Andrés Hernandez Jr.

CHCI Education Postgraduate Fellow

Presented by Walton Family Foundation 

Hometown: Dallas, Texas 

School: Duke University 

Degree: Master of Public Policy 

Placement: The Education Trust 

Andres Hernandez (he/him/él) was born and raised in Dallas, TX. As the son of Mexican immigrants, he grew up understanding the value of hard work and resilience. Living in poverty, he observed the inequities that impacted his family and community, particularly in the areas of housing insecurities, education, criminal justice, and immigration. His experiences shaped his view of the world and led him to understand the power of education and knowledge. Andres saw education as one of the few things in life that could not be taken from someone, regardless of economic status or environment. This inspired Andres to become the first in his family to earn a degree in Political Science with a minor in Social Policy from Johns Hopkins University. His desire to learn more about policy led him to complete his Master of Public Policy at Duke University, where he honed his policy, data, and advocacy skills.   

Andres’s professional career ranges from working in education to conducting policy and data analysis. After Hopkins, Andres decided to return to Dallas, Texas to teach 6th-grade math at the school he graduated from. Working with students inspired Andres to return to school for a Master’s program. While at Duke, Andres served as a graduate admissions ambassador and teaching assistant. He also worked for the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, where he conducted data analysis concerning gun violence and researched post-secondary/vocational opportunities for incarcerated youth. After Duke, Andres worked at the City of Dallas as a policy analyst and at the Commit Partnership as an analytics and insights associate working with education data. At the City of Dallas, Andres had the opportunity to work with Council Members and learn more about his hometown and its needs at a larger scale. At the Commit Partnership, Andres was able to apply his passion for education and data to inform state partners on how to improve positive educational outcomes for the districts and students they support. Andres’ life experiences, work in education, and policy background shaped his desire to influence education policy at the national level.  

As a CHCI Education Postgraduate Fellow, Andres looks forward to learning more about the legislative process and engaging in opportunities to work with multiple stakeholders on meaningful and inclusive education policy initiatives. He hopes to advocate for more Latino representation in education sectors and increase access to resources for Latinx students. Andres is dedicated to closing equity gaps to ensure that students and families across the country feel heard, represented, and supported as they navigate their educational journey from pre-K through higher education.