Celia Hernandez-Payan
Celia often thinks back to how her Step Up experience put her life on a different path. “Without Step Up,” says Celia, “my life would have turned out very differently.”
Through Step Up, Celia landed an internship at Hennepin County’s Office of Multicultural Services. Celia spent three summers helping people with paperwork, answering phones, interpreting, and community outreach. Celia credits this amazing experience to her pursuit of a Social Work career. While earning her BA in Social Work and Cross-Cultural Studies, she returned there and met her mentor, Jamie LICSW, who has been a great support along her journey.
After she graduated Suma Cum Laude, Celia turned her eye to policy work. Returning to Augsburg for an MSW, she prepared herself for her current role as a Managed Care Omsbudman for the Department of Human Services.
Celia encouraged her siblings, and would encourage others, to get involved in the program. Her sister is still works as a park coordinator, a path she started as a Step Up intern. “The Step Up program is a stepping stone that [most of] our parents can’t provide us. It’s a gift!”
