Resilience, Community, and Finding Your Way with Rudy Hernandez

In this episode of Beach Peeps, CSULB Vice President of Student Affairs Beth Lesen sits down with Rudy Hernandez, a social work student whose journey at The Beach is a powerful story of resilience, growth, and the importance of community.

Rudy shares what it was like arriving at CSULB at just 17, navigating college as a former foster youth without a strong support system, and facing early challenges that made the transition anything but easy. From struggling academically and personally in their first year to nearly losing momentum, Rudy reflects on what it means to fail and, more importantly, how to come back from it.

Drawing from earlier experiences with failure, Rudy developed the resilience needed to try again, adjust, and move forward with intention. Through connecting with the Guardian Scholars program and building a sense of community on campus, they found the support that made success possible.

Now thriving in the social work program and preparing for fieldwork, Rudy is focused on giving back, working toward a future supporting transitional-aged youth navigating systems similar to the ones they experienced.

Their message to students is simple but powerful: start with one question, find your people, and don’t try to do it alone.

Rudy’s story is a reminder that setbacks don’t define you; what you do next does.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

I already had a taste of what it was like to fail at college.

SPEAKER_02 0:03

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 0:03

But I was lucky enough to have that failure at an early age where I could learn how to gain resilience from it.

SPEAKER_02 0:10

That wound up being a really good thing for you.

SPEAKER_00 0:13

It really was.

SPEAKER_02 0:14

Wasn't fun at the time, I'm sure, but it really set you up to be more resilient when you got here.

SPEAKER_00 0:19

Oh, it definitely did. It set me up for a whole bunch more. Honestly, it's the one reason why I was able to reach out in the first place because I know what it's like to fail. And because I know what it's like to fail, I was able to find whatever way I needed to to make it not.

SPEAKER_02 0:33

That's inspiring, Rudy. That's really great. A lot of people fail and pack it up and go home. It's really inspiring that you're like, okay, next, like we come back for the next semester and we do it differently next time. I'm Beth Lesson, Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment at Cal State Long Beach. And this is Beach Peeps, a podcast about students, stories, and the interesting things happening on campus and beyond. Hi, Rudy. Hello. I'm so happy that we have a chance to talk today because I see you all the time and we never get to sit and talk.

SPEAKER_00 1:11

I know, but it's always a pleasure to see you around.

SPEAKER_02 1:15

Thank you. Tell everyone who you are. What is your name?

SPEAKER_00 1:19

Of course. Hello, everyone. My name is Rudy Hernandez. I'm currently a third-year social work student with a minor in psychology.

SPEAKER_02 1:27

And you work here in our office. Yes, I do for the Department of Student Affairs. Thank you. That's the best part. So I'm just gonna get to know you a little bit better. How did you wind up getting this job?

SPEAKER_00 1:38

You know what? That is actually so funny. I ended up submitting an application before I even stepped foot on campus. Really? Yes. And the funny thing was, I thought that I was not qualified for this job. So I ended up resending my application. But somehow Like you withdrew it? I withdrew my application. Why? I I didn't know that. Why did you do that? I legit thought that I was not qualified for the position when I first started applying.

SPEAKER_02 2:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 2:02

But um after I rescended my application, I still ended up getting a phone call from Anthony. Oh, good. Yeah. And uh we set up an interview and it went really well. Oh, you must have been surprised because you thought you withdrew. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 2:16

So when you got that call, that must have been a little weird.

SPEAKER_00 2:18

Oh, it definitely was.

SPEAKER_02 2:19

But it worked out.

SPEAKER_00 2:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:21

Oh, I'm so glad because then you wouldn't be here. Oh. Why did you withdraw? So you thought you weren't qualified. What about it? Did you have imposter syndrome, Rudy?

SPEAKER_00 2:33

Yes, actually. Um, I know that um I do have a a good skill set. I I must admit, I do have that.

SPEAKER_02 2:40

You do. You're a fantastic student assistant.

SPEAKER_00 2:43

Thank you. You are. But just coming to campus as an incoming adult. At the time I was coming in, I was actually 17. So I wasn't even an adult yet. So just trying to enter the workforce while also being a college student as a minor was uh very challenging. And I didn't think I was gonna be fit for the position.

SPEAKER_02 3:02

Yeah, we have that in common. I also started college at 17. I have a late birthday in December. So is that the same for you?

SPEAKER_00 3:09

Yes, actually.

SPEAKER_02 3:10

Yeah. So I we have that in common. That was weird, wasn't it? It's weird starting that young.

SPEAKER_00 3:15

It it definitely is. And um sometimes it's easy to feel like you're kind of falling behind because uh not only is it um intellectually, but maturity-wise, you may see differences. Yeah. And uh it's kind of a culture shock, especially coming from a small town like Bakersfield.

SPEAKER_02 3:31

Is that where you're from?

SPEAKER_00 3:32

Yes, that's where I came from.

SPEAKER_02 3:34

So it was already a little intimidating to come to a bigger city.

SPEAKER_00 3:37

Oh, definitely.

SPEAKER_02 3:39

And plus you were 17. That's a lot. Were you scared?

SPEAKER_00 3:44

Um I was. Um, you know, also being a former foster youth, meaning that um I didn't really have much of a support system to rely on uh if things didn't fall, if things ended up falling through. Uh, it really did um hinder a lot of the decisions I made and um almost made me lose out on opportunity like this.

SPEAKER_02 4:04

Yeah. I see you're repping, you're repping the Guardian Scholars program. The our Guardian Scholars program is for students who went through the foster care system. Yes, like you. And I think a lot of people who aren't Guardian Scholars don't know anything about the program. So have you been a part of Guardian Scholars since you got here?

SPEAKER_00 4:23

Yes, actually, I got connected with Guardian Scholars um a couple months before I ended up coming here.

SPEAKER_02 4:29

And who connected you?

SPEAKER_00 4:32

Um, actually, uh, after I got the acceptance letter here, I immediately looked for any resources I could because I knew that incoming as a 17-year-old was going to be a struggle.

SPEAKER_02 4:41

That was really smart. A lot of people don't do that. That was really smart of you.

SPEAKER_00 4:45

I I I'm lucky enough to have a lot of good mentors who help me through that. But um like from high school? Uh yeah. My uh high school counselor was one of my biggest supporters, especially when it came to coming to college. Nice.

SPEAKER_02 4:58

So are you still in contact with them?

SPEAKER_00 5:01

Uh I'm still in contact with them, but it's not as frequent. Yeah. But uh, whenever I am in the area, I I tend to go and visit.

SPEAKER_02 5:07

Stop by. Yeah. I love that. I bet they love it too.

SPEAKER_00 5:10

Oh, yes, it's always it's always a nice surprise.

SPEAKER_02 5:13

Is that so? Tell me, I know that you're in the social work program. Is your uh majoring in social work, does it have anything to do with your having been through the foster care system?

SPEAKER_00 5:24

Um, it's definitely a major contributor, I have to say. I've always had a soft spot, especially for children, and just uh being someone who was unfortunate enough to end up in the system and seeing that aspect of it, at least as an adult, well, close to adulthood. I ended up entering the system at 16. Yeah. So just having that like perspective as someone who entered late, seeing how it affects younger uh individuals really helped me move towards that goal.

SPEAKER_02 5:52

Is so when you study in social work, your intention is to work with children or with adults?

SPEAKER_00 6:01

Or both. My intention is to work with transitional aged youth. Okay. So youth who are either leaving the foster care system or the criminal justice system and transitioning into adulthood. That's kind of the area I want to work with.

SPEAKER_02 6:13

That's a really important, vulnerable, pivotal time for a lot of people.

SPEAKER_00 6:19

Oh, definitely. And we see it constantly where a lot of individuals who don't get that support are at those ages end up uh experiencing more homelessness and food insecurity and a lot more of these issues.

SPEAKER_02 6:32

Yeah, it's a really important time for a lot of people.

SPEAKER_00 6:35

Oh, definitely.

SPEAKER_02 6:36

How was your transition here coming from Bakersfield, being 17? You know, luckily you got a job before you even stepped foot on campus, which is very unusual.

SPEAKER_00 6:46

It was rocky, I must say. Uh, I came here originally not knowing what I needed because I was a dorming student. So uh I almost came here with nothing but just betting. So uh that's real.

SPEAKER_02 6:59

A lot of people that's up that's not unusual.

SPEAKER_00 7:02

Yeah, it it was just a lot. And um, given the nature of uh who held the rights to what I can do, I also was limited into the resources that I could get into.

SPEAKER_02 7:12

So there were like guardianship issues.

SPEAKER_00 7:14

Uh yes. When I moved into the um the dorms here, yeah, I became my own caretaker. Okay. But with that, because I was 17, I didn't have the legal capacity to sign off for things. So I also had to worry about getting healthy health issues, um, getting screened for stuff like that. It it really puts up.

SPEAKER_02 7:33

It's complicated. Legally, it's complicated when you're like an emancipated minor, but you're under the legal age. Yeah. So how did you navigate those complexities? It sounds like it added a whole layer of difficulty to an already overwhelming time.

SPEAKER_00 7:52

I'm not gonna lie, I didn't really handle it that well. Um, being that I was just transitioning, I didn't really have that much trust in my support system as I do now. Yeah. But um after my first semester, it was really rocky, and I just had to confine in um Cheryl, one of the coordinators for Guardian Scholars. And she was really someone who just took my hand and was just like, okay, let's let's see what we have to do.

SPEAKER_02 8:18

I love that.

SPEAKER_00 8:18

And that's how I knew that like I had a support system here.

SPEAKER_02 8:22

A lot of people come here thinking that they're gonna do everything themselves and don't wind up using the help that we offer until things get hard. Um if there are other students who are listening to this conversation, do you now that you're on the other side of all that and you've been super successful for years on this campus, what would you say to someone who is maybe new to campus, maybe not new to campus, and is struggling and having a really hard time and maybe isn't finding success so quickly and easily?

SPEAKER_00 9:00

The one thing I would have to say is just start with a question, honestly. Um, it doesn't have to be a staff member, it doesn't have to be um someone that you know. Just find someone who looks approachable and just ask. Most likely more likely than not, they're gonna be able to point you in a direction that's just any question.

SPEAKER_02 9:17

It doesn't matter what the question is, just start by talking to somebody. Yeah, anyone about anything, because that's the beginning. And for a lot of people, that's the hardest part.

SPEAKER_00 9:26

I'm the type of person that would just wait until there's no other choice but to ask for help.

SPEAKER_02 9:30

And at that point, you'll do it, but it you'll really let it go pretty far before you get there.

SPEAKER_00 9:35

Yes. And that that was something that I did run into uh an issue with going through my first year here.

SPEAKER_02 9:41

But then you reached out to Cheryl. Why Cheryl?

SPEAKER_00 9:44

I attended the weekly meetings that Guardian Scholar had Guardian Scholars had um hosted. And while I was attending those meetings, I was um getting to know all these staff members, even though I wasn't talking directly to them. I was still learning about them, just being in those spaces. And uh just learning about them and becoming familiar was just enough for me to feel comfortable enough.

SPEAKER_02 10:06

So Guardian Scholars does like a weekly meeting, like just kind of a uh hangout, or do they share information at these meetings?

SPEAKER_00 10:15

Um, they do both. Uh uh, they recently changed their schedule. I think it's like twice a month now, but uh they used to do basically weekly, uh, one meeting on like Monday, and we'd just go in and they'll either have a workshop or we'll do a group activity together.

SPEAKER_02 10:30

What made you decide to go?

SPEAKER_00 10:31

I think it was definitely the fact that just coming here and not knowing anyone and not really knowing what to do, you you want that community, you want that connection. And uh it was just an easy way to do it because there was no strings attached to it.

SPEAKER_02 10:44

That was so smart that you did that because a lot of people come here and just go to class and go home and they don't do anything on campus outside of the classroom. It was really, really smart that you went to those meetings at Guardian Scholar and Guardian Guardian Scholars because that's how you felt comfortable enough with somebody to ask a question of them. Because you already kind of knew who they were and you knew that you knew who you wanted to approach. You craved community, you wanted to be a part of the campus.

SPEAKER_00 11:18

Yes. I mean, I've I've I've always been told these amazing stories of people going through their camp, their college experiences.

SPEAKER_02 11:25

Supposed to be the best years of your life, right?

SPEAKER_00 11:26

It's supposed to be.

SPEAKER_02 11:27

Yeah. And in that first semester, it wasn't feeling that way, huh?

SPEAKER_00 11:31

It really wasn't. I was struggling. And um, luckily enough, my roommate was a good friend of mine, so he was one of my support systems going through that.

SPEAKER_02 11:40

That was a while ago. You're in your third year, right?

SPEAKER_00 11:42

Yes, I am.

SPEAKER_02 11:43

And that was only one semester that you struggled, and then you connected with Cheryl and things started getting better after that.

SPEAKER_00 11:49

I'm gonna I uh I wouldn't say that. A lot of personal issues came about during my second semester.

SPEAKER_02 11:54

Really? Having to do with school or in your personal life?

SPEAKER_00 11:57

Uh just having just having to do with my personal life, which ended up taking away from school, which made um the semester a lot harder to come back from.

SPEAKER_02 12:05

That's real. A lot of people struggle with personal stuff that takes them away from school.

SPEAKER_00 12:09

Yeah. Um, I ended up withdrawing from more than half of my classes and only completed about five units of the 12 units I signed up for.

SPEAKER_02 12:16

But you completed something and you stayed. What made you decide to stick with it instead of just giving up? Because if it was that hard, a lot of people would just cut bait. They would, they would leave. What made you say, okay, that sucked, but I'm gonna come back and keep going?

SPEAKER_00 12:37

Um, this actually has to do with some of my high school experience. Um, when I was a freshman right before, right during COVID, I ended up enrolling into the dual enrollment program. Yeah. And um, I was there for about three semesters and ended up flunking out of the program. I already had a taste of what it was like to fail at college.

SPEAKER_02 12:57

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 12:58

But I was lucky enough to have that failure at an early age where, well, early enough stage that I could learn how to gain resilience from it. Oh.

SPEAKER_02 13:07

So that's something So that wound up being a really good thing for you.

SPEAKER_00 13:10

It it really was.

SPEAKER_02 13:11

Wasn't fun at the time, I'm sure, but it really set you up to be more resilient when you got here.

SPEAKER_00 13:16

Oh, it definitely did. It set me up for a whole bunch more. Honestly, it's the one reason why I was able to reach out in the first place because I know what it's like to fail. And because I know what it's like to fail, I was able to find whatever way I needed to to make it not.

SPEAKER_02 13:32

That's inspiring, Rudy. That's really great. A lot of people fail and pack it up and go home. It's really inspiring that you're like, okay, next, like we come back for the next semester and we do it differently next time. You haven't been failing this year. No, you didn't fail last year.

SPEAKER_00 13:50

No, I haven't. I've uh been maintaining about a 3.0 for the city.

SPEAKER_02 13:55

Amazing. That's not that's not just not failing, that's doing really, really well. What changed?

SPEAKER_00 14:02

I I took a step back to see what were my strengths when it came to the classes I was taking. And uh I found out that I was one of the freshmen that made the unfortunate mistake of deciding that I can do 8 a.m. when I could not.

SPEAKER_01 14:17

Oh. And um Oh my god, I had one semester like that in college and that did not work for me either.

SPEAKER_00 14:25

Yeah. Uh especially because it was a calculus one course that I was taking in flunky at 8 a.m.

SPEAKER_02 14:31

Oh I was not ready for not just 8 a.m., but calculus at 8 a.m. Unless you're really a STEM person, that's a tall order.

SPEAKER_00 14:41

It it really was. And I I came in originally as a math uh math education major, so I thought that's what I was gonna do, but that nope. That really showed me that that was not my path.

SPEAKER_02 14:51

Hard pass, hard pass. So you learned. You learned like, okay, no more calculus, no more 8 a.m.

SPEAKER_00 14:58

And I also learned that I worked better in um hybrid or online asynchronous space, okay, where I'm able to do a lot more on my own. Um, it just works better for me that way. That's great. Yeah. And uh because I do get priority registration as a former foster's and part of Guardian Scholars, um, I usually get I was able to make my schedule whatever I wanted.

SPEAKER_02 15:22

So how early in the morning are you willing to come here? Like what's your cutoff?

SPEAKER_00 15:27

For classes, the earliest I would do is probably maybe 9 30, 10 o'clock.

SPEAKER_02 15:33

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 15:34

Really?

SPEAKER_02 15:34

9 30, 10, your brain's ready for class. Yes. Okay, good. And have you ever taken an 8 a.m. class again since then?

SPEAKER_00 15:45

No, I have not. Yes. Have not taken an 8 a.m. I learned my lesson the first time.

SPEAKER_02 15:50

I love that for you. I love that for you. Yeah, you learned. You were like, this doesn't work for me. I'm not gonna do it anymore. I'll do it differently and get a 3.0 instead. Yes. Brilliant. Brilliant. And that's what you've done for the past year and a half.

SPEAKER_00 16:04

Yes, and I'm I'm still going strong and I hope to continue.

SPEAKER_02 16:07

There is no hope about it. You've unlocked your secret. So there's no hope. You've you've figured it out for yourself. That's really amazing. And you've asked for help. And do you continue to interact with Guardian scholars? Are you still engaged with the program?

SPEAKER_00 16:20

Um, I'm still engaged, though I I've taken a step back as I've moved forward in the semesters. Um, you know, caseloads get a lot harder as we move forward, and uh it's just been taking up a lot of time.

SPEAKER_02 16:33

Tell me about the social work program.

SPEAKER_00 16:35

Oh, yes.

SPEAKER_02 16:36

Tell me about what you're doing with social work.

SPEAKER_00 16:38

Of course. Well, I just entered, I just finished my la my first semester of the program. It's a two-year program. Uh, it's cohort style. So whoever we we entered with, we're staying there for the whole two years.

SPEAKER_02 16:51

Oh, so there's your community again. Yes. You really have a chance to turn that cohort into a community.

SPEAKER_00 16:57

Oh, very much so. And um, I was so blessed because this my cohort, I absolutely love. We've already started making these connections and we're hanging out outside of you know classes. Oh, nice. And it's really becoming that community.

SPEAKER_02 17:11

Yeah, that's a big deal. And what kind of you said something about placements. Are you doing field placements?

SPEAKER_00 17:17

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 17:18

Um undergrad, like you're doing it now.

SPEAKER_00 17:22

Uh, starting next semester, I'm gonna be placed for my practicum. So I'm gonna be doing uh one eight-hour shift a week.

SPEAKER_02 17:28

Nice. Where? Do you know where yet? Have they told you?

SPEAKER_00 17:31

Uh not yet. I'm still waiting for that, but I I'm I'm excited.

SPEAKER_02 17:35

This is gonna be your first real like social work-related work experience.

SPEAKER_00 17:42

Yes, it will be. And it's scary, but I'm excited for you. Yes, it's exciting, and it's it's hard to distinguish the two, but I'm excited.

SPEAKER_02 17:53

Is it exciting? Is it scary? It's okay to be both. It's okay to be both. A lot of the things are them are that are exciting are also a little scary. All right. You're you're in your third year, you had a rough start, you totally bounced back, you're living your best life, you've got a great cohort, you're in the major that you that fits for you, that that makes sense for you, you're excelling, you're about to start your field work, um, and do real work in as a social work student. What do students need to learn? Like, you're someone who's figured this out. Like you figured out school. It didn't come naturally from the first second. You had to figure it out, but you figured it out. And now you are you've taken off, you've got it on lock. What do people need to learn about college in general or about this campus when they come here to follow in your footsteps, figure it out, and get on a great path for themselves?

SPEAKER_00 18:58

Honestly, uh I know that I've said this before, but um community is everything. Community. It's it's the one thing that if you can't keep yourself accountable, someone is gonna be able to in that community as well.

SPEAKER_02 19:10

Make sure people know who you are.

SPEAKER_00 19:12

Yeah, as long as you're present, as long as you're there and you're willing to at least try, having community at all shows that you're you're trying.

SPEAKER_02 19:20

Yeah. And then there are people around you who aren't gonna let you fall. Or if they if you do stumble, they'll help pick you up. Yeah. Having those connections are really key. That's that's been enormous for you.

SPEAKER_00 19:33

It's I would say it's been the only thing that's kept me going, really.

SPEAKER_02 19:38

That's powerful. That's powerful. Like you came here from Bakersfield. It's not that's not a big place. And this is a big this campus is 330 acres. It's a big place, it's a big city, it's a big campus. Um, 42,000 students. What do you like about it?

SPEAKER_00 19:56

I mean, what's not to love? From the weather to the beautiful scenery here, it doesn't sound like come on. It's it's hard, it's hard to hate this place. Right.

SPEAKER_02 20:04

I mean, it's beautiful.

SPEAKER_00 20:06

But uh, the one thing I did have to say when I first came here that was a breath of fresh air was the diversity, diversity that I seen here. Yeah. Um, coming from Bakersfield, it's uh Hispanic dominant. So there's a lot of people that look like me, but I didn't really get exposed to a lot of other cultures outside of that or a lot of other, you know, branches of cultures. And um just being able to sit here and uh talk with people of all different walks of life, yeah, has been monumental to just like experience.

SPEAKER_02 20:35

It's perspective broadening, right? Like it really changes the way you think about the world.

SPEAKER_00 20:40

It does.

SPEAKER_02 20:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:42

Uh it it it broke a lot of the limits that I I put on my own uh imagination.

SPEAKER_02 20:47

Really?

SPEAKER_00 20:48

It really did.

SPEAKER_02 20:49

That's that's powerful too. What's something about the campus you don't love?

SPEAKER_00 20:55

I don't love that we started um construction on our Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:03

I would have I could have bet money that you were gonna say either construction or parking. Those are the two big ones.

SPEAKER_00 21:08

Oh, definitely.

SPEAKER_02 21:09

Those are those are the two things. At least the construction I know is that's time limited. That's gonna we're gonna fix it. I mean, literally, that's what we're doing. We're fixing it. It'll take time, but that'll that'll go away. Um, yeah, those are the two big those those are our Achilles heels right now on this campus. Do you think it's worth it?

SPEAKER_00 21:30

I think it is. I I do think it is. Well, I'm I was a little upset to hear that they were closing down our student union because I did love the area.

SPEAKER_02 21:37

It's painful.

SPEAKER_00 21:38

It's painful, yes. But I know that it's for the better, and I know that whatever's gonna happen, it's going to improve this campus no matter what. And I think that the investment in itself is worth everything.

SPEAKER_02 21:52

Nice. And even with the construction, would you if you had to make the decision all over again, would you come back to the Campus?

SPEAKER_00 22:01

110%.

SPEAKER_02 22:02

110%.

SPEAKER_00 22:03

I love it here.

SPEAKER_02 22:04

You do. You do. And the campus loves you too. It does. You're very lovable. Well, thank you, Rudy. It's been so much fun having a chance to sit and talk because we see each other all the time, but we're usually passing, you know, and we say hi and how is your weekend and how is your break? But we don't get a chance to have this kind of conversation. So this has been really special for me to get to know you a little bit bet better. Thanks for spending this time with me.

SPEAKER_00 22:35

And thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_02 22:37

I'm excited for you to become a social worker. I want you out there helping people.

SPEAKER_00 22:42

Well, uh, I hope I can help as many people as I can.

SPEAKER_02 22:44

I I know you will. You have a very good heart. Thank you.