Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Hugo Barrera ’84 Opens the Operating Room to Torreys
LJCDS students shadow an alumnus in the operating room for a rare and unforgettable experience.
For decades, Dr. Hugo Barrera ’84 has been a familiar and steady light in the La Jolla Country Day School community. He is the kind of alum whose presence is felt as much as it is seen, someone who gives quietly and wholeheartedly.
This year, his impact took on a remarkable new form. Hugo welcomed a group of LJCDS students into his operating room for a rare and unforgettable shadowing experience. For these Torreys, stepping into a live surgical environment was far more than a field trip. It was an opportunity to see medicine in action, to ask questions of a seasoned surgeon, and to imagine new futures for themselves.
Several students took part in the visit, observing procedures, learning about surgical robotics, and witnessing the teamwork that defines high-level patient care. Across the group, the experience left a lasting impression.
Audrey Zhu ’28, who observed a breast cancer surgery alongside a classmate, found the day was both eye-opening and deeply meaningful. “Watching Dr. Barrera operate made me realize how much someone’s hard work and dedication affect other people’s lives.” With a grandmother who survived breast cancer, Audrey felt a powerful connection between what she saw in the OR and the people who made her own family’s story possible.
Ethan Yuan ’25 was struck by the atmosphere of thoughtful coordination in the room. “The experience pulled back the curtain on healthcare and allowed me to set foot into and observe an actual OR. Hearing how the team communicated in real time to navigate situations and care for the patient was incredibly insightful.”
Ashirvad Chourasia ’27 observed minimally invasive robotic surgery and the removal of a benign melanoma. The experience confirmed his desire to pursue medicine. “Shadowing Dr. Barrera inspired me to pursue a career in healthcare and strengthened my commitment to learning, growing, and eventually contributing meaningfully to patient care.”
Haasini Battiprolu ’27 spent several days with Dr. Barrera this past summer, following the full surgical rhythm from pre-op preparation to post-op dictations. She observed procedures ranging from gallbladder removals to lumpectomies and learned about the growing role of the Da Vinci robotic system in modern surgery. For Haasini, the most meaningful moment came not only from the technology but from a lesson Dr. Barrera shared in passing. As he explained the difference between series processing and parallel processing, it showed her how surgeons think several steps ahead and manage multiple tasks at once. “His mindset helped me understand that multitasking is present in every aspect of life and that the way we approach it shapes our success.” Haasini left each day feeling more inspired, and she already looks forward to returning to shadow him again.
Although each student walked away with their own perspective, they all shared the same sense of awe and gratitude. They experienced real medicine up close. They witnessed expertise shaped by decades of training and practice. And they understood how mentors like Dr. Barrera can change a young person’s trajectory simply by opening a door.
What makes Hugo’s contribution especially remarkable is that he is making a profound impact on two worlds at once. Every day, he transforms his patients’ lives through skill, compassion, and quiet steadiness. At the same time, he is nurturing the spark in young Torreys who may one day walk the same path he once did. In offering these moments, he completes a circle: a student who became a healer, a healer who returns to guide the next generation, and a community that grows stronger because of it.
For Hugo, this shadowing experience is not an exception but an expression of who he is. His dedication to the school that raised him and his calling to care for others meet seamlessly in these acts of mentorship. He shows LJCDS students that expertise and humility can coexist, and that success takes on its most significant meaning when it opens doors for others.
Opportunities like this remind us what it looks like when Torreys lift up Torreys. Thanks to Dr. Barrera’s generosity, these students carry forward not only new knowledge but a more profound sense of purpose and possibility. And in the quiet rhythm of giving and receiving, of learning and leading, one Torrey’s kindness continues to shape the future of those who follow.
