Eric Hernandez MSW ’03
Eric
Hernandez
MSW ‘03
came to Los
Angeles at
age 11 from
war-torn
El Salvador,
where he
had been
caring for
his younger
brother.
The siblings
joined their
parents in
a small apartment
in the Pico
Union area.
“Moving here
from El Salvador was
frustrating, depressing
and painful,” he
recalls. “We
had to adjust
to a new
place, new
language,
new people.
We struggled,
but my parents
emphasized
the importance
of education.”
He somehow
managed not
to fall through
the cracks
as a student
at Belmont
High School,
which, with
5,600 pupils,
is one of the
largest in
the Los Angeles
Unified School
District. Today,
he is back
at Belmont
as a pupil
services and
attendance
(PSA) counselor,
helping others
navigate an
often impersonal
environment.
“I knew my calling
was to work at a high
school, but I didn’t
know in what capacity,” he
says. “It never
occurred to me that
I’d
go back to
my own high
school. But
I found my
true calling
in social
work.”
Hernandez intended
to become an
academic counselor
but returned
to Belmont
when the PSA
counselor left
to become vice
principal at
another school.
“In PSA counseling,
you really get to work
a lot more closely
with the families,” says
Hernandez, who makes
15 to 30 home visits
every week. “Some
students drop out to
support the family
because their parents
can no longer work.
Some stay home to care
for younger siblings.
Others have health
issues. A kid may be
having trouble in school
because he doesn’t
have glasses.
These are
the simple
things we
take for
granted.
Since a large
number of
families
here are
undocumented
residents,
they really
need to be
connected
with basic
services.”
While the
large size
of the student
body can
be daunting,
Hernandez
says: “It’s
impossible
to know what’s
going on
with 5,600
kids. You
take in one
case at a
time and
do the best
you can with
that family
and student.
I work as
an advocate
for the kids.”
Although
he enjoys
his current
role, he
ultimately
wants to
influence
policy. “My
goal is hopefully
to turn things
around in the
public school
system through
policy making.
I want to be
an agent of
change.”
