As a child, Jose Hernandez had his mind set on a career in law enforcement, picturing himself as a police officer or an agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“It seemed exciting to me,” he said. “I never saw myself working an office job, sitting down and doing the same thing every day. I always told myself I wanted a job that would be exciting where I would do something new every day and could make a difference. For me, law enforcement was that job.”
That plan changed, however, when he began taking criminal justice courses at CSUB.
“They just opened my eyes to a whole other world of criminal justice and how criminal justice works,” he said. “Not only does the program teach you about corrections and policing, it’s also about the legal aspect. It really encompasses the entire criminal justice system here in the U.S.”
The social justice movement that arose following the death of George Floyd last year was also a period of reflection for Hernandez, who ultimately determined that what he really wants is to pursue a career as a lawyer.
“It really made me realize that the legal structure in this nation is not good. The criminal justice system has many flaws,” he said. “I realized that if there was going to be any systemic change, it probably isn’t going to come from the law enforcement side. It isn’t going to come from the inside — it will have to be external change.”
While Hernandez isn’t sure what kind of lawyer he wants to be yet, he wants to be able to help his community, something that his mother is very proud of.
“He has a clear vision of giving back to his community, being able to bring justice to so many individuals who don’t have that opportunity,” Fatima said. “It’s something that he feels very passionate about, and I’m so happy that he does.”
Jose is already pursuing jobs in the legal field. He has applied to the County of Kern for an investigative aide position at the District Attorney’s office.
While he is currently focused on his life after CSUB, Hernandez said he will miss the campus.
“It feels very comfortable being there. I felt very welcomed and appreciated how anyone would be willing to help you out,” he said.