OUR LEADERS
ESTEFANIA HERNANDEZ
Founder / President
Estefania Hernandez is a native of Gilroy and the founder of the nonprofit organization Academic and Wellness Center. Ms. Hernandez completed her early and secondary education in Gilroy. She attended Gavilan College where she received an Associates of Arts degree in Social Science. After community college, she transferred to San José State University where she obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Child & Adolescent Development. She also completed her Multiple Teaching Credential with a Bilingual certification along with a Masters Degree in Education and Curriculum writing. Ms. Hernandez has dedicated her free time volunteering in the community for the last 10 years and has been an educator in Gilroy for 5 years. After her first year of teaching, the after-school tutoring needs in her community caught her attention. Her passion for helping students grow has led her to found this non-profit organization.
ELVIA HERNANDEZ
Co-Founder / Vice President/Chief Financial Officer
Elvia Hernandez is an educator and Vice President of the Academic and Wellness Center. Ms. Hernandez obtains a B.A. in Child and Adolescent Development, a Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential, and M.A. in Guidance and Counseling. She has been part of the education realm for the past 10 years and is passionate about inspiring students of all ages. She truly believes that anyone is capable of learning. Ms. Hernandez looks forward to helping individuals address any challenges they face and providing support that helps individuals be successful!
JOE NUNEZ
Recording Secretary
Joe Nunez is the Recording Secretary for the Academic and Wellness Center. He graduated from Live Oak High School and obtained his B.A. in Psychology at Humboldt State University. Joe is a sales associate in the contract office furniture. Volunteering to be on the Academic and Wellness Centers board is something that Joe was excited to be a part of. Living in the Gilroy community since 2009, he has seen the continued need to support the education system in the area. He is passionate that education and tutoring should be available to all students, no matter what the need is.
JANENE PEREZ
Grants/Fundraisers
Janene Perez has roots in both academia and non-profit programming. She has worked in higher education for nearly 20 years as an educator and administrator. Prior to that, she served in several roles in the non-profit sector, working in public-private partnerships. Janene has a strong passion for community service, and over the last thirty years has been involved with several non-profit agencies throughout Silicon Valley and Monterey Bay, including Child Advocates of Silicon Valley, Reading Partners, WalkThrough, and YouthNOW. Janene holds a BA and MA from San José State University.
ALEJANDRA PUENTE
Treasurer
Alejandra Puente was raised in Morgan Hill and has lived in Gilroy since 2003. She graduated from San Jose State University with a BS in Business Administration. She has over 20 years of experience in Credit and Collections. Currently, she is a Credit Manager for a supplier of occupational physical and hand therapy products. The passion that both Estefania and Elvia have for providing services to children and families of diverse backgrounds in our community makes her honored to be a part of the Academic & Wellness Center as their Treasurer.