ABOUT ALEXANDER
ABOUT ALEXANDER
Alexander was born on May 25, 2005, to Mexican parents Mayra and Juan Antonio Hernandez in Aurora, Colorado. Alexander has three siblings: older sister Johanna, older brother Anthony and twin brother Juan. He was raised in Montbello, a predominantly Brown and Black neighborhood in the Far Northeastern area of Denver.
At the age of five, he was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, which made him afraid of having conversations with classmates, teachers and even family. After completing speech therapy at the age of six, the Hernandez family moved to San Mateo, Valparaíso, Zacatecas, México.
When Alexander and some classmates walked together to the local library to complete a project, he faced a life-altering experience that negatively impacted his view of the media significantly.
When returning to Denver in 2014, Alexander had to learn how to adapt to new environments and be comfortable with the uncomfortable. He found the perfect outlet to express himself without saying a word: fashion. As the years went by, Alexander's style changed with them. Yet, it wasn't until high school that Alexander gained full confidence in himself.
At STRIVE Prep - RISE, he was the Captain of the nationally-ranked Speech and Debate team, RISE - Speech and Debate. The activity allowed Alexander to write & research topics that he was passionate about, such as the power of using one's privilege to help out the underprivileged and spreading awareness of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, a story that was experienced in his own family.
Alexander mentions that thanks to his former coach and friend, Anna Steed, he is now confident in being a storyteller for those who are often overlooked by traditional media and predominantly white industries. Of course, Alexander wore dapper and stylish suits during competition that helped him express himself.
Now, Alexander is currently pursuing a Double Major in Journalism & Latino/a Studies with a Minor in Political Science at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL.
He is involved in STITCH Magazine, The Daily Northwestern, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists chapter at NU and Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) - Phi Chapter. As of now, Alexander is the Editor in Chief of STITCH, Print Managing Editor at The Daily and Vice President of NAHJ - NU.
He has produced content for editorial, magazine and multimedia spaces and his beats include fashion, music and entertainment, but is open to exploring outside of his comfort zone.
Even though he is still in the early stages of his mission, Alexander is determined to accomplish his ultimate goal: lead the way for minorities to be confident in their abilities and experiences in the journalism industry.