Lorena Hernández, MEd, MRTI graduated from The University of Texas at El Paso with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies; whereby, I was a print journalist for ten years with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), then worked as a transportation aide for TxDOT while attending graduate school in print media at UT Austin. My next writing job took me to Los Angeles, CA, where I worked as a print journalist in the publications department of a nonprofit teaching clinic for USC, UCLA, and Cedars Sinai Hospital resident physician interns for four years. Although working as a writer was very fulfilling and lucrative, my heart was never fully quite in it. How was I contributing to community? How was I giving back? I moved back home, to El Paso, to do a little soul searching.
I discovered my true calling, that of teaching, while volunteer tutoring and teaching at the church I was raised in. At some point it clicked! Why am I not teaching full time? I took a leap of faith in 2007 by going back to school to acquire my teaching credentials. I graduated from The University of Texas at El Paso with a Master's degree in Education as an Instructional Specialist in Reading and Literacy in 2010. With nearly sixteen years of teaching experience, I am beginning my eighth year at El Paso High for the 2023/2024 school year. I am most honored and grateful to be working with such wonderful students and colleagues alike. The beautiful scenery all around me, and the fact I have the privilege to walk into a school with such a rich history, fuels my continued passion for teaching.
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