From mentee to mentor: Jesse Hernandez ’26 pays it forward in Binghamton EOP

When Jesse Hernandez ‘26 transferred to Binghamton University, he brought with him a challenge from his community-college counselor that would shape everything that followed: Whenever an opportunity presents itself, raise your hand. 

For Hernandez, a first‑generation Mexican-American student from the Bronx, that advice meant stepping out of his comfort zone, trying things he once feared, and trusting that discomfort could lead to growth. It became the mindset that transformed him from a quiet, introverted student into a leader, mentor, and role model within the Binghamton Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) community.

After graduating high school in 2022, Hernandez took a gap year, unsure of what came next. His older siblings had started college but didn’t finish, and he found himself without a roadmap. But he also knew he wanted something different, both for himself and for his younger siblings who looked up to him. 

“I didn’t have someone in my family who had gone through all of this,” Hernandez said. “So I wanted to be that person for them.”

He enrolled at Bronx Community College, a City University of New York (CUNY) institution, and joined College Discovery, CUNY’s version of EOP. That office quickly became his second home. He worked there, tutored there, and found a mentor in Nathan Aiken, associate director of College Discovery.

“The one thing Dr. Aiken told me that I’ve never forgotten was to raise my hand whenever an opportunity came up,” Hernandez said. “I took that to heart, and it opened so many doors for me.”

Those doors led him from the Bronx to leadership conferences in Colorado, a sustainability research program in Australia, and eventually to Binghamton University. Part of Hernandez’s decision to transfer to Binghamton was specifically because it was outside of his comfort zone.

“Everything that’s paid dividends for me has been something that made me uncomfortable,” he said. “That’s why I chose Binghamton. It was uncharted territory.”

At Binghamton, Hernandez found the same sense of belonging he cherished at his community college, joining EOP as soon as he stepped on campus. 

“EOP was a second home to me,” Hernandez said. “I could go to my counselor for anything.”

Hernandez developed relationships throughout the EOP community. From staff and counselors to students, Hernandez felt like he had a whole village rallied behind him to encourage him and keep him grounded. 

“Everyone in EOP is fantastic,” he said. “I can pop into their offices and have a 30‑minute conversation about anything — academics, life, how the week is going. That support means everything.”

Outside EOP, Hernandez found another home in Hispanic Leaders in Networking and Knowledge (H‑LINK), a cultural and professional organization for Hispanic students. What began as a chance encounter in one of his classes turned into a leadership role on the club’s executive board. 

Through H‑LINK, Hernandez helped organize a major career week in collaboration with other professional clubs and organizations, including National Association for Black Accountants (NABA), Ascend, and Women in Business, bringing more than 50 students together with professionals from several accounting firms, including the Big Four. He also joined intramural soccer, made new friends, and embraced the full campus experience he had once avoided.

Hernandez is a recent graduate of the School of Management’s Accounting Program and plans to pursue a master’s degree through Binghamton’s 4+1 program, then sit for the CPA exam. He secured a competitive internship last summer and earned a return offer from the same company after graduation. But even as he talks about his future, he returns to the people and programs that helped him get here. 

“I can’t take all the credit for my success,” he said. “My counselors motivated me. EOP opened so many doors for me. I wouldn’t be here without them.”

Before the 2025-26 academic year, Hernandez became an EOP mentor himself, guiding new students the same way others once guided him. He has had the opportunity to impart his wisdom on other EOP students, and he’s made sure to drive one point home with the students he oversees.

“I tell them to be comfortable with being uncomfortable,” Hernandez said. “Don’t abandon what worked for you in the past, but don’t let what didn’t work hold you back. Try new things. Open doors for yourself.”