The Building Blocks of Roberto Herniman’s Fulfilling Life

By Anthony Mendoza

The foundation of life is built with a loving family, ideal professional career, and selflessness to give back to others. Chico State is the place to begin to build the essential parts of your life that you will cherish forever. This was true for class of ’95 alumnus Roberto Herniman. He followed his heart, and it resulted in a life filled with cherished moments.

Upon coming to Chico State, Herniman was accepted through the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) which opened many doors for him to succeed. He reached the highest score on the math exam at the EOP Summer Bridge program. The EOP Summer Bridge program is a transition program for first-time EOP freshmen, where they develop skills needed before a successful college experience. EOP helped Herniman develop academically, but it also helped him connect with some of his lifelong friends. Tray Robinson, director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, had the biggest impact on him, and 30 years after meeting in Summer Bridge their friendship is still going strong.

“There're many lifelong friends I made in Summer Bridge and still connect with them,” Herniman said.

College is a time where everyone lives different experiences that can be life-changing, filled with lessons and rewarding times. Herniman got married at age 19 years old and had his daughter at 20. His resilient, hardworking, and caring nature manifested through his academics, work, and his new family. Throughout his time at Chico State, Herniman would commute to Marysville for work and come back for late night classes while staying committed to his fraternity and family.

“That first year at Chico State was life-changing for me,” said Herniman. “It was fun times, but it was busy—I started a fraternity, got married, and had a child.”

Herniman co-founded the multicultural fraternity, Epsilon Sigma Rho, alongside eight other colleagues. Being a part of this fraternity made him connect to other cultures, served as an overall basis of life, and exposed him to new people. Epsilon Sigma Rho quickly grew after the first year with a variety of students from different backgrounds. Herniman mentioned Tray Robinson was part of the first class of inductees and after that, the demographics began to grow.

“We liked what they stood for, and wanted to be part of a multicultural fraternity,” he said.

Acts of self-kindness can be seen throughout Herniman’s life due to his commitment to serve others willingly. He’s been a member of the Chico Elks Lodge for five years and continues to take on leadership roles. Herniman’s compassion and charisma with others have allowed him to become a Leading Knight for his chapter in the following year. This organization is committed to fundraising efforts, scholarships for graduating seniors, veteran support, and children’s services. He enjoys doing good things for a good cause because he finds philanthropy work

rewarding.

“I’ve always wanted to do something to give back to the community and do something community service-based,” Herniman said.

Herniman’s family are all part of the Chico State legacy as college graduates. His wife, Estella, is an English language specialist at Biggs Unified School District. His daughter, Marisa, is a receptionist at Success One! Charter School. His son, Roberto, pursued a marketing degree and now works as a sales representative for Ferguson Enterprises. Herniman feels fortunate that his entire family were Chico State graduates.

"My dad was always a constant support system for my sister, Marisa, and me while we were at Chico State. I always went straight to him whenever I had a problem because I felt like he had probably went through it himself when he was a student,” said Herniman. “I wouldn't have been able to make it through if it wasn't for the support of my family."

Not only was he a student, husband, father, and part-time worker, but he was a DJ, also—starting young at 12 up until age 25. This was enough time to build a reputable career by hosting parties and performing at events. Roberto Herniman can add “opened up for Iced-T” to his resume.

Herniman also displayed his skills at an EOP talent show by performing tricks with the turntables. He won first place, which is an incredible honor to have so early on in his DJ career.

“Pretty much anything that plugs in, I’m managing,” Herniman said. “If there’s an issue early on, I like to check it and make sure to get the systems back up.”

As director of the technology department of seven school districts, you can imagine a typical day for Herniman includes countless meetings, phone calls and responding to hundreds of emails. He’s responsible for reaching out to his team to ensure all work orders are getting fixed. Herniman also contacts superintendents and principals, to mitigate any technical problems that arise at any district. Herniman now looks forward to the next chapter in life, retirement, and most importantly his family. And his granddaughter has become his favorite muse in life.

“I’m definitely looking forward to spending more time with my granddaughter after retirement,” Herniman exclaimed.

College is the time to build the essential parts of your life. Herniman got married, started a family, and still excelled in his classes, worked multiple side jobs, and conducted philanthropy work. Although Herniman has been incredibly successful in meeting his goals, he’s excited for retirement and to see what the future has in store for him and his family.