Meet Our Alumni
Danny Hernandez
Major: B.S. in management; second major in economics
Service: U.S. Army, Sergeant, served for 8 years
Where were you deployed?
Served in Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom
What brought you to UMass Boston?
(From) local VFW …I came across Veterans Upward Bound (VUB). Since I joined the service at the age of 17, I have to admit that obtaining a college degree was not a priority nor did I understand its value at that age….by my mid-twenties, after serving in Iraq (OIF-Operation Iraqi Freedom) I came back with a new focus but still lacked the confidence to apply to a college despite attending two different universities while on active duty. The two universities that I attended were the University of Alaska in Alaska and Cameron University in Oklahoma.”
What was it like being a veteran and a student at UMass Boston?
“With this boost of confidence (from VUB)…, I applied to UMass. I started in January 2006 as a freshman and took my last class during the summer of 2010 which allowed me to graduate with my degree (in management).
How did you land your job?
“Prior to graduating I landed a job with the Department of Revenue as a seasonal Tax Examiner. After two years, once the tax season came to an end and I was unemployed I applied to the Mass Bay Commuter Rail as an assistant conductor based on a conversation I had during a BBQ. I went to its website and submitted my resume and within a couple of months I was hired as an assistant conductor. After one year of service as an assistant conductor, I was promoted to the position of Trainmaster. One of the deciding factors for my big promotion is my military service. One thing that the U.S. Army instilled in me was to be in the right place, at the right time and in the right uniform…”
What else would you like the world to know about you?
“My family is my number one focus …I married a fellow soldier that I got to know pretty well during our tour of service in Iraq….” Danny and his wife have three young daughters.
