Diego (Carlo) Herrera is in his second year at El Paso Community College (EPCC), studying Mass Communications with a focus in Journalism. He grew up in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, but has been in El Paso, Texas, for a long time. He is now a player on the EPCC esports team. His goal is to eventually transfer to a four-year university, but he is grateful for the supportive community he’s found at EPCC so far.

“EPCC is home to a very nice community, a collective group of wonderful individuals I'm grateful to call friends,” said Herrera.

Herrera plays Street Fighter 6 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and also helps manage and train the other players on his team. He became interested in esports when he came across a flyer for a new gaming club on campus. 

“The club wasn’t official at the time, and it was being founded by someone who is now a close friend, Joshua Jenkins. On a whim, I signed up to be the secretary, and now I serve as the vice president. We’ve made a lot of progress since then, and I believe that competing is the next step,” said Herrera.

EPCC is now an official member of the NJCAAE and the team is excited to dive in.

“I think [the NJCAAE] is great,” said Herrera. “They’ve done a lot for the esports scene and I can’t wait to collaborate with them.”

Herrera describes being a part of a collegiate esports team as a rewarding challenge. Although it comes with a lot of responsibilities, especially as a leader on the team, he says the effort is well worth it.

After school, Herrera plans to have a career in creative writing or journalism. More than anything else, he just wants to keep growing and moving forward.

“In five years, I hope I’m just a better version of who I am now,” he said. "It's hard to predict such a thing in the ever-changing world we live in, but all we can do is try our best and hope—and most times, that’s good enough.”