Deneen Hernandez had an early introduction to criminal justice as well as anatomy and physiology because babysitters were scarce. Her mother, a marshal for the Seneca Nation in New York, pursued a degree in criminal justice and had no choice but to take little Deneen with her to class. “I helped her study criminal justice, like constitutional law and Miranda rights,” says Hernandez, this year’s winner of the Professional of the Year Award. “I learned how to do those things because of a lack of a babysitter.” Similarly, after Hernandez’s father suffered an injury at his job with Bethlehem Steel, he decided to study nursing. Once again, Hernandez tagged along with her dad and soaked up knowledge about how the human body works and the scientific method.
Though she couldn’t have known it at the time, this early exposure to criminal justice and science was the perfect foundation and inspiration for the career she would eventually pursue. Today, Hernandez works as a forensic scientist and cryptanalyst for the FBI, a job that has her examining sports bookmaking, prostitution, gambling and loan-sharking records, and training officers at other law enforcement agencies.
Before she joined the FBI, Hernandez had a wide range of positions and experiences. She spent time working as a tribal police officer, training correctional officers in New York, working as an Indian gaming inspector and investigator at both the state and federal levels, and serving multiple stints as a university professor.
Though her jobs have been different, Hernandez says her motivation has remained constant. “I went into law enforcement because, as goofy as it sounds, I wanted to help people,” she says. “One thing that stands out is when I was on patrol in the Seneca Nation, we had a home for senior citizens next to the police station. I would drive by in a patrol car and notice a guy in the window, and he would just look at me. I did my regular checks, but one day he waved at me. I thought, ‘Oh my God. I finally got someone to know I am here to help.’ That was a big thing for me.”
Even though Hernandez got a head start in forensic science and criminal justice, her career trajectory and life have had plenty of bumps and turns. After she started pursuing a PhD at Capella University, Hernandez contracted an infection in her spine that forced her to delay her studies. When she was 26, her mother was diagnosed with cancer and passed away quickly. Almost overnight, Hernandez went from working for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to having custody of her much younger siblings.
The experiences have taught her patience and helped her understand that not everything is in her control. “When I want something to happen and it doesn’t, it’s the Creator saying, ‘You’re not ready yet and you need more time. When you are ready, then I will let you pursue it,’” Hernandez says.
One thing that Hernandez has never had to delay is giving back to the Native community, particularly students. Understanding that there is an acute need for more Native people in forensic science, Hernandez created her own curriculum and workshops to let students know about potential career opportunities. “Forensic science isn’t just blood types, biology, and all that,” she says. “There’s a need here at the FBI for artistic skills and surveyors for crime scenes.”
To encourage Native students to consider careers in criminal justice and forensic science, Hernandez makes those disciplines relevant to them through popular culture. She has piqued the interest of students in code breaking by using a language from Star Wars, and she has leveraged the popularity of the TV show The Walking Dead in a workshop called Zombie Apocalypse Autopsies and Emergency Preparedness. The instruction requires students to suit up in personal protective equipment to perform an autopsy on Bob, a full-sized skeleton, to determine what virus killed him.
Hernandez has come full circle from lurking in the back of her parents’ classrooms and soaking in all that she could to being a teacher herself. But what hasn’t changed is her motivation: she still wants to help people.
