Helen Barriere

Helen Barriere Headshot
MESA Program Manager 
Cerritos College
M.S., Counseling, Student Development Higher Education 2018

Barriere is a passionate educator and student advocate whose 15-year career has touched the lives of thousands of students across the United States. Rooted in a mission to create learning environments where students feel enthusiastic, encouraged and inspired, Barriere has dedicated herself to the academic development of STEM and research students at every stage of their journey. During her nearly nine years at CSULB, she served as student programs coordinator and later program manager for the HSI-STEM program, while also teaching as a lecturer for first-year and research students. She has since carried that same commitment to the community college setting, supporting students at Santa Ana College and now Cerritos College through the Math Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) programs. Her impact has been widely recognized, including the 2024 Transfer Advocate of the Year award at Santa Ana College and a feature on the CSU/Research/STEM-NET website in 2020. Barriere's unwavering belief that a student's earliest campus experiences can shape their entire academic future drives every connection she makes.