Even though Lizabeth Hernandez started as an ASU Online student this fall, she is looking forward to the face-to-face interaction she’ll receive through ASU Local in Yuma.
Hernandez graduated from Arizona Western College in May with an associate’s degree in business. Through ASU Local, she was able to seamlessly transfer to ASU Online and will earn her bachelor’s degree in business administration with support from ASU Local at the same location she earned her associate’s degree.
“I stayed in Yuma because of ASU Local,” said Hernandez, whose path earned her the ASU Local Scholarship.
Not only will she earn two degrees at the same location, she also works there. Hernandez is a resident assistant in the dorm at Arizona Western.
Lizabeth Hernandez is majoring in business through ASU Online and is getting support at ASU Local Yuma.
“I love engaging with the students and being able to be helpful to them since a lot are new,” she said.
“I’m able to show them around campus and help them have the experience I had as a freshman.”
As a business major, Hernandez, 21, has a lot of ideas.
“I want to open a variety of businesses,” she said.
“I’m thinking about photography, a bakery and coffee shop, and an esthetician school. Those are some of the things I’m passionate about right now,” she said.
“In the future I’m hoping to start a nonprofit organization involving cancer, specifically Ewings sarcoma and breast cancer, because those are the ones that have affected me personally with people who have passed.
“I want to make an impact in a positive way.”
Hernandez answered some questions from ASU News:
Question: Why did you choose ASU?
Answer: The ASU Local program is new in our city and I thought it was an amazing experience to stay close to home and still accomplish the next step for my degree. I have gotten really good support. I have people here who are able to give me the resources I would be able to get on the main campus.
Q: What are you most excited to experience your first semester?
A: I feel like online students in a way have a disadvantage not being on campus, but I don’t have that disadvantage with ASU Local. I feel like I’m not going to miss out on much. I’m excited about being able to transition smoothly into my new university experience while also being close to home.
Q: What talents and skills are you bringing to the ASU community?
A: I have a lot of leadership skills and communication skills. I’ve been very involved in school as far as I can remember. I’m involved in student government at Arizona Western and I also am the business club president. I was involved in so much here and I’ll be involved at ASU as well.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish during your college years?
A: I hope to graduate, hopefully next year, from the W. P. Carey School of Business, and I want to get a master’s and maybe even past my master’s. But for sure I want my master’s degree.
Q: What’s one interesting fact about yourself?
A: I really love cooking and baking. That’s also why I want to open a bakery. I know there’s a lot of bakeries out there, so I need to make myself unique, and I want to start making vegan pastries. I like making macarons because there’s a lot of technique involved in making them. I watch all the cooking and baking shows.
Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem in our world, what would you choose?
A: I would go back to that nonprofit organization idea and figure out ways to give to research, specifically for medications for cancer. I feel like they don’t get the funds they deserve in order to improve the medications. They could be drastically improved with the right funds and with research.
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