Staff Spotlight: Jorge Hernandez

1) Jorge outside the Boyhood Home of President Lyndon B. Johnson.
2) Jorge hiking at Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site in Texas
3) Jorge, his mom, and his sister at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in Texas.

NPS/Jorge Hernandez

Meet Jorge Hernandez! He is the Education and Community Engagement Coordinator with Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park and was previously a park guide at San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and Palo Alto National Battlefield where he first got involved with the National Park Service as a volunteer. He took some time to reflect on his journey with NPS, what it means to be part of the Latino community, and advice for youth and young adults interested in working at the National Park Service.

He graduated from college with a degree in History, in Brownsville, Texas. Looking for opportunities to use what he learned in school, he decided to call his local national park, which was Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park at the time. He fondly remembers speaking with Karen Weaver, the Community Engagement Coordinator there, who had answered the call. “We found ways that I can volunteer there, and that opened the door to becoming a Pathways student, a program that you can be a park ranger while going to school. After finishing my degree, I was lucky enough to find a permanent position at San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, and from there on, my career with the National Park Service took me to different places.” This included working at Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, Illinois. Now he finds himself at Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, back in his home state of Texas.

On the importance of being a Latino working in the National Park Service, he explained that “I have this great opportunity to bring to light the contribution of Latinos in the making of the United States, and also highlight their work in preserving our national parks. Telling those stories is really important to me, because that means we're pushing the bar for more representation, more relevancy, and definitely making these beautiful spaces more inclusive.”

For future generations, his advice to youth who want to go into preservation is to “be persistent in achieving your goal. Don't get discouraged, because the path is not easy, but just know that you have members in this field, Latinos in conservation, that are here to support you along the way.”

Duration:

2 minutes, 11 seconds

Meet Jorge Hernandez, Education and Community Engagement Coordinator with Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park. Learn how he first got involved with the National Park Service as a volunteer, his journey with NPS, and advice for youth and young adults.