2024 - Meet Hedgar Barerra

Elgin Community College (ECC) student Hedgar Barerra of Carpentersville, Illinois, was named the Vice President of the Asian Filipino Club this past year. Barerra began at ECC in 2022 and was encouraged by his friends to join the club and start coming to campus for student life events. 

When Barerra began at ECC, he started taking classes online only and has continued to do so after adapting to a virtual world during his high school years, which were accompanied by the pandemic. 

“When I started at ECC, I wasn’t involved at all,” Barerra said. “This is the first year I’ve been involved with the club and other events. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Barerra has his sights set on a spring 2025 graduation and hopes to transfer to the University of Illinois at Chicago to major in psychology.

“I became interested in psychology because I like learning how people work,” Barerra said. “Also, it’s a career where I can help people.”

Barerra intends to continue through school until he has achieved a master’s degree. He’s considering becoming a school psychologist but is open to other areas, as well. Learn more about this humble Spartan below.

What’s one thing you do outside of ECC? I go to the gym every day. Going to the gym is my make or break for the day.

What did you want to be when you were growing up? One week, it was a soldier; the next, it was an astronaut. As I got older, I changed majors every week, but psychology was one of my early interests that stuck.

Dogs, cats, or houseplants? Guinea pigs. I have four of them. But, if I had to choose, cats.

Where’s one place you dream of traveling? I want to travel to Paris. I feel like it’s a generic answer, but I’d love to see the Eiffel Tower.

What’s your favorite meal to cook or eat out? Dave’s Hot Chicken.

Shout out to an ECC staff member or peer! I’d like to shout out my fellow Asian Filipino Club officers, Kean and Brad.