Cornerstone CORNERSTONE_188_website_28_vs3 | Page 16

Cornerstone No . 188 , page 16
Introducing … Hector & Marie Herrera
My​ ​wife , ​ ​Marie , ​ ​and ​I​ ​grew​ ​up​ ​in​ ​a​ ​suburb​ ​of​ ​Los​ ​Angeles , ​ ​California​ ​and​ ​ attended​ ​the​ ​same schools ​from​ ​our​ ​primary​ ​years​ ​into​ high​ school . ​ ​Many people​ are​ surprised​ ​to​ ​ hear​ ​ that​ ​ we​ have​ ​known ​ each​ ​other​ ​since​ we​ ​were​ ​ 8​ years​ ​old , ​ ​and​ although​ ​we​ ​weren ’ t​ very​ ​fond​ ​of​ ​each other ​at​ ​that​ ​young​ ​ age , ​ we​ ​grew​ ​close​ ​in​ ​high​ ​school . ​ ​We​ ​ were​ ​each​ ​other ’ s ​best​ friend​ ​and​ after ​3​ ​ years​ ​became​ ​boyfriend​ ​and​ ​girlfriend . ​ ​ That​ ​was​ ​almost​ ​8​ ​years​ ​ago and​ ​of​ ​ those​ ​ eight​ years , ​we​ ​have​ been​ happily​ ​married ​ for​ two . ​ After​ ​high​ ​school , ​ ​Marie​ ​and​ ​I​ ​went​ ​to​ ​ different​ ​universities​ ​that​ ​were​ ​still​ ​close​ to​ ​ each​ ​other . ​ ​I attended​ the​ ​research​ ​ institution​ ​of​ ​University​ ​of​ ​California , ​ ​Irvine​ ​ and​ ​received ​my​ ​bachelor ’ s​ degree​ ​in​ ​Logic​ ​ and​ ​Philosophy​ ​of​ ​Science​ ​with​ ​a​ ​minor​ ​in​ ​ Political​ ​Science . ​ Marie​ attended​ Chapman​ ​ University , ​ ​a​ ​small​ ​private​ university​ ​in ​ Orange , ​ ​California . ​ ​There​ ​she​ ​developed​ ​ an interest​ ​in​ ​educational​ ​research​ ​and​ ​ teaching . ​ ​She​ ​graduated​ ​with​ ​a​ ​bachelor ’ s​ ​ degree​ ​in Integrated ​Educational​ ​Studies​ and​ received​ two​ ​minors , one​ in​ ​English ​ Literature​ ​ and​ ​ the​ second​ ​in Language​ and​ Literacy . ​ ​From​ ​there​ ​she​ ​went​ ​on ​to​ ​ pursue​ her​ passion​ ​in​ ​teaching and ​ attended​ the​ University​ of​ California , ​ Irvine​ ​to​ receive​ ​her​ Master​ ​of​ Arts​ ​in​ Teaching​ ​and teaching credential . ​ Throughout​ her​ ​master​ ​and​ ​credential​ ​program , ​ ​she​ ​served​ ​for​ a​ ​year​ ​in bilingual ​ elementary​ ​ schools , ​ teaching​ ​ primarily​ ​ ​in​ ​Spanish . Shortly​ ​after​ ​Marie​ ​graduated​ ​from​ ​her​ ​Master ’ s​ ​program​ ​and​ ​I​ ​finished​ ​my​ ​ year​ ​of​ ​teaching math ​and​ ​science​ at​ ​Scale ​Academy , ​ ​we​ ​got ​married​ ​and​ ​road ​ tripped​ ​across​ ​the​ ​United States​ to ​New​ ​Jersey​ where​ I​ would​ begin​ my​ ​ Master ’ s​ in​ ​Divinity​ ​program . ​ ​I​ am​ just​ ​finished​ my​ second​ ​year​ ​of​ ​graduate​ ​ work​ ​and​ ​will​ ​have​ ​one​ ​more ​year​ once​ ​I​ ​return from​ Lausanne . ​ There​ are ​ two​ main​ theological​ ​thinkers​ ​that​ ​I​ ​have​ ​focused​ in​ ​on​ are​ St . ​ ​Augustine ​and​ ​ Bartolome​ De​ Las​ ​Casas . We​ have​ ​fallen​ ​in​ ​love​ ​with ​the​ East​ Coast , ​ ​especially​ ​ considering​ ​the​ fact​ that​ ​it​ was ​our​ ​first​ ​time​ ​experiencing​ all​ four​ seasons ! ​ ​ We​ ​love our​ ​Christian​ ​community​ ​and ​beloved friends .