Valeria Hernandez (Charlotte, North Carolina) is originally from Guerrero, Mexico, and came to the United States with her family in the beginning of 1997. A majority of her life has been spent in Gainesville, Georgia. Due to Valeria’s legal status she could not apply to any public universities in Georgia, and the funds she could receive were very limited. Johnson C. Smith University offered Valeria a full scholarship, which is why she decided to attend the university. Going into Valeria’s freshman year she knew little about HBCUs. A close friend of hers was part of the first wave of Latino students to attend Johnson C. Smith University, which is how Valeria heard about the different opportunities being offered there. She is about to enter her third year and is majoring in history. After graduation Valeria wants to pursue teaching or possibly go into public history. Valeria’s internship with Levine Museum of the New South has exposed her to the different career paths available to history majors. Participated in Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program America’s Future Summit.