This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Alum Jesse Herrera to Bike Across Country for MCCC

Trenton native Jesse Herrera will set off on his bike April 19 to ride across America.  He will leave the city with far more than adventure on his mind.  Herrera will be giving back to his historic hometown by raising money for Mercer County Community College (MCCC).

After graduating from Hamilton High School West, Herrera spent his freshman year at Mercer in 2005, playing baseball under Coach Clifford (Kip) Harrison, the current dean of students at Ewing High School.  He was following in the footsteps of his father, Robert, who played baseball at Mercer in the late 1960s.

“It makes me feel good to have a lasting connection to the same local school that my father attended,” Jesse says.

Find out what's happening in East Windsorwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

But he has another compelling reason to ride for Mercer.  Since returning to Trenton after graduating from Arizona State University (ASU) in 2009 to live with his father and grandfather in Hamilton, he has seen the shuttered buildings and neglected sections of the city.

Herrera believes that MCCC, especially its Trenton campus on North Broad Street, has a role to play in revitalizing the city through education. His campaign, “Herrera Across America/Miles for Mercer,” is intended to help MCCC develop and expand its educational programs in the city.

Find out what's happening in East Windsorwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Herrera remembers his own Mercer experience in glowing terms.  He recalls that playing on the Mercer baseball team “was like playing with a team of all-stars.  Going to Mercer really helped me get a solid foundation for the future.  I had a great experience.”  Herrera transferred to Arizona State after freshman year and earned his bachelor’s degree in Communications.

Ed Gwazda, MCCC’s Vice President for College Advancement, says that Mercer is grateful to have an alumnus who has such strong ties to the college.  “At Mercer we are well aware that education, especially at the community college level, has the power to change lives.  We will be behind Jesse 100 percent and hope that the community will join us for the ride.”  Community members interested in supporting Jesse’s ride should visit www.mccc.edu/jesse, where they can also get updates about his trip.

Herrera’s wide circle of friends already has his back, donating funds and gear to help him get properly equipped for the 3,300-mile journey, which he hopes to complete in two to three months.  Several local bike shops are also supporting his efforts, including Knapps in Lawrenceville and Hart’s in Pennington.

Herrera will rely on social media to stay in touch with his supporters, posting his progress every day via Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.  His Twitter hash tag is #jhxctrip.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?