Her Story
About Arisela
Arisela Hernandez is an education and program professional specializing in English Language Arts Education at the secondary level. She began her career in 2006 with internships through nonprofit organizations, tutoring positions, and work as a classroom aide before spending seven years as an 11th grade English teacher. For the past seven years she has served in her current position where her primary responsibilities include delivering workshops to educators both online and in person, managing relationships with school and district leaders, leading the English Language Arts program, managing a team of program associates, providing internal professional development, mentoring colleagues on workshop design, and overseeing facilitator teams for larger workshops. One of her notable achievements was designing a two-day workshop on the English Language Arts Unit Planning Guide that has been incorporated into evaluative studies and adapted into a self-paced online course serving as a foundation for school and district contracts. Outside of her professional work she volunteers as a dispatcher with Bay Resistance, connecting individuals with immigration appointments to volunteer support.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Arisela
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think a lot of it is to the people who have played mentorship roles in my life. My mother and father for their support. Myself for being willing to take risks and stay true to myself. And I think also my ancestors and spiritual guides who have helped me along the way through opportunities that I've come across and just like divine timing of things.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I think that like authenticities, like staying true to your authentic self and your personal strengths and like being well-connected to your humanity. I think we'll take you far in your career through the relationships that you build.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would advise people to find a school that is well-resourced, at least for your first 5 years of teaching. Ask lots of questions about what kind of support is provided for new teachers. If you can, go to a school that has a relatively low class size or average class size. And utilize the resources of the staff community for lesson plan ideas, for classroom management strategies, and don't be afraid to be your most authentic self with students and invest in those relationships. The more you invest in having personal relationships with students, the easier your job will be.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Community is a big one. I'm a big believer in bringing love into all of my interactions with coworkers as well as with educators. And I think being of service. I think that that's a really important part of my life that I bring into both my career and my personal life.
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