Feb. '26 News Blog
News briefs from the HCC campus and beyond
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Class Cuts
Before Tuesday, Nate Mercado had not had a professional haircut in at least three years. Ren Devers had been putting off a trip to the salon for eight. Bernie Martinez couldn’t remember the last time he’d been to a barbershop. “I never do anything with my hair anyway,” he said, “because even when I try to brush it, it goes wacko. That’s why I love wearing beanies.” All three took advantage of the Feb. 24 “Cuts, Confidence, and College” event sponsored by HCC’s ALANA Men in Motion event for Black History Month. ALANA paid for 10 students to get haircuts from professional barber Jose Dones, owner of the ParlorFaded Company barbershop in Holyoke. “We wanted to do it because some guys struggle with confidence,” said ALANA advisor Miguel Velez. “A haircut can go a long way toward creating a sense of confidence in their daily lives, whether it’s school, work or home.” Some students can’t afford the $40-$50 it would cost to visit a barbershop or salon, so, like Mercado, they often try to do it themselves. He was the first appointment of the day. “I believe once you look good, then you feel good,” he said, “and your confidence is just always going to be at its top tier level.” Ren, the only woman to take advantage of the free haircuts, said she put off getting her locks shorn out of fear of being judged. By the time she was sitting in the barber’s chair, though, she looked quite comfortable. “How much are you getting cut off?” someone asked. “All of it,” she said. PHOTO (above) Ren Devers smiles while getting her first haircut in eight years from barber Jose Dones. (Thumbnail) Bernie Martinez gets a haircut during ALANA’s on-campus barbershop event for Black History Month.
Cover Story 
HCC student Harold Carrillo, right, is featured on the cover of the February 2026 issue of The Change Agent, a publication of the Boston-based New England Literacy Resource Center at World Education. The photo goes along with “My New Perspective,” a story Carrillo wrote about his experience and journey as a quadriplegic. The article is part of the magazine’s “Seeing the Whole Person” series about people with disabilities and learning differences. Carrillo, 40, was born in Puerto Rico, where he was injured in a motorcycle accident 16 years ago. In the article, he describes the shift in his outlook from one of fear and darkness to optimism and independence. Now a Springfield resident, Carrillo moved to Massachusetts for better health care and support as a person with a disability. He is a graduate of the HCC ESOL program and now a student in the college’s Transition to College and Careers program. “My goal is to strive every day to continue growing as a person,” he wrote. “I want to help people with the same condition as mine. They might think there is no light at the end of the tunnel. But there is.” PHOTO: Harold Carrillo
Student Senate Rebrands
Hear ye, hear ye – the elected campus organization previously known as the Student Senate is now called the Student Government Association (SGA). The rebranding came after discussions at a recent fall Student Government Conference. “The rationale for the name change is to align with the other community colleges and four-year schools, where the Student Senate is the Student Government Association (SGA),” said Student Engagement Coordinator Lindsey Pare. “The name Student Senate has caused confusion among students about what the group is and does, whereas they feel that the Student Government Association is clearer.” According to the college website, the Student Senate (and now the SGA) represents the voice of the students to the administration of the college. Throughout the year, the Senate plans and participates in activities and events that contribute to the college and the surrounding community. Students elected to the SGA will still be called senators. PHOTO: Student Engagement Coordinator Lindsey Pare, standing, talks to student senators Emma Pelletier, seated left, (SGA social media / communications coordinator) and Estefany Duron Mejia (SGA vice president) in the Student Engagement office.
'A Remarkable Role Model'
Business administration major Jessica Heredia ‘26, president of the HCC Student Government Association (formerly the Student Senate, see above), received the 2025 Dean Richard Sullivan Award from the Community College Student Leadership Association. The CCSLA is a consortium of student life leaders from all the community colleges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The award is given annually to one student leader who exemplifies enthusiasm and dedication and demonstrates achievement. It is named for the late Richard Sullivan, a beloved dean at Cape Cod Community College. Heredia received the award in November at the CCSLA’s annual fall conference in Gardner, Massachusetts. HCC served as the host college, and the award was presented by HCC Student Engagement Coordinator Lindsey Pare ’18, who won the Dean Sullivan award herself in 2017. Beyond her work in student government, Heredia is involved in a wide variety of activities across campus, including the LGBTQ+ All Out Club, the National Society of Leadership and Success Honor Society (president), the HCC Campus Store (work-study student), and the El Centro Student Advisory Committee. “Jess’s dedication, vision, and ability to inspire others embody the qualities of Dean Richard Sullivan,” Pare said. “Her resilience, advocacy, and inclusive leadership have transformed our student government and positively impacted our campus community. She is a remarkable role model, and we are fortunate to have her as a leader." PHOTO: Lindsey Pare ’18, left, presents the Dean Richard Sullivan Award to SGA President Jessica Heredia ’26.
Pop-up Closet
If you’ve walked down the second-floor hallway in the Frost Building recently you might have noticed a new display – a couple of clothing racks of children’s sized winter coats and snowpants, a bin of woolen hats and gloves, and a table filled with tiny boots, baby formula, and diapers. A sign indicates that the items are all free to anyone who needs them. Welcome to HCC’s first Itsy Bitsy Closet Pop-up. The pop-up is an extension of the Itsy Bitsy Closet, a room inside the Itsy Bitsy Child Watch Center where student parents can “shop” from a collection of donated children’s clothes, books, and other supplies. The Itsy Bitsy Closet was created in 2023 by students in Professor Sheryl Civjan’s Psychology of Women class as a community service project. The closet was originally located on the first floor of the Marieb Building, outside the Itsy Bitsy Child Watch Center, then in its original location, where it saw more traffic than it does now inside the center itself. “We discovered people weren’t utilizing it as much, so we decided to do a little pop-up Itsy Bitsy Closet,” said Itsy Bitsy Child Watch Director Emily Webber. Webber said there have been talks about moving the closet outside of the center itself to make it more accessible, but in the meantime, students might start seeing pop-up closets in other places, such as the nearby Parent Learning Center. “We can do them anywhere on campus or at events,” said Webber, “but right now we decided to put it right out in our hallway.”
Editor's Note: Since this item was originally posted, the Itsy Bitsy Closet pop-up has been moved inside the Parent Learning Center in Frost 269.
