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Reaching for the Stars

UC Santa Barbara grad Jose Hernandez shares his inspirational journey from migrant farmworker to astronaut.

Reaching for the Stars

The Hernandez family took over a decade to plant firm roots in California. They migrated around the state, following the seasonal harvest. They spent nine months of the year in California and three in Mexico.

Each time that they would leave for Mexico around the holiday season, Hernandez’s father would send him to school and say, “Kids, get three months of homework from your teacher.”

Hernandez’s 2nd-grade teacher, Ms. Young, finally caught wind of the family’s relocation pattern and decided that she would do something about it. She told Hernandez that she wanted to come to his home and speak to his parents.

Jose Hernandez at UCSB Campbell Hall | Photo: David Bazemore