Student Spotlight: Michaela Hernandez, Senior, Philosophy

Michaela Hernandez will be the first to admit that she was less than excited about coming to UAA. She had hopes of going to an Ivy League school on the East Coast, but when members of her family became terminally ill, she decided to stay close to home for college. It took her a while to be proud of attending UAA, but she can most certainly be proud of the things she's accomplished as a Seawolf. "I can say that I got a great degree from a great university, even if I didn't know it at first."

A senior philosophy major, Michaela is uber involved in campus life at UAA. The majority of Michaela's high school friends left state for college, so she wanted to make new friends. She joined student government, a sorority, the Seawolf Debate Team and the University Honors College, and immersed herself in campus life.

She's a firm believer in extracurricular activities and their ability to enrich anybody's experience, anywhere. "Extracurricular activities help you find balance, learn how to manage time and keep you engaged."

She just completed a term as president of UAA's Union of Students, USUAA. Before serving as president, Michaela went through all the rungs of the system as a housing representative, senator and vice president. "I had a really full experience there," she said.

During her term, Michaela was inspired by an article in UAA's student newspaper The Northern Light about a young woman who had been raped, but couldn't afford counseling to talk with someone about her terrifying experience. The story moved Michaela to initiate access to free mental health care for UAA students. "It's really significant to hear that you have impacted somebody's life," said Michaela. "I made a tangible difference and I totally changed somebody's life."

A debater since high school, Michaela is now a superstar of the UAA Seawolf Debate Team. "I have been really fortunate to be on the UAA debate team, particularly on the competitive traveling squad," she said. "I've had lots of opportunities that I wouldn't have gotten anywhere else."

The team is ranked second in the nation behind Yale University. "We've worked so hard to be prepared, to practice, to really go out there and represent UAA and the intellect that can and does exist on this campus." Michaela explained that teams like Oxford and Cambridge would be out in the hallway before a debate talking about competing against UAA. "It's just a really stellar feeling, coming from a Tier III school in Alaska and making people from Oxford nervous before a debate."

Michaela obviously likes responsibility. That's why she's also the president of her sorority, Sigma Sigma Sigma. The group fosters academic excellence and community service, and volunteers with several local organizations including Broken Sparrow and Bean's Café.

She's also a member of the University Honors College and Forty-Ninth State Fellows program, which is making her more well rounded and prepared for a leadership position in whatever field she chooses to go in to. Michaela isn't the type of student to back away from more work, and in fact welcomes it. "I really wanted to write a thesis so that I could have a good writing sample for graduate school, but also so I could have the experience of doing research, compiling work and being proud of the end product."

Michaela has big plans for her future, and thinks her philosophy degree from UAA will transfer well to her future career goals. It's taught her to be articulate, to listen and understand, and to clearly share her ideas.

She's currently considering two completely opposite paths: a master's in Islamic Studies or a master's in Play Therapy.

A trip to Turkey and a Western Religion class opened her eyes to the fact that not all Muslims are the same, and a lot of people don't realize that. She became frustrated at how little people know about Islam and how many generalizations they would make about the way women are treated and the way societies are run. "I thought, 'What could I do to make that better?' and it made me want to be a teacher to share with people what Islam is actually about."

On the other hand, Michaela has been volunteering with people with special needs since the sixth grade. "I've always found it really rewarding to help people do the things I take for granted," she said.

"Tying my shoe is easy for me; it's not for some of the kids I work with." Her love for helping people reach their goals is why she's considering pursuing a master's in play therapy.

Michaela has experienced first-hand the diverse opportunities available to students at UAA. She encourages others to not be afraid to talk to advisors, to apply for scholarships, and to get to know what kinds of things exist on campus. "It'll help you make friends and will make your experience so much better."