Meet recent graduate and #Rowan2020 Social Media contest winner, Edgar Aquino Huerta! Edgar, from Bridgeton, NJ (Cumberland County), earned a bachelor’s degree in Radio/TV/Film. His virtual commencement video became a viral sensation and caught the attention of national media outlets. Read more about Edgar and his plans after Rowan.
Edgar Aquino Huerta wants to be famous for creating videos and films, but he never expected popularity to come so soon.
His 15-second video has racked up over 600,000 views on TikTok, over 34,000 views on Instagram, and over 3,500 views on Facebook.
Edgar’s video features him celebrating his graduation at the farm where he works. In it, he watches Rowan’s “virtual commencement,” and then walks down the center aisle of a greenhouse as his coworkers applaud. This is set to the tune of Glenn Miller’s “In the Mood,” a song that makes Edgar think of the Golden Age of Hollywood — fitting, since he dreams of making it big as a screenwriter and director.
When Rowan announced a social media contest, Edgar started brainstorming. The best five posts from graduating Profs would win $100 Target gift cards, and Edgar thought that “sounded good.” At first, he struggled to come up with an original idea. Then, his boss made a joke about holding commencement at the farm.
Edgar ran with that idea and drew up storyboards. He says, “Although my video was 15 seconds, I still wanted to use my skills to make it cinematic.” He learned a lot as a Radio/TV/Film major at Rowan, and wanted to make the best contest entry possible.
Edgar says that two of his coworkers, Maria and Jose, were especially important to the video’s production. Maria helped organize everyone by telling the other workers where to stand. Jose assumed the role of cameraman — despite having never used an iPhone before! Edgar taught him on the fly and was impressed with how quickly Jose caught on.
At first, Edgar says his coworkers didn’t understand the video they were making. He says, “It wasn’t until they saw the final picture that they understood the purpose of the video.” That said, they were always enthusiastic to help celebrate his achievement. And later on, some coworkers “even made their kids download TikTok so they could show their families.”
Edgar also received support from his mother, who has been in Mexico for the past 10 years. She got “sentimental because she couldn’t be with [him] during that little ceremony.” The image on Edgar’s cap is actually a picture he drew of his mother. He included that as a way to recognize all she’s done for him over the years.
Edgar’s video got very popular overnight, and only got more buzz from there. He says, “The next morning, I noticed the video was going viral.” His phone was going off constantly with notifications. It wasn’t before long that news stations caught wind of the sensation. He has now been featured on several platforms, including Good Morning America, Un Nuevo Dia (Telemundo), and Despierta America (Univision). Edgar says, “I was making headlines for one week straight, and getting to talk to people I never thought I would meet.” He was even contacted about a few work opportunities in Los Angeles.
Edgar attributes the video’s viral success to a couple different factors. For one, it was uploaded at just the right time. With the COVID-19 pandemic ruining gatherings of all kinds, these are unprecedented times. Edgar’s uniquely safe way of celebrating acts as a much-needed ray of hope. Edgar says, “I turned a bad situation into something great.” Additionally, the video encourages pride in underappreciated workers. Greenhouses are places of hard manual labor, but Edgar chose to celebrate its beauty instead. Edgar says, “I was aiming at inspiring my community into being proud of where they come from, and to never feel ashamed of our own people.”
In the future, Edgar plans to move to Los Angeles and write screenplays. He credits Rowan’s Professor Keir Politz with helping him decide to pursue this path. Edgar wants to expose his “audience to these worlds that are being ignored.” For now, Edgar and his friends are working on projects to show appreciation for farm workers in their community. They do this though organizing caravans and collecting donations to meet the workers’ needs. Edgar wants everyone to know that farm workers are essential.
You can hear about Edgar’s immigration story in this audio documentary from Rowan Radio.
Like what you see?
Story by:
Adam Clark, senior radio/television/film major
Could you please tell us about your favorite moment with a faculty member or a favorite experience in one of your classes? 
Why did you choose Rowan?
I would tell a fellow student interested in Management and Human Resources Management that they’re choosing a worthwhile field because there are no limits to what you can do. Majoring in Management equips you to work in every type of professional setting. I chose this field for the never-ending opportunities. Every industry has a business side, so there are no restrictions on the fields you can work in. I also find myself learning real-life lessons that are beneficial outside of business, that I may not learn in a different major. I often find myself in these instances during my law and finance classes. 
Why did you choose a university close to home? 
What advice do you have for incoming freshmen or transfers? 
I also look forward to the fall season of the Equestrian Team as our spring season was cut short. Traveling to other universities and gaining points towards zones, regionals, and then nationals is incredibly exciting, and hard work! The hours we put in on top of our studies to fine tune our riding and participate in team activities is well worth it. Outside of Rowan, I look forward to representing my school, state, and nonprofit platform as Miss USA Petite New Jersey!
Please tell us about your favorite moment with a faculty member or a favorite experience in one of your classes? 
Shout outs:
Rowan?
experience in one of your classes? There are so many favorite experiences I’ve had at Rowan. Some of my favorite memories and moments are from my Physical Education classes! My group of classmates are so competitive and every class was so much fun!
memory was becoming acquainted with all peers from 
What advice would you give to incoming freshmen or transfers about making the most out of their college experience while choosing a university close to home? Stay grounded by doing your best academically. Social life will come no matter what. But if you are doing poorly in class it will affect all aspects of your life as a Prof.
from Camden County College. 
Tell us about your favorite moment with a faculty member or favorite experience in one of your classes. 
How did you meet new people and stay involved on campus as a commuter? 
My name is Maria Rosalba Trejo-Mendiola. I was born in Querétaro, Mexico. I moved to the United States at the age of 11. At an early age, I discovered my biggest passion in life was helping others. I knew that I wanted to pursue a career that allowed me to work with people. Of all the possible careers that I could have pursued, I fell in love with the one profession that makes all other professions possible: teaching. I attended Cumberland County College, now known as Rowan College of South Jersey, where I completed my associate degree in Liberal Arts. I then transferred to Rowan University where I completed my bachelor’s in Spanish. Then, I started working as a Career Placement Developer for Pathstone, a non-profit organization.
Based on a suggestion from her high school art teacher and mentor, Jessica is working toward a career as an art therapist at a nearby hospital or cancer center. “[Art therapy is] really important for me to pursue. My sister had cancer, so it’s something that definitely hits home for me. And the possibility of working with little kids or anyone on the spectrum is something that’s so rewarding for everyone,” she says. “Art doesn’t have to be perfect; it doesn’t have to come out like you expected it to. Just the act of physically [making art] is so much more impactful than people might realize.”
Meet Natalia Panfilova, a 2017 graduate from the 
Commuter
These are just three ways how I have gotten involved here at Rowan, but there are so many other ways to get involved.
ing through Twitter, like most students, waiting for class to start. I saw a post from Rowan University about the transfer deadline and cruised to the main website. I found a big transfer button and thought, “Why not give it a shot?” Rowan was the only school I applied to transfer to, so this was all or nothing for me.
Engagement
What’s your favorite thing about Rowan?
With a few days left until the application deadline, I decided to apply to Rowan. I remembered touring it with my brother a few years prior and enjoying how it was a small and quaint school. Most people think applying as a transfer can be confusing, and it can be. However, Rowan’s process made applying simple and painless. I even received my acceptance letter a just few days later.
Before I knew it, I was all moved in. I cried as I didn’t want my family to leave because I was still scared to start this new chapter. But within a few days my worries subsided, and I found myself getting into the swing of my routine. I was starting classes, working on Rowan’s social media team and joining clubs, such as 
Name:
Group opened the door of opportunity for Transfer Post to become more known and get their name out there with other popular local bands. Here’s a story of how a talented self-taught musician, was provided with every opportunity and made his aspirations a reality.
Around the time she discovered the article, Jo was part of a class called New Ventures Development, where students expand on an idea for a potential startup business or product, and experience the process of bringing it to life. “In that class, I came up with the concept of a personal filtration system within a water bottle, called RefresH2O,” Jo says. “Wherever you are – hiking, spending time outdoors – you can scoop up water from a nearby body of water, and it will be filtered fresh. This will alleviate our plastic usage, and make us wiser about how we source our water.” Another class, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, helped Jo finalize the marketing plan and details for her product, including the target market and purpose. “I wanted to make a product that even a three year old could use. Everyone needs clean water — it’s a human right, but not everyone is lucky enough to have that,” she explains.
Her future plans include owning her own environmentally sustainable holdings or manufacturing company, and possibly even attending graduate school for a degree in engineering management, to continue to grow. She advises freshmen coming into the field to not let the idea of ‘perfection’ interfere with your goals. “‘Good’ is good enough; just get your name and idea out in the world and continue to work on your idea as you progress,” she says. “And keep track of your commitments! Juggling school work, being on the track team and my internship, senior year has been the most challenging year yet, but planning it all out and prioritizing made it a lot better.”
“I chose Rowan because it was closer to home and I did not want to be too far from my family. I also chose to come here because of 
