Spend a few minutes with Raudel Garcia Hernandez, and you feel it: a stillness, an ease, a sense that everything will be okay. It's not something he practices. It's simply who he is.
And he wants to bring that same attitude and demeanor when he walks into a patient’s room.
“I take my time to really understand patients,” he says. "When my family and I went to clinics or hospitals, we sometimes felt like we weren’t being heard. We’d go home, and the problem wasn’t addressed. So I want to take my time with patients, get a good understanding of what they need, and make them feel like they’re not being rushed.”
That gap between the care his family received and the care they deserved stayed with him. It became the reason he chose nursing and the reason he came to the University of Colorado Anschutz College of Nursing to earn his bachelor's degree.
“Growing up, my family always took care of me,” he says. “They made sure I felt supported and cared for, so now that I’m older, I want to do the same thing for them.”
Finding His People
Nursing school is hard. Garcia Hernandez doesn't shy away from that truth — but he found that the difficulty didn't have to be faced alone.
“There will be hard days, and you’ll get disappointing grades, but what helped me was using setbacks as learning opportunities instead of reasons to doubt yourself,” he says. “What I did was stay grounded in my purpose of becoming a nurse and building a strong support system because you don’t have to go through nursing school alone.”
“I want young Latino men to see they can pursue a career that we’re typically not seen in,” he says. “It’s important to be a positive role model and inspiration to others. I feel like I belong in this community and that I’m making a difference.”
He discovered that support in the CU Anschutz Nursing community, and in two faculty members who showed up for him when it mattered most. He credits retired faculty member Sue Bonini, senior instructor Teresa Nino, and instructor Patrick Luna as champions of his success.
“Sue Bonini offered to help me after class every day,” he says. “She believed in me and helped me boost my self-esteem and confidence. And Patrick Luna reached out to me, offering to help in areas where I was struggling. You can approach any faculty member, and they’re happy to help and support you. They’re all trying to set you up for success.”
Walking Across the Stage
When Garcia Hernandez crosses the graduation stage, his parents will be watching — and they'll understand, perhaps better than anyone, what that moment represents.
He is the first in his family to earn a college degree.
“This accomplishment represents a sacrifice for me. It shows resilience and represents everything my family has worked for,” he says. “When my parents came to this country, they wanted a better future for their children. They’re very excited for me.”
But Garcia Hernandez is already thinking beyond the milestone. He sees himself as part of something larger: a signal to others who might not have seen themselves in this profession before.
"I want young Latino men to see they can pursue a career that we're typically not seen in. It's important to be a positive role model and inspiration to others. I feel like I belong in this community and that I'm making a difference."
