Through his work with K-12 teachers at lower-performing schools in Michigan, Hernandez has helped enable at-risk students to achieve academically, personally and eventually go to college, disproving the myths about at-risk students that many educators in priority schools deal with everyday. His unusual pedagogy, called Real Talk, calls on teachers to make personal connections with students. At the same time, Hernandez also has created specialized college visit programs for students who wouldn’t normally see themselves as college material.