Alumna aims to guide struggling students through firsthand experience

In an effort to connect students looking to engage openly in a peer-based community, Yvette Hernandez, a Chapman alumna and ministry intern at the Fish Interfaith Center, hosts the weekly “Be Seen, Be Heard, Be Loved” digital gathering. Photo courtesy of Chapman University

After a tumultuous undergraduate experience at Chapman University in the early 2010s – when the university’s efforts toward diversity and inclusion were even less substantial – Yvette Hernandez, an alumna and ministry intern at the Fish Interfaith Center, nonetheless came back to an environment that once treated her with discrimination.

As a first generation Mexican-American and Latina woman on a predominantly white campus, Hernandez pointed to Reverend Nancy Brink, the director of Church Relations, as well as Reverend Cisa Payuyo, the associate director of Church Relations, as her “spiritual mothers.” They helped shape her faith and guide her through social hardship during her time at Chapman, Hernandez said. That was one of the primary reasons she was able to continue her studies at Chapman University, and in turn, Hernandez wants to offer the same compassion to students even after her graduation. 

“When I went (to Chapman), I was one of the only Latina students. I remember I would try to go to the lunch hall and people would try to ask me questions, assuming I was on staff because I was Latina,” Hernandez said. “I had a lot of awkwardness when I was on campus, and I spent a lot of time in the cubicle in the library so I could get my work done and get out.”

Hernandez attempted to make a connection to home while feeling isolated from her student peers by talking to Hispanic staff members in Spanish. But oftentimes she would be looked at strangely or responded to in English, she said. Even now, though the university’s rates of enrollment in regards to diversity have improved, the Hispanic/Latinx undergraduate student population remains at 15.7% in fall 2019.

Understanding firsthand the toll that comes with the feeling of being an outsider, Hernandez invites students of all backgrounds to join her weekly digital safe space, “Be Seen, Be Heard, Be Loved” on Tuesdays at 5 p.m. She hopes attendees can make connections with other students whose lives may have been disrupted because of the coronavirus. 

As someone who was simultaneously involved in the U.S. military reserve of the Air National Guard while earning her master’s degree, Hernandez empathizes with many of the academic concerns students bring to the group. Hernandez guides the event’s discussion and encourages students to use the space as a cathartic outlet for emotions, expressing their joys and lamenting their grievances – or, as Hernandez repeatedly joked, a setting to “vomit” one’s thoughts and feelings.

“I don’t know why I love the word ‘vomit,’” Hernandez said while laughing. “It’s such a nasty thing, but when your stomach is in that painful state and you feel queasy, you just let it out and it feels so relieving … The act of sharing together, the act of raging together, the act of feeling together is spiritual.”

The event is hosted by the Fish Interfaith Center and Church Relations staff to provide students with accessibility to contact religious leaders for further guidance. However, the idea and actual construction of the project was led by Hernandez, who credits her inspiration to Brene Brown, a social work and leadership consultant advocating for genuine relationships through vulnerability.

Hernandez’s discussions, currently, only see one consistent attendee. Yet Hernandez remains unfettered in her efforts to bring her personal experiences at the university full-circle. She aims to help guide other students struggling with being seen, heard and loved.

“We’re starting with baby steps and understanding that our vulnerabilities are not weaknesses, but are things that actually connect us to each other,” Hernandez said. “When we’re able to get past those vulnerabilities and shameful moments, we can connect to each other more. When we can connect to each other more, we start hearing each other.”