Steven Cabrera plans on creating the next big thing for the Levelland community.
Cabrera, a Lubbock native, is working toward an associate’s degree in business at South Plains College. Humble and dedicated, the 21-year-old has worn many hats through the years and uses his experience to work hard toward building his legacy in the form of his own business in the Lubbock area.
“When I got out of high school, I was leaning toward becoming a chiropractic practitioner,” Cabrera said.
He was devoted to helping people. His mentor was the father of one of his friends, who helped him find his first choice in career paths. Cabrera found himself lacking the dedication to pursue a seven-year degree, however, and reassessed his options and goals.
“I was off to work in an oil field, and another awful job in Sundown,” Cabrera explained. “The money was great, but it was just a means to an end.”
Cabrera wanted to deliver a service that would bring some relief to people in pain. After he had saved some money from his oil field job, he started taking classes in Lubbock to become a massage therapist. Unfortunately, in the middle of the semester, the school’s tuition had been increased drastically, forcing Cabrera to once again find another option.
“I moved to Levelland,” said Cabrera. “I was finally out of my mother’s house and got my own place with some buddies of mine. I had gone through a few more jobs for a few years, but I finally landed at La Bellas Pizza here in Levelland.”
At La Bellas, Cabrera realized that he wanted to make a real impact on the community.
“Seeing a small business thrive, and watching the regulars come in every week, really got me to think,” Cabrera said. “It inspired me.”
The aspiring entrepreneur saw the impact of a small business on a smaller town, and decided that he would like to eventually build his own.
“Money is not the most important thing in the world to me,” Cabrera explains. “I want to give to the community, and I want my future business to stand out, and become a real legacy, a landmark even. Even after I am long gone, I care more for the business to be remembered.”
Cabrera grew up with many siblings in an impoverished family who moved around fairly frequently.
“I had to take care of my younger siblings,” said Cabrera. “My mother just wasn’t really there. I remember having to bring these buckets to water stations to fill the sewage tank in our trailer. At the time, I thought it was just a chore. I had no idea how bad our situation really was.”
Cabrera wants to make a name for himself and his future business.
“I really did start with nothing,” said Cabrera. “Everything I have, I’ve acquired myself.”
He builds a strict routine to stay motivated to try his hardest in class and at his job. Cabrera is confident in his abilities to build the business that he wants and that will make the impact he desires.
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