Sarah Carvajal/The Rider
Name: Andreya Barrera
Sport: Soccer
Position: Forward
Classification: Junior
Major: Psychology
Age: 19
Hometown: El Paso
Who is your favorite athlete?
“My favorite athlete is [Leonel] Messi because he’s really creative with his feet and he’s not scared to go against anyone, so that’s what I like.”
Who is your role model?
“My role model is my dad because he’s always been so giving to my siblings and me. I am part of a family of five children so he gives whatever he can to us. He makes sure we have a lot of opportunities.”
What is the best advice you’ve been given and by whom?
“I think the best advice I’ve received is from a former coach of mine. She told me that you always miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take, and that’s stuck with me because I am a striker. If I don’t take the shot, I automatically miss, and if I go for it, there’s a chance that I make it or I miss. And, I think that can go for life in general as well.”
When did you begin playing soccer, and why?
“I was 3 or 4 and it was during the World Cup where the women’s team won, so my dad saw it and was really interested and he was like, ‘I’m putting you in soccer and I want you to play it.’ So, anytime I want to try something new, he says, ‘I’ll watch you, but I won’t do it forever; you’ll have to go back to soccer,’ so I always just floated back to it.”
Did you win any awards?
“Yeah, in high school, I got a lot of awards, like first team all-district. Senior year, I got El Paso Player of the Year. Since I got here, I got a WAC honor freshman year. I think it was Freshman of the Year. That’s it for now, but hopefully there will be more.”
What are your academic goals?
“Well, last semester I got a 3.8 GPA, so this semester I would like a 4.0. I am taking a lot of classes because I want to graduate this year, and start my master’s next year.”
How do you feel about being part of this team?
“I love my team. Any awards I get, it’s because they put me in situations, and I just have to finish it. I am grateful for them. We kill each other on the field, but we kill the other team as a whole. We go hard against anyone for each other, and we have each other’s back. I do love my team.”
What are your personal goals for this season?
“Well, personally, I hope to make a conference team, like first team or second team, but I’m not really worried about individual goals. I’m thinking kind of like teamwise, so I want us to beat teams that I think we can match up to. I’m thinking more of if I can help my team beat them because I want our school name to move up in rank. I want us to be at least four or five, and not seven or eight. Individually, if I can get up there with the other goal scorers in the conference, then that would be awesome, but I’m not going to press on that. I just want us all to do well.”
–Compiled by Sarah Carvajal
