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.