At the age of seven, Hernan, his younger sister and Mom immigrated to the United States from Mexico, to be reunited with his Dad. Together, Hernan and his family were searching for a better future, and found their home in the Contra Costa County. Hernan is a first-generation college student and currently attends Diablo Valley College, earning his associate degree in Allied Health Sciences.

Thanks to DACA and The Dream Act, Hernan has utilized his voice to advocate for DREAMers across the Bay Area. He started his advocacy by joining clubs like the Latinx Student Alliance and Men of Color Association. He is now the president for the Latinx Student Alliance and Advocates for Youth Empowerment, Immigration Issues and Workers Rights. Hernan also serves as student representative in the DVC DREAMers Alliance, where he helps conducts outreach to increase attendance at the annual DREAMers Alliance Conference.

Hernan has participated in the Health Occupational Students of America program for four years. Here, he was exposed to a variety of different careers in the medical field and became Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) certified. In his free time, Hernan enjoys the outdoors by playing soccer and hiking. Hernan also find art as a way of meditation and finds photography pleasing to the eye. Hernan is currently working towards a bachelor’s degree in radiography and hopes to become a radiographer soon.

For his placement for the DreamSF Fellowship program, Hernan will further his skills of organizing and mobilizing communities while at his placement with the Day Labor Program and Women’s Collective. There, Hernan engages domestic workers and day laborers with a new mobile app that provides transparency and efficiency in membership, events and available jobs.