Jared Hernandez
Current Role
Actor in the Seattle area
Major
Biblical Studies, 2007
What’s one thing that surprised you about Corban?
One small thing that had great significance, both symbolically and practically, was when a professor in one of my first classes asked us to stand as he prayed to start off class. As a former public school student, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.
What about Corban specifically prepared you for this next step in your journey?
My experience at Corban is vast in its impact. My degree will forever influence my understanding of my God and my conversations with everyone I encounter. I am especially hopeful working in such a complicated industry where Christianity is not held in high esteem because I have been equipped to speak about my faith in a Colossians 4:6 & 1 Peter 3:15-16 way. I was even fortunate enough to gain professional, managerial, and trainer experience at Corban, having worked in Admissions for seven years.
What’s one thing you would want to tell someone starting their journey at Corban?
Life is exactly that: a journey, not a destination. You will continually change as a person. Remain humble and willing to listen non-defensively to those who disagree with you (including God), pray constantly, and please, please post to social media with careful consideration and tempered emotion. (Okay, that was like three things, but whatever.)
Who is one professor who had a strong influence on your development? Can you give an example?
It’s difficult to pick one person because, for me, it was a confluence of moments that impacted my growth, like Dr. Trull indirectly teaching me that changing “mankind” verbiage to “people” or “men and women” in the Bible was not tantamount to the blasphemy of changing what the Bible says, or Dr. Tim Anderson imploring all of us before we ever decided to get a divorce to come and talk to him first, or Dr. Derickson so masterfully outlining and explaining books like Daniel or Revelation. I am forever grateful for their impact in my life.
How were faith, leadership, and ethics woven into your courses? How did those elements prepare you for life, regardless of where you work?
In large part I believe it was the example my professors set both in the classroom and in their personal lives that helped prepare me for my own experiences. The most prominent example is taking Dr. Anderson’s Christian Ethics class. I still recall challenging concepts I learned in that class that affect my decision-making in my life today. This is especially crucial in the entertainment industry, as moral standards are so often threatened or, at best, convoluted.