Charlotte Hernandez is a lifelong Portage resident who continues to give back to the Portage community as a 6th grade reading teacher at Fegely Middle School. Graduating in 2005 from Portage High School, Hernandez originally started a career path as a cosmetologist.
“My junior and senior year, I did the vocational program through the high school. I then graduated high school and was able to get my cosmetology license shortly after,” said Hernandez. “I think that having those vocational classes is such an awesome opportunity for students. I really loved being able to spend half my days doing cosmetology courses; then being able to graduate high school and start right into my career.”
Hernandez worked in a salon for two years before starting her family. She is a proud mom of two children currently making their way through Portage Township Schools just as she did. After a few years at home with her children, she decided to go back to college to pursue teaching. Hernandez studied at Indiana University Northwest (IUN) and valued how accommodating the campus was to a young mother.
“I really loved how supportive all of the professors were of non-traditional college students,” said Hernandez.
Hernandez graduated from IUN in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Secondary English Education and has been teaching at Fegely ever since. Despite having started as a cosmetologist, she remembers always dreaming of becoming a teacher.
“I always wanted to be a teacher, but it felt out of reach for me. I never felt like college was an option or something that I could do. A degree felt impossible to me, but it wasn’t until I became a mom that I finally believed I could do it,” said Hernandez.
Becoming a parent gave Hernandez a huge push to follow through with her dreams.
“I wanted to go back because I wanted to better myself for my kids and be the best version of myself for them,” said Hernandez. “I want to show my kids and students that they can achieve anything even if it's not easy. No matter what they’ve been through, they can achieve anything because they are strong, capable, and loved.”
Hernandez exhibits that message both at home and in the classroom. Social-emotional learning and addressing student’s basic needs to show them that they can succeed is important to Hernandez. She fondly remembers Portage teachers she had who inspired her to one day become a teacher because they were positive influences in the school.
“I always wanted to be a teacher. My 10th grade English teacher, Mrs. Lemond, made me want to be an English teacher. I've always had a passion for reading and wanted to share that love of literature with kids,” said Hernandez. I've always wanted to teach middle school because that was the hardest time in my life. I want to be that teacher that I needed when I was that age.”
In her pursuit of being the best teacher she can be, Hernandez loves being able to teach with all of the amazing educators in the Portage community.
“Portage is my home, and if I can do something that positively impacts the community, I want to do that. I love Portage schools. My kids go to Portage schools. I've loved all the wonderful teachers they’ve had, and I love that they care about my kids,” said Hernandez.
When she isn’t teaching, Hernandez enjoys taking advantage of everything the Region has to offer by hiking or kayaking with friends and family, frequenting the many restaurants in Northwest Indiana, and participating in all of the various events local towns put on. Hernandez loves living in the Region and highlights the many benefits of living in Portage.
“I feel like we're very lucky, and I could not live anywhere that wasn't on a great lake, because that's one thing that I've always done my whole life. Since I was little, we hiked and went to the beach and hung out at the lake,” said Hernandez. “We have the beach. We have the dunes. We have so many beautiful hiking trails. We're also in close proximity to the city. There's so many cool things that are just a short drive, like Illinois or Michigan. We have a little bit of everything.”