QCC President Dr. Luis Pedraja Discusses National Hispanic Heritage Month, Rising Latino Enrollment, and Efforts to Address Barriers at QCC

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QCC President Dr. Luis Pedraja on National Hispanic Heritage Month and QCC’s increasing Latino student population. Enrollment is up at QCC through MassEducate and the number of students of color is on the rise as well. Dr. Pedraja says many people in the Latino population are juggling multiple jobs and are adverse to taking out loans. The tuition free programs of the state are giving more people a chance to go to school. It removes barriers and opens doors. He talks about how his own family struggled to get loans to get him through school. Twenty-five percent of the student population at QCC is now Latino. The diversity of QCC is reflecting the diversity of Worcester. The school is celebrating National Hispanic Heritage month but they still see gaps and are adding more mentors and tackling food insecurity among students.