Cardozo started the school year off with many new hires, including a new guidance counselor who has a goal of making sure every student feels heard; Mr. Hernandez. The newest member to Room 117 said his goals are also ensuring that students are not only listened to, but also taught life skills needed for the future, such as having good problem solving skills.
Coming from smaller schools, Mr. Hernandez still has no problem with the amount of students he has on his caseload. “I have to be more creative with the way I am going to reach 300+ students,” he said. “It’s a challenge, but something I’m looking forward to too, like how to be able to support all those students.”
One of the main goals he has is teaching those students skills for problem solving. “I push my students to advocate for themselves,” Mr. Hernandez said. “If you need help with something and seek out the help.”
One of the biggest parts to being a guidance counselor, he shared, as easy as it may sound, is to simply listen. “Sometimes students just don’t feel heard. It’s really just being somebody that’s there to listen to them,” he said. “I try to let the students think about methods they have done in the past and apply it to the situation rather than telling them what to do.”
Although Mr. Hernandez is our newest guidance counselor, this wasn’t always his dream. In college, he wasn’t exactly sure what he wanted to do in life, and tried new things like majoring in psychology. It was volunteering and gaining experience that led him to his decision to pursue guidance. During his time volunteering, he gained different perspectives and ultimately realized he had a passion for helping others.
Mr. Hernandez said he loved guiding young people through their challenges. He then reflected back on his middle school and high school years, and thought about his friends that didn’t have the support they needed. Some of his friends ended up getting caught up in things they could’ve avoided if they had just been heard. With this in mind, he hopes he can help the new generation by being a “shoulder to learn on.”
Mr. Hernandez is excited to see what the new school year has in store for him. Everyday is a new experience and a new situation and he sees things as a challenge, but a “good challenge.” He is looking forward to finding new, creative ways to help his students handle situations. He said he hopes his students are aware that no matter what situation they are in, good or bad, they always have a shoulder to lead on.
“It’s my career, not just my job. I don’t see it as a job,” he reflected.
