Daya Hernandez was born at Adventist Health Hospital in Reedley, California, and grew up on a ranch located on Newmark, between Parlier and Sanger. As a child, she attended Cesar E. Chavez Elementary from kindergarten through 4th grade, then moved to Matthew J. Brletic Elementary for the rest of her elementary years. If she could give advice to her freshman self, she would say not to let embarrassment stop her from trying new things she’s interested in. Over the past year, she has learned that trying new things can be fun and a great way to learn. In the future, she hopes to be successful and complete college in a career she truly enjoys. She also dreams of having her own home and traveling to places she never thought she’d get to see. Her favorite teacher at PHS is Mr. Ruiz. He’s a teacher who genuinely cares about his students. Even though he has a lot of work, he always makes sure to motivate and encourage his students to do their best. Plus, he has a great sense of humor. What motivated her to become treasurer was the desire to try something new that she thought would be both fun and beneficial. She likes that the role gets her more involved in school, and is something she can include on her resume or college applications. This year, she is involved in several extracurricular activities, including cheer, class office, principal’s round table, ETS, and student council. She enjoys being part of school-wide activities because it’s much more fun than just watching from the sidelines. Balancing all her activities can sometimes be frustrating and tiring, but she believes it’s worth it. She keeps track of everything that needs to get done and works hard to stay on top of her responsibilities. She has struggled with procrastination in the past, but is always trying to find better ways to stay focused.
