January 9, 2023
Joseph Hernandez, associate professor in mathematics, has been named the 2023 recipient of the Spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for his passion for helping others.
The Saginaw native has used the lessons from his past to help mentor and encourage young people by helping them to envision their own dreams for success. Hernandez will receive the award January 16 at the 27th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Luncheon, taking place at The Dow Event Center in Saginaw.
“I try to do what God wants me to do and I think that’s mostly it for my life,” Hernandez said. “Then watching what Martin Luther King Jr. did, that’s what it was about for him. I just want to make a difference wherever I can like he did. It is an honor to be recognized for this.”
Hernandez uses his past life experiences as both testimony and education in order to encourage and ensure a sense of belonging for his students and members of the community. Those experiences led to his decision to attend Delta College for a fresh start. By fate, he met Ray Gutierrez and Monica Hernandez, who were both instrumental in Hernandez’s evolution in and outside the classroom through their dedicated support.
As a student, his love for mathematics blossomed. After graduating from Delta College, he attended the University of Michigan-Flint where he earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics and later earned a master's in mathematics from Central Michigan University. Returning to Delta College in 2010 as a professor, he has since inspired his students to enjoy the subject through his genuine approach.
He is a participant of Delta College’s Society of Hispanic Leaders (SOHL) and the Possible Dream Program, co-chaired the Men of Delta program, and volunteered with the Math Olympics. In the community, he volunteers as an assistant chaplain where he holds bi-weekly church services at the Saginaw County Jail and Saginaw County Correctional Facility in Freeland. He also serves as a board member of the Well of Saginaw Men’s Shelter, a program with the mission to combat male homelessness.
The award is presented by the Delta College Black Faculty and Staff Association and the Saginaw chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha – of which the late MLK was a member. Each year, BFSA members select an employee whose dedicated service to the college and their community demonstrates the spirit of MLK’s humanitarian work and values.
2022 – Lula Woodard
2021 – Beth Kelch
2020 – Carlos McMath
2019 – John Neal
2018 – Veronica Bond
2017 – Monica Hernandez-Alaniz
2016 – Rosemary Reeves
2015 – Dr. Linda Holoman
2014 – Dr. Charissa Urbano
2013 – Carl Ruth
2012 – Beverly Westbrook
2011 – Mary Beth Looby
2010 – Dr. Jean Goodnow
2009 – William E. Ketchum, Jr.
2008 – Teresa Stitt
2007 – Katrina Nichols
2006 – Joan Sabourin
2005 – Jack Crowell
2004 – Neville Britto
2003 – John Pugh
Written by Ashley Terrell, Writer.