Get to Know Bryan University Financial Aid Analyst Evelyn Hernandez 

“It feels like my second family. So I enjoy being able to just collaborate with my team and just get things done,” says Bryan University Financial Aid Analyst Evelyn Hernandez. She’s been on the BU team for two years, and her favorite things about her role are making a difference in the lives of students and having a team that wins together. 

Evelyn creates financial aid packages for students in their second year and on through graduation. She started at BU as a financial aid assistant and then moved up to FA Advisor and ultimately to an FA Analyst. She loves helping students and says it’s always a good feeling to help students secure the funding they need. 

Out of BU’s five core values, she relates the most with Winning Together because that’s what her team does. “It’s really winning together,” she said. “They’re always trying to figure out if there’s another way that we feel that would be best to help the students, or that would make our job better. So it’s a lot of teamwork, a lot of winning together, a lot of collaboration, a lot of support. I love being part of our team.” 

She worked in higher education before and loved it, so when she saw the posting for the BU job, she looked into the school and liked the core values and the reviews. Now two years later she says it’s one of the best jobs she’s ever had. 

Evelyn was a young mom when she started her career, so it was a challenge at times to navigate professional development while raising her kids. She overcame it by staying positive and focusing on her mentality. 

“If you think you can’t do something, you’re not going to be able to overcome it. So I would say for me what helped me a lot was just staying positive, taking small steps at a time, and just keep working your way up,” she said. “Just take it one day at a time, one step at a time, and just stay positive.” 

Another professional challenge she faced was pursuing positions that required a degree. It inspired her to go back to school, and she’s completed several degree programs, most recently earning her Associate’s Degree in Graphic and UX/UI Design at BU. 

Wanting to do the best for her family is one thing that keeps her motivated, but she also finds motivation from herself and her own self-worth. “I actually just want to see myself succeed at everything I put myself out there for.” 

Her best advice for anyone just starting out is to always be open to learning. 

“You’re never too old to learn something new. Be flexible. Be open-minded when it comes to learning things because there’s always more than one way to learn, more than one way to do something,” she said. “Be persistent and just stay consistent. Stay determined and just have a goal in mind. So that way you can always come back to it. If you have to write those things down, write them down and just revisit that every so often, just so that you can keep yourself on track.” 

She says it’s also important to have a support system or people you can count on to help you stay accountable for your goals for yourself. 

Outside of work, she loves spending time with her family and reading. She’s a huge Harry Potter fan and recently joined BU’s book club. She wants to learn Italian one day, a bucket-list item for her, along with visiting Italy. 

In the future, she wants to stay at BU and continue working her way up, and one day, she aspires to own a business. 

For anyone considering a career at BU, Evelyn says: “Go for it. Go all in, and you won’t regret your decision because it is honestly one of the best places to work that I’ve ever been at.” 

The Bryan University Employee Spotlight is an initiative that recognizes employees monthly. All employees of Bryan University are eligible. Learn more about Careers at Bryan University.