One day, Federico Ibarra will be a pediatrician. Today he’s a Georgia Perimeter College student and serves in the U.S. Navy Reserves.

Early on, Federico Ibarra knew he wanted to help people. After high school, he enlisted as a Naval corpsman in the Marines, providing well-care and trauma care for those in his military unit. It was a job he loved—but he knew he needed a degree to pursue his dream—pediatric medicine.

“Right after coming back from the [active duty] military, I knew I wanted to go to college, and affordability was definitely a major factor on where I would go,” says Ibarra. “My brother was already attending GPC, so it seemed like a smart choice to go to the same college.” Ibarra began pursuing his associate degree in biology, taking courses at both GPC’s Dunwoody and Clarkston campuses.

A GPC Educational Assistance Program (GEAP) scholar, Ibarra immediately immersed himself in student life and his studies at GPC.

“Federico is a leader among his peers,” says GEAP Director Eric Cuevas. “I always see him around campus and in the library with multiple study groups. Even if he gets a concept, he wants to make sure all of his study teammates understand it, too.”

Ibarra also cites the guidance of Cuevas as instrumental to helping him succeed at the college. “Mr. Cuevas has been an inspiration to the Latino community at GPC,” he says.

Ibarra looks forward to graduating in a year and transferring to a four-year college to move forward with his dream of becoming a pediatrician.

“GPC has had a real impact on my life,” Ibarra says. “It’s a great learning environment.  As I move forward in my education, I feel a good change in myself as a person and a good change for my future.”