My Rollins Gateway
Connecting the Dots By Luke Woodling ’17MBA | Photo by Scott Cook
Lucas Hernandez ’13 is helping solve his hometown’s toughest challenges by supercharging local know-how with the technological might of one of the world’s largest companies. Combating sea-level rise in the country’s secondmost vulnerable city to coastal flooding. Building more equitable public transportation in the sixth-most densely populated city in the U.S. Miami is staring down some of the nation’s most daunting civic challenges, and it’s Lucas Hernandez ’13’s job to empower community leaders to find answers. As Microsoft’s director of civic engagement in Miami, Hernandez is the techy connective tissue in the network of government and civic organizations crafting solutions to the city’s trickiest issues. On an average day, you’ll find Hernandez crisscrossing the city, harnessing the collective power of his community. One minute he’s on a conference call with the mayor’s chief of staff or the city’s chief technology officer. The 10 | ROLLINS
next he’s helping lead a workshop at a Microsoft retail store or showing local art teachers how to incorporate computer science into their curricula. “It’s a privilege to be in this position,” says Hernandez, “because my work is always driving toward community impact—whether that’s diversity in STEM, enhancing public education, or improving mobility in the city.” It’s a demanding yet rewarding role for which Hernandez was uniquely prepared during his time at Rollins. From recognizing the changemaking potential of public policy to experiencing firsthand the power of grassroots community development, explore some of the important waypoints on Hernandez’s personalized pathway through Rollins.
