Alexander Hernandez-Siegel's new office in the Collis Center is easy to find, as colorful banners direct the way to his heavily decorated door. The impact that the College's newly appointed Latino/Hispanic Advisor will have on the community should be hard to miss as well.
Hernandez, who is from a Puerto Rican family in Pennsylvania, said mentoring runs in his family. His mother works as an advisor in an elementary school. "I feel in this position that I'm following in my mother's footsteps," Hernandez-Siegel said.
Hernandez-Siegel sports an impressive resume. After obtaining a undergraduate degree in cultural and social anthropology from Pennsylvania's Millersville University, he moved on to study at American University's School for International Service.
He served under Pennsylvania Governor Robert Casey as a research intern to the Governor's Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs. As an intern, he helped gather data on health and educational issues facing the state's Latino population.
Now a graduate student at Dartmouth, Hernandez-Siegel is working towards his Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies. His thesis focuses on the Latino presence in the Ivy League.
Yet his resume and degree aspiration are not his only qualifications. Before reaching his current position, he served as an assistant director in the College's Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action and as a co-advisor to La Alianza Latina, the campus Latino organization, and to La Unidad Latina, the College's new Latino fraternity.
Hernandez-Siegel said his undergraduate experience at a school where only two percent of the student body was Hispanic, helps when advising students at Dartmouth, where only five percent of the student body is Hispanic.
"It's useful to have someone who's in tune with some of the things that a Latino student will encounter here," Hernandez-Siegel said.
"Dartmouth and Hanover are great places to be at, but many students find the area to be homogenous and very different from home. That comes as a shock. But that varies with the student," Hernandez-Siegel said.
Hernandez-Siegel's friend, Norma Andrade '99, said she appreciates the perspective he brings to his job.
"When students can't communicate with administrators so much, it's important to have an adult figure to have an overall understanding of the Latino community," Andrade said.
As an advisor, Hernandez-Siegel will operate under Acting Dean of the College Dan Nelson. He will serve as not only a counselor, but also as somebody who can direct students towards previously unknown resources.
Hernandez-Siegel will also be the voice for the Latino community. "I help Latino students have a voice for their concerns and needs," he said.
Andrade said she believes that Hernandez-Siegel is perfect for the job.
"He's the most approachable person," she said. "He has everything that you'd want in an advisor. He's not only a mentor, but also a very close friend. Someone who can just talk to you."
When not advising students or studying for his Masters, Hernandez-Siegel finds the time to play the bassoon, read and write. He is a Latin American music connoisseur, listening to such artists as Alfonso Moreno, a classical guitarist, and Puerto Rican salsa bands.
