by Josue Sanchez, co-Editor-in-Chief

Mr. Joshua Hernández, alumnus of the St. John Bosco class of 2021, has returned to Bosco just three years later as an English teacher, bringing in a fresh perspective when teaching his freshman, sophomore and junior students.

Mr. Hernández’s Bosco journey started in 2017, when he passed through the school walls for the first time as a freshman. He said that he had a few options when it came to picking a high school—Loyola High School from Los Angeles being the main option. However, Bosco prevailed against the other options due to the sense of community here.

“When I toured here at Bosco, I felt at home,” said Mr. Hernández. “As soon as I toured Bosco, I went home and told my mom. I was like, ‘That’s where I’m going.’”

He noted that the interactions between students and teachers played a big role—the authenticity of these interactions were very important to him.

He also participated in a variety of the programs that Bosco has to offer. He participated in the Bosco Football team, the Spanish Honors Society, the Student Ambassadors program and, notably to him, the Academic Decathlon program. He even served as the Editor-in-Chief of this very publication, The Brave News. All of these experiences and activities served as learning experiences for Mr. Hernández, who stated that he grew in ways that he wasn’t initially expecting.

“I kind of look back and realize how much I grew each year at Bosco,” said Mr. Hernández. “It was a culmination of the experiences. Football brought me discipline. Academic Decathlon really broadened my world perspective, and [the Student Ambassadors program] taught me how to be personable with people.”

One of his recurring teachers as a student was Mrs. Michelle Tracy, a current teacher in the English Department. She taught him during his freshman and senior years.

“He was one of the best people as far as participating in class. Despite being at home [during the COVID-19 pandemic], he did make a lot of contributions to our discussions,” said Mrs. Tracy. “I appreciated that a lot because that was a hard time for us teaching online.”

After graduating from Bosco in May 2021, Mr. Hernández moved on, choosing to continue his studies at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in Los Angeles. This was not his only option; he considered a variety of colleges, including the University of Connecticut, University of California, Berkeley and others. However, according to him, the final choice was motivated by many factors.

“I felt like I needed to be there for my family,” said Mr. Hernandez. “I could have easily made the decision to be selfish. I was really close to committing to [the University of Connecticut], but I felt like I had unfinished business here at home.”

At LMU, he met a variety of friends and continued his educational involvement in many ways.

“I was a Student Ambassador for two years, and I was the Vice President of two clubs,” said Mr. Hernández.

He was also a supervisor at the campus gym and continued to improve his writing capabilities as a tutor. Mr. Hernández’s most important takeaway from his time at LMU is the idea that not everyone learns in the same way.

“Growth is not linear; we all grow in different ways. I’m no different than any other college student who spends four to five years in college,” he said. “Growth is day-by-day, year-by-year, month-by-month, and I think what matters is that as long as you’re growing, you’re doing something positive.”

After two and a half semesters, Mr. Hernández graduated from LMU, majoring in Political Science with a minor in English Language and Literature.

Mr. Hernández’s original plan was to continue on to law school. However, becoming a teacher at Bosco was a great opportunity for him, and he felt that he should get involved with this vocation.

“When I was first approached about the job and about applying for it, I couldn’t pass it up,” said Mr. Hernández. “[St. John Bosco] is home to me. I feel extremely dedicated to the school and the community.”

The community and culture has remained relatively unchanged in his view. He still interacts with the same people and communities that he used to talk to as a student. Now, the only change is that he is a teacher, rather than a student—something which he originally did not expect.

“It feels almost like a simulation,” said Mr. Hernández. “It’s not really the fact that I’m still young—it’s also the fact that I never thought about teaching to begin with, nonetheless teaching at Bosco.”

His path, in his view, was unexpected—but one that he is willing to continue.

Mr. Hernández also plans to bring in his background as a student and political science major into his teaching. His experience at LMU has opened his eyes to the pressures and challenges faced by many students. All of these challenges, according to him, are unique, and he hopes to help each one of his students with them.

“Now, I have much more respect for teaching as a vocation and as a profession,” said Mr. Hernandez. “[My students] are kids with dreams, aspirations and temptations that they’re not always going to overcome.”

“I view students as actors, too. We are all actors within a classroom. We each have defined roles, but just because I am a teacher and have the expertise, while the students are just learners, that doesn’t mean we can’t all contribute.”

“He involves certain events that we’re familiar with,” said student Tucker Dodson, a student in one of Mr. Hernández’s freshman English classes. ”He is really just a very chill teacher, and I really enjoy his class.”

Mr. Hernández has also been interested in the language arts from the very beginning—he loves to write and read, even helping his peers and family with any questions they have. As a teacher, he hopes to develop these skills amongst his students.

“I just want them to be critical thinkers, especially with the world that we live in today,” said Mr. Hernández. “People are very misinformed, misguided, immoral, unprincipled. And so I want [my students] to walk out of my class in a way that they can challenge not just their own views, but the views of the people around them and do it in a manner that is educated and that is back up by fact, not just hearsay or fiction or stuff that’s in their head.”

“I think he really takes seriously what he’s doing,” said Mrs. Tracy. “I know that he’s been very thoughtful in his planning and trying to do the best job that he can, and I think he feels comfortable here at Bosco.”

The way he teaches also emphasizes the abilities of his students. He emphasizes a no devices environment in his classes, ensuring that his students can learn to be better thinkers, writers and readers. He emphasizes a tough-love environment in order to help his students improve.

“If they’re talking in class, I’ll be hard on them,” said Mr. Hernández. “That’s the type of mentorship and leadership that these guys need in their life.”

“They also know that I’m there for them. I don’t want them to struggle. I want them to just have a good high school life.”