As a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) student, Oscar Hernandez Ortiz’s progression to college was limited despite having been academically prepared. Fortunately, the Maricopa Community Colleges stood by their values to provide a quality higher education to all students and provided in-state tuition prices to DACA recipients. PVCC became “home for his initial college years due to the financial accessibility to DACA recipients and the broader commitment by the Maricopa colleges to educate those that make up its communities.” While studying Hispanic Heritage in the Southwest, he became more interested in pursuing civics and politics, focusing on immigration and education. It was then, Oscar found his path at PVCC.
Oscar became highly involved at PVCC including student government president, he joined the Sustainability Club as well as Phi Theta Kappa, and served on the Student Honors Advisory Council. He received various accolades including the Chancellor’s Civic Leadership Medallion from the Maricopa Community College District’s Center for Civic Participation, and the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation Chicanos Por La Causa Scholarship from Chicanos Por La Causa.
As President of Stugo his Sophomore year, Oscar participated in the Student Public Policy Forum (SPPF). Through this program he began to understand the different power structures at various levels of government in Arizona. Additionally, the SPFF created spaces to discuss issues affecting local communities and provided a bridge to insight from local politicians and community leaders. This opportunity refined his professional skills but more importantly was one of the reasons he pursued a degree in Public Policy.
After his time as a Puma, Oscar moved on to ASU to pursue a degree in Public Policy and a minor in Justice Studies; while doing so, he co-founded the ASU Undocumented Students for Education Equity (USEE) to help DACA students obtain resources to navigate higher education. He went on to earn his master’s degree in education with a concentration in elementary education and teaching. He also taught for Teach for America for two years in Avondale, Arizona.
PVCC holds a special place in Oscar’s heart. “I believe that this campus contributed in shaping me into the person and professional I am today. Every milestone I hit, I always take time to reflect on how it all started at PVCC. I am happy for the professors I had, the mentors and friendships I made, but I am more joyful over choosing PVCC because I was able to experience college with people from my own neighborhood.”
PVCC was honored to have Oscar address the Spring 2023 graduating class at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Oscar currently works on the executive team of the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. With aspirations of going to law school, he hopes to continue to use his education to serve as a public servant.