We hope you enjoy this series where we meet and get to know employees from across campus. Would you like to be featured? Contact us at campusnews@csufresno.edu.

Name: Maira M. Hernández
Title: Adjunct faculty/Lecturer
Department: Counselor Education and Rehabilitation
Academic Degree(s):

• B.A. in Spanish, Fresno State
• M.S. in Counseling with an option in Marriage and Family Therapy, Fresno State

How long have you worked at Fresno State?
I have been teaching for the Department of Counselor Education and Rehabilitation since 2014 teaching Marriage, Family, and Child Counselors. I am also a clinical supervisor for the Fresno Family Counseling Center through the CSU, Fresno Foundation where we train students in providing clinical mental health services to the community.

I also worked as a Jumpstart tutor at the Huggins Center from 2006-2008. Later, I fulfilled various roles working for the Fresno Family Counseling Center from 2011-2022 as a program manager, clinical program manager and clinical director.

Are you a Valley native?
I was born in Delano and moved around when I was young and settled in Wasco. I came to Fresno for college and stayed. I met my husband at the Lyles College of Engineering in 2005. He also works on campus, so it's pretty cool for us to work for our alma mater.

Are you a Bulldog family with generations of Bulldog graduates or current students?
I am a first-generation graduate and professional and the only one who pursued a higher education. I hope I can inspire my son, nieces and nephews to pursue a higher education as well and maybe choose this university.

Do you have a campus mentor or someone who has helped you in your career?
Shout out to Dr. Christopher Lucey in the Counselor Education and Rehabilitation department. He was my former boss when I was the clinical director for the Fresno Family Counseling Center, and my former professor in graduate school. He saw the value of my work ethic, my contributions, and pushed me to get out of my comfort zone. He genuinely cared about my personal well-being and professional growth. He is one of the kindest and caring human beings you will ever meet. He is hilarious too. He is a gem for our community. He is not just a mentor, he is a dear friend.

Tell us about your department and what people may not know about it.
The Department of Counselor Education and Rehabilitation trains future counselors in various disciplines offering the following degrees: Master of Science degree in Marriage, Family and Child Counseling, Master of Science degree in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling, and the Master of Science degree in Counseling with options in School Counseling and Student Affairs and College Counseling.

Some of our former graduates now work for our campus and some of my friends who I graduated with are adjuncts too.

What is your most notable accomplishment in your field, and why was it important?
My first notable accomplishment was when I became a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist which led to my most notable one of opening my private practice. I am the proud owner of M. H. Family Counseling and Consulting where I offer various services, including clinical mental health evaluations for various immigration cases (extreme hardship, cancellation of removal, VAWA, U-Visa, and T-Visa), counseling services for adults, families, and couples, and consultation.

As a Mexican American female, it is a huge accomplishment to be a business owner and be able to service the Spanish speaking community and address various mental health needs. I was recently awarded the 2023 Business Woman of the Year by the Central California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, which I am immensely grateful for the recognition.

What are you most passionate about in your field and why?
One is being able to provide services in Spanish. I have had the pleasure of working collaboratively with some notable organizations in the Central Valley as a bilingual mental health professional/supervisor such as with Beloved Survivors Trauma Recovery Center, the Birdie Lou Counseling Center, the Mexican Consulate of Fresno, Binational of Central California and Community Justice Alliance. Second is being able to teach and supervise in Spanish, in addition to offering a culturally sensitive perspective on cases, especially for those from Mexican and Latino backgrounds.

What is a memorable moment you had in class?
When a student tells me I am the first professor who spoke to them in Spanish in grad school. That warms my heart. I will never forget what one student told me, "I know that I can make it because you made it." I hold that whole heartedly and believe representation matters. I am grateful to work for this university which commits to diversity and inclusion.

What is your favorite quote or saying?
One of my favorite Spanish quotes is "Nunca dejes para mañana lo que puedes hacer hoy," which means "Never leave for tomorrow what you can do today." Tomorrow is never guaranteed.

What do you like to do for fun in your spare time?
I love to draw on my iPad using Procreate, and I have too many coloring books. I enjoy arts and crafts. My absolute favorite though is going to the beach.

What is something interesting about you that most people don’t know?
I came to college wanting to be a computer engineer. I used to cut the computer ads from the newspapers when I was little and tape them to my bedroom wall. I even entered a cooking competition when I was 12, and won in my town and competed in Merced in the hopes to win the Apple Bondi computer. Sadly, I came in second.

In high school, I worked for both a computer and electrical engineer, and they introduced me to what I could become. All I wanted to do was design and build cool computers. My destiny had other plans, and as sad as I was at the time to not pursue the career, I am grateful that I had those experiences and I can now look back at the journey that led me to today.

Is there something else you would like to share that was not asked?
I enjoy mentoring first-generation students and speaking on my experiences as a first gen and professional. I am always open to supporting and cheering on others. I can be reached at mairamh@mail.fresnostate.edu.

Lastly, everything is possible if we have a growth mindset. Never forget your resiliency. Kindness is free. Spread it every day.