Mas

All > Education
Special to Más
Topics:
Posted by gabe Tue Nov 30, 1999 00:00:00 PST
Viewed 540 times
0 responses 0 comments Most Hispanics in Kern County know her from Univision or have watched her community morning program ‘Bakersfield Al Dia,’ but Maria Hernandez is more than a local celebrity.

Hernandez, who is the community relations person for the Spanish-language network in Bakersfield, is also a tireless advocate for higher education.

When she is not seeking sponsors for student scholarships, she is teaching leadership skills to young Hispanics.

As a board member and incoming president of the Hispanic Excellence Scholarship Fund, Hernandez raised nearly $8,000 for the fund in 2005. The foundation, which is part of Cal State Bakersfield, has given out more than 70 scholarship totaling $144,000 to Kern County students.

We asked here to share a little about herself with Más readers.

Q. Tell me about your family.
A. I come from a large family of nine.  I’m the third youngest.  My family is from a small town in Jalisco, Mexico named San Ignacio.  I came to Kern when I was 10. I grew up in Northern California by Truckee.  Then, I moved to Los Angeles after graduating from high school. I lived there until 1999.  I started with Univision at the corporate level in 1997, working in the legal department as an executive assistant.  There, I learned about the stations and became interested in it. Maria L. Gutierrez, at the time, was the general manager for Bakersfield and Fresno stations, and she suggested I visit and meet with Teresa Ford, who is now my general manager. I did and the rest is history. I moved here in July 1999.  I knew the benefits of growing up in a small town and wanted to get out of L.A. to offer a better environment for our two kids, who were already transitioning into teens.  We were looking at Bakersfield because my husband has two brothers that have had a business here (since 1991) so we had been here plenty of times before.

Q. Did you grow up speaking English or Spanish?
A. I grew up speaking Spanish at home, English at school. Now I speak both English and Spanish, although, I try not to mix them. I catch myself doing it quite often. 

Q. What are some of your community activities?
A. I currently serve on the board of Hispanic Excellence Scholarship Fund at CSUB as incoming president. I am a volunteer for Junior Achievement and teach a class at Liberty High on Life Skills for 9th graders.  Other committees include Kern High Schools Hispanic Task Force, Bakersfield Police Department Community Liaison Committee and Sister City Bakersfield/Queretaro committee.

Q. What do you like about serving on the Hispanic Excellence Scholarship Foundation?
A. It’s hard to pinpoint one thing, but if I did, I would say helping others achieve.  My goal is to help level  the educational attainment ground so that, as Hispanics, we can be better prepared to represent and serve our country in all aspects — politics, medicine, law, teaching, etc.

Q. What inspires you?
A. I am passionate about seeing others succeed in education, in part because I lacked that opportunity when I was growing up. I was never asked by my counselors or teachers if I was going to college, nor given guidance on how it could be done. 

Q. How does your cultural background influence your community involvement?
A. I think we bring to light issues that are important to us and we strive to portray a positive picture in helping others understand those differences that make us who we are.

Q. What drives you to the issues that you fight for on the board?
A. I would have to say that being a minority, I can be more sensitive to the issues and needs of our students, since many of them are related to my own experience. I try hard to help them.

Q. Do you have a role model?
A. I have several. My favorites are Jorge Ramos, news anchor for Univision, and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Q. Can you think of a time when other Latinos looked up to you as a role model?
A. Probably now, the opportunity to host “Bakersfield Al Dia”, allows me into peoples’ homes and hearts, and I’m humbled when people walk up to me to tell me that they admire me or look up to me.

Q. Any funny anecdotes that reflect your cultural pride?
A. Sometimes I have to stop and think which language I am speaking, although I notice it more at work. I take off speaking Spanish to my general manager and don’t realize it until I am in the middle of the conversation.  It’s funny because now she actually understands me, even if I speak Spanglish to her.

Q. Best advice to give our younger Latino generation?
A. Stay in school and make us proud.  Remember that our families came seeking a better life. Make it a reality.

Send to a Friend

Report a Violation