education in MISD and throughout the Big Bend community. From 2022-2024, she also served as the MISD secondary principal for the junior/senior high.