Cherisa Hernandez
Hometown: Boston, MA / St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
Graduate Program: M.Ed. in Secondary Education, Donovan Urban Scholars
Undergraduate Institution: Boston College
Major: Mathematics
Minor: Education
1.) What attracted you to the Lynch School?
My love for teaching and education was the major influence. If I did not want to teach, I probably would have gotten a job after I graduated with my bachelor’s. In addition, I heard wonderful things about the Lynch School and its programs and the Donovan Program was an added bonus. It has always been my dream to give back to the communities in which I grew up—Boston, MA and St. Augustine Trinidad—and teaching in them is one of the ways I knew I could accomplish this.
2.) How do you hope to apply your degree after graduation?
I plan to apply my degree by either teaching in the Boston area or, cross my fingers, my dream is to teach in Trinidad as soon as possible, but if not now, eventually. I know I can do a lot for the educational system in Trinidad and Tobago when I go back home. The knowledge, practice, and training I have received through the Lynch School could hopefully help me do some sort of reform in the educational system of Trinidad, because the system there still has a long way to come. I have even recently been thinking about a Ph.D. I currently tutor at the Learning Resources for Student Athletes (LRSA) and have come to realize through this and my own experience as a student of mathematics, that math could be better taught at the college level. I would love to do some research on how math is taught at the college level and how it can be changed, as well as what this means for the students that take mathematics in college.
3.) What advice you would give to prospective students planning to apply?
One thing I would say to prospective students is to come prepared to work hard, but look forward to a lot of wonderful experiences. It is hard work, mainly because the programs are very demanding and time consuming, but as I said earlier, if you really want to be a teacher or love the field of education, you will leave feeling well rewarded.
4.) How did you go about seeking funding at the Lynch School?
It helps to have a good relationship with anyone in the financial aid office because they are good references. If I had any questions or concerns, I would just ask them and they would help me by telling me how I could go about seeking financial aid.