LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Julia Hernandez was nominated anonymously. 

"On the first day of my sophomore year of high school, Ms. Hernandez handed my class a sheet of paper to fill out. She was new to Kettle Moraine Global and wanted to learn more about her students. One of the questions on this sheet was, 'Who is your favorite teacher?' When reading through our papers, she had the biggest smile, scanning through which teachers and what activities we love. Throughout her first year, Ms. Hernandez made the most effort out of any of my teachers to get to know her students. She would come and chat with us every morning. Her voice was always so soft and kind. She loved all of her students; I could tell. She did a great job picking up on how our charter school worked. Everyone knew she gave her all to get to know every student. She'd make every class personable and welcoming. She'd teach us all about international issues and the Spanish language. We would dive into Hispanic culture by making piñatas or Colombian-style arepas using the ingredients she spent her pocket money on, just for us to have a hands-on experience. None of us were afraid to mess up or try something new. The environment she fostered comforted us," said the nominator.

"My junior year was rough. It was chaotic and stressful. The ACT was looming around the corner, and everyone had started to think about college. When spring came around, lacrosse season started, too. Our team, in my junior year, was extremely competitive. We knew we were in the running to win state. Practices were brutal and long, and I don't think Ms. Hernandez realized how much her classes helped me throughout this insane year. When I wasn't getting home until 9:45 from my practice and still had to shower and eat, I wasn't worried about being exhausted in the morning. When I had ACT prep classes and had to forfeit schoolwork to prepare for the test, I wasn't worried about falling behind because of the little things Ms. Hernandez would do for us, even subconsciously. Going to her Spanish classes for my first block was a blessing. Her room was always calm. She never had the overhead lights on, glaring their fake fluorescent light onto our tired faces. She let us sit at round tables full of our friends. We got to ease into the day together, whispering about our nights and preparing to socialize with others for the rest of the day. Small things like these—the lighting, our friends— helped make my crazy nights, which often overworked me, feel less overbearing. I'd wake up exhausted but grateful that I had such a considerate teacher for my first block. She was always so sincere and kind to her students. She understood we were people with lives outside of school, which made school so much easier," said the nominator.

"Ever since Ms. Hernandez left Global to go teach at a different school, I think about how much I miss her and the compassionate environment she brought to her classes every day. I hope she knows that when I think back to that paper she gave us on my first day of sophomore year, I would put her as my favorite teacher a million times over. So thank you, Ms. Hernandez, for making the craziest, most stressful year of my life just a little less stressful and a little less crazy. You mean so much to me and all the other students who had you. Once again, we miss you so much, and thank you for everything," said the nominator.