Born and raised in Hammond, Indiana, Marissa Hernandez is a natural caregiver.
"I was born in the hospital that I work in now," Hernandez said.
But there are things that occurred between then and now that affected the process.
When Hernandez was young, she suffered from a rare liver disease that caused significant amounts of pain and discomfort. She didn't let that stop her from living her life to the fullest though.
After graduating from Clark High School, Hernandez attended Ivy Tech where she obtained an Associates in Science in Medical Assisting and a certificate in Flabatomy. She even won the Ivy Tech Beta Kappa award for great grades. She was also part of the Ivy Tech All Star Academics Team.
"As a child I was very shy, quiet, and caring. My parents helped me quite a bit through it all so I owe a lot to them," Hernandez said. "And since people took care of me I wanted to return the favor."
So when Hernandez found out about an opening at Community Hospital, she jumped at the chance.
For the last nine years, Hernandez has worked at Community Hospital in Munster, IN. She started out part-time as an administrative assistant and is now a is a CNA, an administrative assistant, and a notary. She is currently back at Ivy Tech pursuing another degree so that she can be a Probation Officer.
In 2013, Hernandez got a liver transplant and she is doing much better now.
In her free time, Hernandez is an advocate for CASA Lake County. CASA Lake County is a nonprofit organization that looks out for the best interests of abused and neglected children that are in the juvenile court system.
"I wanted to do something different. I wanted to get involved with social work somehow, so I asked God for a sign. Two days after that I saw in the paper that Child Advocates were looking for people to be guardians," Hernandez said.
Outside of work and volunteering, Hernandez loves to shop, read, watch movies, and travel. And she had quite a few things to say on how one can be happy and successful in life.
"Go for your dreams, never give up. always keep busy, be adventurous, and and try new things," Hernandez ended.
