Employee Spotlight - Marcella Hernandez
Marcella Hernandez is an upcoming second-year EPM student who has been working as the EPM outreach and administration student assistant. Marcella specializes in Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Justice, with a pending addition of the Environmental Data Science specialization. Marcella strives to be a well-rounded professional. She grew up in California's Central Valley, where she began her academic journey at Bakersfield College, earning an Associate of Science in Agricultural Business and Liberal Arts, before moving on to UC Davis, where she completed a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Environmental Education with a focus on Plant and Soil Sciences.
With a deep, multifaceted background in education and agriculture, Marcella is looking to pivot her career, using her growing policy expertise to directly combat the severe environmental burdens, such as poor air and water quality and food deserts, faced by many communities in the Central Valley. Currently working to expand these skills through a powerhouse summer workload. This includes serving as a Graduate Student Researcher, collaborating with Clean Water Action and the Dolores Huerta Foundation on water allocation governance; acting as a Zero Waste Coordinator for the UC Davis Sustainability Office; and championing student engagement as the Grassroots Advocacy Coordinator for the Campus Center for the Environment. Her knack for creative outreach shines through her past role as the Social Media and Outreach Coordinator for the Association of Environmental Professionals at UC Davis, and she is excited to bring that energy to EPM!
What excites you about this role that encouraged you to apply?
I have always found myself creating content for the different positions I have held. Whether that was converting content that was in English into Spanish, creating educational materials for grade-school students, or developing a newsletter for dual enrollment students. Additionally, I previously held the Social Media and Outreach Coordinator position with the Association of Environmental Professionals, where I managed outreach materials and our Instagram page. This creative outlet has always been entertaining and engaging for me, so I am excited to continue this work with EPM!
What other work are you doing over the summer?
During the summer, I am very busy; my mindset was that instead of having 15 units of courses, I would have 15 units of work. I am working on my practicum as a Graduate Student Researcher, developing governance within an unincorporated community in the Central Valley to ensure community voices and concerns are heard, particularly regarding water allocation. This position is in collaboration with Clean Water Action and the Dolores Huerta Foundation. I am also working with the UC Davis Sustainability Office as a Zero Waste Coordinator. Within this position, I am responsible for a variety of tasks, including sorting multi-bin waste, tracking e-waste, and developing data. Our main project for the summer is to develop our Sustainability Annual Report for the fiscal year. In addition, I work with the Campus Center for the Environment as their Grassroots Advocacy Coordinator, where we are planning projects for the upcoming year. As I said, I am going to be very busy this summer!
What skill do you hope to develop by working in this position?
I hope to further develop my video editing skills. This is something I am familiar with and have worked with before, but it is tedious. Refining this skill is something I am excited to work on alongside my time management skills. I am responsible for a lot this summer, and I want to enjoy my time off with my colleagues. With that being said, in order to tackle all my work responsibilities and spend quality time with my friends, I must further refine my time management. But this position works exceptionally well with my schedule because it is hybrid.
What are you hoping to accomplish during your time in this role?
I hope to develop new creative content ideas. For example, utilizing our Instagram to create student takeovers. When I was an incoming first-year student, I felt I didn't know what to expect. By having second- and first-year student takeovers, incoming and prospective students can gauge what a “normal day” in the program looks like. These takeovers could also help increase understanding around our program’s comprehensive exam requirements. I also aim to provide a student perspective for our program Director and Coordinator.
What podcast or book would you recommend to people?
I am pretty new to the true crime podcast realm. But based on my current knowledge, I would recommend the podcast ‘Rotten Mango’. Stephanie Soo’s storytelling and narration abilities are impeccable. A book I would recommend is ‘You Sound Like a White Girl: The Case for Rejecting Assimilation’. As a first-generation Latina, I find this story accurate in depicting the struggles many minorities face in finding our place in American society. I recommend this book even if you are not Latina; it could give you some insight into phrases you might think are compliments, but often dim ones spark.