Taking Care of Yourself: A Student’s challenge with Balancing School, 2 Jobs and a Student Government Role

By Harry Boyce

Paula Hernandez is a junior Bellarmine student known for being the former Student Government Association’s vice president of finance, having resigned from the role recently.

Once a pre-dental major at Bellarmine, Hernandez switched to being a business administration and finance double major.

Hernandez smiles for her Student Government Association headshot.

Hernandez had sought election for finance VP due to the experience it would provide. She desires to become a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of a corporation.

Hernandez said the role had an array of responsibilities, with her having to cut $108,000 in budget requests for the spring semester.

“At that point, you’re cutting the people who requested $100, it’s that bad,” she said.

Her adviser, Chris Smith, Bellarmine’s student activity coordinator, said that she had 70 meetings, alongside other committee members, in two weeks.  Brody Young, who has taken over as VP of finance, was especially a help to her, Hernandez said.

Hernandez said she had gotten hate emails and also had been verbally abused by students for cuts she has made to clubs’ budgets. In one case, she was insulted for not reimbursing someone whom she said did not follow the right procedure. She said Smith’s department had an automated email response for scenarios like this.

Smith said Hernandez was a “superstar” and was always willing to help him, even volunteering for his events. Smith said Hernandez’s work was “something that was very important and vital for the survival of SGA.”  

In addition to her role in the student govrernment, Hernandez had two jobs, working at Express and Bath and Body Works.

She worked two days per week at each. Sometimes, due to staffing limits, she works 12 hours at Bath and Body Works. She said she used to answer SGA emails during work.

Hernandez poses alongside Young (left) and other members of her finance committee.

Aside from all these outside commitments, Hernandez remains a full-time student, taking five classes. She said she was raised to have a good work ethic and feels guilty doing nothing.

Hernandez said last semester she was “stressed all the time, and everyone knew. I was on the edge of crying every single day.”

Her roommate, Emily Stephens said that Hernandez always put other people above herself.

But this semester, Hernandez made the decision to step down from her role as VP of finance.

She has been focusing on balance, and said she goes to the SuRF, Bellarmine’s gym, to de-stress. Smith said Hernandez’s family has kept her grounded during these busy times and Stephens said their advice had been very useful in Hernadez’s decision.

Hernandez said she has gotten the experience she needed from her role as VP of finance and now is focusing on assisting Y­­­oung,­ the new VP of finance with the role.