Steven Hernández was born in Chicago and raised there and in Edinburg, Texas before making his way to New England for college (Bennington) and DC for what was to be a lifelong career in International Human Rights. After law school and through the mentorship of an esteemed judge, Steve found “human rights at home” and has served the public ever since.
In DC, he served seven years as legislative and budget director in the office of Washington, D.C., Council member Jim Graham, before being happily lured to CT by his life partner, Bruce. In CT, Steve began his public service career as the Attorney and Director of Public Policy and Research for the Connecticut Commission on Children, eventually becoming the lead of the legislature’s Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity.
At ConnCAN, Steve returns to his roots in children’s policy, honing in on that lifelong passion to improve educational access and outcomes for all children, particularly the disinvested children of color and those children living in in poverty in the state.
I aspire to be like my maternal grandmother. Here’s why:
As a literate young woman who married at a young age a man of her family’s choosing, she resisted and persisted, raising her children with grace, fortitude, and by an example that resonates across generations of my family.
Why I love my job:
This is my dream job. I find myself among peers I respect, doing work that I am deeply committed to, in a network of peers that is as much a community of learning, as it is a community of shared vision and commitment. I can’t wait to dive deeper.
My connection to public schools:
I am a product of a public school education, with a good dose of arts magnet school love along the way.
What I’m bad at:
The relationship between time and space; I am way too optimistic about how long it will take me to get somewhere.
The image that represents why I work at 50CAN.
The tree of life really captures the importance of the work we do, as whet we do impacts generations to come by nourishing growth and enriching potential.
