Born in Los Angeles, California and growing up in a low income/at-risk community section of the San Fernando Valley, overcoming obstacles has been at the forefront of Fernando’s empowerment. After graduating from UCLA with a BA in Sociology, he decided to pursue his passion which was (and continues to be) empowering, inspiring, and motivating underprivileged youth. He received a credential in Exceptional Needs and a MA in Multicultural/Multilingual Education from California State University, Northridge. Concurrently with his masters, he became a National Board Certified Teacher. He has taken his experiences academically and professionally to develop students of diverse backgrounds, support his colleagues and champion positive change both locally and nationally.