Daniela Hernandez

Associate, SB Partners

Class of 2023
BBA in Finance

Member Of: Student Government Association, Center for Student Enterprise

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Meet Daniela, an incoming Lubin Ambassador for the Student Government Association (SGA) on our Pleasantville Campus. This Bronx native is pursuing a major in Finance and has been very involved on campus. By taking advantage of our experiential learning opportunities and becoming a Pace Tour Guide, Daniela has learned everything there is to know about Pace. She is ready to take on the challenge of advocating for the Lubin student body with SGA.

Why did you choose Pace University and the Lubin School of Business?

I chose Pace University for the dual campus experience. Coming from the Bronx, I knew that I wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city for my college years, but I also knew that I would have great access to many opportunities for my future career in finance in the heart of Manhattan.

You have been a Research Manager for Pace Connect, one of our student-run businesses on campus which acts as a research and call center, since your first semester at Pace. Tell us a bit about that professional experience.

As a Research Manager, I have strengthened a lot of skills for my resume. I have been able to gain real life experience that I will further carry into my future career, such as learning how to efficiently complete phone calls with clients and employers. Dr. Kathy Winsted, our advisor, is always teaching me new things about data and research: from creating tables and graphs to effectively writing an executive summary for our data reports. Since I have taken over as Research Manager for Pace Connect, I am finding new ways to improve our student-run business. Being able to do this for our community at Pace gives me confidence that once I graduate I will be able to do this for my future business or employer.

You are also on the Pforzheimer Honors College's Programming Committee on the NYC campus. What have you learned from that experience so far?

Despite all the stress and hard work that goes into the time-consuming process of planning on-campus events, I genuinely enjoy having an idea and being able to make it come to life with support from my team. In the Fall of 2019, my favorite event to help plan was "Harry Potter Movie Night." I loved to see how everyone on the Programming Committee transformed the creative ideas we brainstormed together into a reality. Event planning has taught me how to use limited resources in a creative way and how to make an every-day lecture hall look like a Hogwarts classroom. I found that the challenges that we overcame along the way made event planning fun and exciting! Under high pressure and fast paced circumstances, we are forced to come up with inventive and new ways to work around the problems we encounter.

As a Research Manager, I have strengthened a lot of skills for my resume. I have been able to gain real life experience that I will further carry into my future career, such as learning how to efficiently complete phone calls with clients and employers.

You are a tour guide at the Welcome Center. How has that experience transformed your life on campus?

The Welcome Center has given me a sense of family here on campus. I have coworkers and managers that truly care about me and how I am doing. As the COVID-19 pandemic impacted so many of us, our managers made sure to check in with us to ask what our work from home environment was like. They also asked when we could work or when we needed a day off. My coworkers would check in with me and Zoom meetings allowed us to maintain our normal sense of community while wishing we were all back together. The Welcome Center is more than just a stop on tours for prospective students; it is one of the places that solidified my love for Pace.

Do you have any advice for other Lubin students looking to get involved on campus?

Don’t be afraid to apply for a position with the student-run businesses! Maybe you feel like you don’t have the right experience on your resume yet, or maybe you’ve never even had a job before, but don’t let that discourage you! Working for Lubin’s student-run businesses isn’t an evaluation of your knowledge, it’s help for your career growth. When it comes time to settle down and find your career you will already know what you’re good at and what you enjoy doing. Explore each part of the business and discover what makes you happy.

What motivates you to work hard?

My parents motivate me to work hard. Seeing the life that they have provided for our family and how they came from humble beginnings to make it to where they are today shows me that through hard work and dedication, I too can be just as incredible, if not better than them.

What does #LubinLife mean to you?

To me, #LubinLife is getting real world experience and becoming a future business leader—all from the safety of the Pace University campus. Thanks to the student-run businesses, so many of us can find out what we love to do and how to do it well.

The Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship to analyze community services and resources

The Community Fund of Bronxville, Eastchester and Tuckahoe is partnering with Pace University to conduct a community needs assessment of programs and services available to residents.

In partnering with The Helene T. and Grant M. Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Pace University, The Community Fund is seeking to identify the types of services and resources available to residents, and to address any potential gaps or inadequacies in areas such as human services, health care, housing, public safety, day care, and recreation, among other vital community needs.

“The Community Fund is committed to supporting critical social, health and well-being programs that dramatically improve the lives of the people in our Bronxville, Eastchester and Tuckahoe Community,” said Amy Rutter Korb, executive director, The Community Fund. “Our partnership with Pace on this innovative needs assessment will help us not only determine the best programs to be supporting in and around our community, but also help direct the funds we raise to the programs that our community members care most deeply about.”

The Community Fund, which was founded in 1919, currently supports 26 social service agencies and community programs that provide critical services to Bronxville, Eastchester, Tuckahoe and the area within the Bronxville 10708 zip code – often at no cost to people who cannot afford to pay. Additionally, The Community Fund provides administrative support to the agencies it supports through on-going site visits, consultations, workshops and forums.

As part of this year-long partnership between The Community Fund and Pace University, Pace Public Administration and Wilson Center faculty and researchers will develop an in-depth community survey with interviews (all responses will remain confidential) targeting community members and leaders in the areas of public health, human services, business, nonprofits, government and the like. They will then analyze the information and complete a full report with recommendations on areas of need. The Community Fund will disseminate and present the findings in a series of community meetings and public announcements.

“Taking a good hard look at community resources and comparing them to current needs goes a long way to ensuring that no person or group is overlooked, and that The Community Fund is maximizing its reach and impact,” said Rebecca Tekula, executive director of the Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship, and professor of public administration at Pace. “We are looking forward to working with The Community Fund on such an important endeavor.”

“This data will allow us to understand the ongoing needs of the residents in these communities, which is especially important during these unprecedented times” said Gina Scutelnicu Todoran, department chair of public administration at Pace. “We look forward to seeing these results and are proud of this partnership with The Community Fund.”

The mission of the Helene T. and Grant M. Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship is to promote social change through entrepreneurship. The Center furthers this mission by serving Pace students across all disciplines, social enterprises and nonprofit organizations with education, research, communication, and advisory service.

Wilson Center and Public Administration faculty and graduate students have completed a variety of in-depth research projects and reports for local governments and community organizations across a variety of areas, including an assessment of K-12 learning programs for the Westchester Children’s Association; the economic impact of the nonprofit sector in Westchester County; a community assessment of performance for the Port Chester Police Department; and Pace University’s overall economic impact in New York State.

About Pace University

Pace University has a proud history of preparing its diverse student body for a lifetime of professional success as a result of its unique program that combines rigorous academics and real-world experiences. Pace is ranked the #1 private, four-year college in the nation for upward economic mobility by Harvard University’s Opportunity Insights, evidence of the transformative education the University provides. From its beginnings as an accounting school in 1906, Pace has grown to three campuses, enrolling 13,000 students in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in more than 150 majors and programs, across a range of disciplines: arts, sciences, business, health care, technology, law, education, and more. The university also has one of the most competitive performing arts programs in the country. Pace has a signature, newly renovated campus in New York City, located in the heart of vibrant Lower Manhattan, next to Wall Street and City Hall, and two campuses in Westchester County, New York: a 200-acre picturesque Pleasantville Campus and the Elisabeth Haub School of Law in White Plains. Follow us on Twitter or on the Pace News website

About The Community Fund of Bronxville, Eastchester and Tuckahoe

The Community Fund is a locally-focused grant making organization comprised of resident volunteers that provides financial assistance and administrative support to non-profit organizations whose programs target the health, education, and welfare of local Bronxville, Eastchester, and Tuckahoe residents. Our mission is to help the members of the BET with their most pressing needs. The Fund invests $500,000 annually into our community through macro and micro grants targeting quality of life issues. Our staff and volunteers are dedicated to ensuring that the most vulnerable members of our community are taken care of and that all resident’s lives are improved dramatically through our support.

Pace Women’s Justice Center (PWJC) announces the New York State Attorney Emeritus Program’s (NYS AEP) recognition of six PWJC Pro Bono attorneys for their generosity of time and experience. To maintain AE status, attorneys who have reached 55 years of age, have practiced for 10 years or more, and who volunteer with a host organization are required to volunteer 60 hours over a 2-year program. The PWJC Pro Bono volunteer hours for the six attorneys recognized by NYS AEP total 1,848.75 hours in just one year, during the pandemic, exceeding the requirement 30 times over in half the time. Of the six attorneys, three of them volunteer in multiple PWJC programs, the individual hours for each attorney ranged from 108 to 591 in the year.

PWJC congratulates Susan Douglass, Stephen Jacoby, Jean Meyerowitz, Jill Miller, Shirani Ponnambalam and Emilia Rodriguez on this well-deserved recognition. The PWJC Pro Bono Program was responsible for more than 12,000 hours of legal services in 2020. Pro Bono attorney opportunities include active participation in PWJC’s Legal Helpline, Family Court Legal Program (FCLP), Walk-In Legal Clinic, Be Prepared Project and Uncontested Divorce Project. For more information email the Director of Pro Bono Programs, Natalie J. Sobchack at nsobchak@law.pace.edu.

The organization celebrates its 30^th anniversary, this year, of dedication to its mission and commitment to provide trauma-informed/victim-focused quality legal services to victims of abuse and sexual assault. PWJC's free civil legal services provide victims of abuse and sexual assault opportunities and resources to empower themselves and begin their journey away from abuse and towards healing. Your support will directly help victims of abuse.

The Pace Women’s Justice Center (PWJC) is a self-funded nonprofit legal center located at Elisabeth Haub School of Law, under the 501(c)(3) status of Pace University. Each year, PWJC provides free legal services to over 3,500 victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse, as well as conducts or participates in over 140 training and outreach events. Serving Westchester and Putnam Counties, PWJC’s mission is to pursue justice for victims and prevent abuse through quality legal services, community partnerships, education, and awareness. With an experienced staff and a team of dedicated volunteers, including attorneys, other professionals, and students, PWJC has built an effective, coordinated community response to interpersonal violence.

What does it take to be one of New York’s famed Radio City Rockettes?

A lot! Hundreds of dancers compete for just 80 spots, and this year 14 of those spots went to current Pace students and alumni.

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Training Pace students in a variety of dance styles helps ensure they are versatile and prepared to take on iconic roles like the Rockettes, which require proficiency in ballet, tap, and jazz, according to the Christmas Spectacular’s website.⁠

“[It’s] very demanding physically and mentally and has always pushed me to be my best,” said Joneisha “JoJo” Carmichael ’22 of Pace’s Commercial Dance program in a recent New York Business Journal article.

“That is exactly what being a Rockette is,” JoJo said. “You are constantly aiming to be your best self every rehearsal and every show.”⁠

Want more stories like this? Follow @PaceUniversity on Instagram.

Commercial Dance, BFA

Bi-Coastal Dance Training

Studying commercial dance in the Pace School of Performing arts, you’ll be a part of one of the few dance programs in the country that truly opens doors to the industry. Students not only train in ballet, jazz, theater dance, hip hop, modern, tap, contemporary, aerial arts, and other dance styles, but also take acting, vocal music, other electives to broaden their experience and marketability as a dancer.

Learn more about the Commercial Dance program

What inspired you to pursue a career in law?

I was always taught "knowledge is power." I felt that pursuing a career in law would allow me to make the most significant impact on my community and beyond. I grew up in the John Adam's Projects in the South Bronx and Co-op City, splitting time with my mother and father. I was the second in my family to graduate from college, first to attend a top 50 university. I am the first in my family to attend law school or any other graduate program for that matter. Education is important to my family and important to me and I am proud of my path so far.

What do you feel makes Haub Law special?

I made a decision from the day I attended orientation during my 1L year that I was going to make a difference here. The entire Haub Law community made me feel welcomed and treated me like family. They guided me and enabled me to get involved as much as possible so I can truly make an impact. I will always be thankful for the community here at Haub Law.

What or who has inspired you during your time here?

The admissions team, specifically, Miguel Sanchez Robles and Cathy Alexander both reached out to me early in my law school career. The admissions team has been consistently resourceful and have opened the door to so many opportunities for me.

What are your hopes after you receive your law degree?

I am currently enrolled in a guided externship program where I am a Legal Intern for Definitive Sports Group, working with professional athletes. After graduation, I want to continue to work in the sports and entertainment world. There are so many opportunities and directions I could see myself going. I aspire to continue working with professional athletes, musicians, and actors/actresses on business relations, negotiations, etc.

Are you involved in any professional activities or organizations?

Yes! So many. I am VP of LALSA, a Member of Phi Alpha Delta Fraternity, Homburger Chapter, the Sports, Entertainment, and Arts Law Society, the New York State Bar Association, the Puerto Rican Bar Association, the Hispanic National Bar Association, and the Hudson Valley Hispanic Bar Association. I am also the 3L Representative for the Pace Law Student Bar Association and a Peer Leader. Importantly, I am also a Board Member of the Pace Law Diversity Board.

How has your Latinx background made you who you are and influenced your current and future path?

When I was in undergrad at Penn State, I was ashamed of who I was and as a result, I fabricated my identity to avoid being constantly ridiculed for being a Puerto Rican from the Bronx. When I got to Haub Law, I decided it was time to change all of that. I quickly realized that I should be proud of who I was and where I came from and for aspiring to beat the odds and make something of myself. At Haub Law, I joined LALSA to make a difference and to represent the Latinx community. I want people to know how important it is to be comfortable in your own skin and everything else that makes us who we are. I was the 1L Representative, Secretary, and now am Vice President of LALSA – and I am proud of that. Diversity comes in many different shapes and sizes, but all of which are important because there are no two identical stories. Each person provides their own perspective and learning experiences. Latinx lawyers are not a majority, and many Latinx families do not strive for that career path. I hope to serve as inspiration to others so they may follow my path into the legal profession. An additional important point, for some, determination is not enough. In the future, I hope to be in a position to provide additional resources to those in need so they too, can be all they wish to be.

What are some of your hobbies outside of school?

I love playing sports and producing music. I spend a lot of time in the studio putting pieces together. I also enjoy doing volunteer work with the community. I went to Puerto Rico in May and collaborated with Helping Hands for Puerto Rico, rebuilding schools and community centers.

What advice would you give a new or prospective student about pursuing a law degree?

Be yourself and find YOUR routine. You will hear everyone tell you their own opinion and how to do law school, you need to find out what works for you and be true to yourself. The pieces will all fall into place from there.