By Dan Lathey
 
Pushed by curiosity and a strong will to contribute to the betterment of society, former Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) cross country standout Rebekah Hernandez is pursuing her passion by working as a Data Analyst for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Washington D.C. Before making the journey from her hometown of Laredo to the nation's capital, she achieved a storied four-year athletic and academic career (2014-17) that set the standard of excellence for all TAMIU student-athletes to emulate.
 
Undoubtedly the most accomplished runner in TAMIU cross country history, Hernandez's list of accomplishments is long and impressive. She was the Heartland Conference Champion as a freshman in 2014, a two-time NCAA Championships qualifier, a three-time NCAA Regional Championships qualifier and a four-time All-Heartland Conference performer. Hernandez was also a nine-time Heartland Conference Runner of the Week.
 
Hernandez established TAMIU records in the 5K (17.58.8 at the Missouri Southern Stampede) and 6K (21:42 at the NCAA South Central Regional Championships) as a senior. The record-setting 6K run at the regional meet advanced her to the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships for a second time.
 
In addition to her athletic achievements, Hernandez was awarded the top two honors annually presented by the TAMIU Athletics Department. She was a two-time recipient of the Director of Athletics Award, presented to those who have achieved regional or national recognition along with a significant record of success, and a one-time recipient of the President's Scholar-Athlete Award, presented to athletes who earn a record of outstanding academic and athletic accomplishments.
 
Hernandez credits many individuals with helping make her TAMIU experience a positive one and says her success as an athlete and scholar instilled a sense of confidence for future endeavors.
 
"As an athlete at TAMIU, cross country was the highlight of my college experience, and I am so thankful to everyone that was there to encourage me from my teammates and coaches to the athletics department staff," Hernandez said. "As I was able to compete at the national level in my career, this accomplishment helped me to see that the limits to everything I set my mind to in life are endless."
  
After earning her Bachelor's of Science in Biology from TAMIU, Hernandez and her husband Hector Moreno (also a former TAMIU cross country athlete) relocated to the Washington D.C. area in 2018. She began her career with the EPA in 2019. In her current role with the agency, Hernandez works with a team that strives to maintain an environmentally friendly society by screening experiments for new products before they are placed on the shelves for public consumption.
 
Hernandez says her career and life in Washington D.C. is both rewarding and challenging.
 
"I really enjoy my career and being able to contribute in helping to protect not only the environment, but human health as well," Hernandez said. "I enjoy the work-life balance as I'm able to go into work throughout the week, but also enjoy time with my husband by attending fun festivities that the city has to offer in the evenings such as kite festivals, hiking trails, cultural events, and sporting events."
 
Not surprisingly, Hernandez has remained an active runner over the last several years. She joined the Georgetown Running Company in February 2018, a competitive running club comprised of elite athletes who had previously competed for various collegiate programs and Olympic teams. Hernandez competed with her team at the 2018 Club Nationals in Spokane, Wash. in a race for all post collegiate runners.
 
Near the end of 2019, Hernandez decided to take a break from competitive running for a while to instead enjoy the activity as a leisure sport. She is planning on running in a couple of local D.C. area races later this year (depending on the pandemic situation), but for now is content on her hobby of soaking in the history of our nation by running on the scenic trails of D.C., Virginia and Maryland.
 
TAMIU cross country coach Benny Rodriguez says Hernandez was extremely dedicated and always ready to push herself to the next level.
 
"Rebekah was a strong, resilient and committed runner who never complained about the demands of running and she was always ready for ours runs whether at 5 a.m. or 7 p.m." Rodriguez said. "She was the most dedicated runner I've coached and has paved the way for others to follow.  Rebekah proved to others that [qualifying for NCAA Championships] can be done here in Laredo. To have had an athlete such as Rebekah was great for our University and our program. "
 
TAMIU cross country alumna Krystina Palacios says that her former teammate Hernandez made the team better by setting standards high while also encouraging everyone through positive means.
 
"Bekah was a hard-working and extremely dedicated runner who brought positivity into the team," Palacios said. "She put her all into every practice and even more in to every race. She cared about every teammate and motivated us to be better. She saw the potential in everyone and would push us to get there. She taught me about taking initiative to be a leader, just as she was. She also taught me that I could achieve any goal that I set my mind to by putting in time and hard work, being dedicated and being consistent."
 
Hernandez recently took time from her hectic schedule to share her views on a variety of topics, ranging from the important role the EPA plays in our society to her reflections on a highly successful TAMIU cross country career.
 
Question: What is the most rewarding aspect of your chosen career and what are your ultimate career goals?
Answer: I would have to say that working with the EPA has helped me to realize the impact that each task in the work place has in a world-wide setting. Since there are many teams working on various projects to fulfill one goal of the safety of both our environment and the public, this has helped me to understand that everything I do, together with my team, has a global impact. For example, with the current COVID-19 situation, it has been more common to see that most of the new products being regulated by our team are antibacterials such as household cleaners, bacterial disinfectants sprays, and wipes. In turn, our job is to make sure that all products pass the safety requirements listed by our agency. These products are essential to maintaining the safety of the public, so it has been uplifting to know that I can play a role in these efforts of preventing the spread. In addition, there are projects being discussed for future post pandemic efforts to help our environment remain a healthy place for our communities. This has been a rewarding experience for me because I have the opportunity to contribute my time and efforts by supporting the agency I work with during this worldwide crisis. 
Currently, I would like to continue working as a federal government employee because I'm enjoying the work place environment as well as the work-life balance it offers, but I am open minded to experiencing new opportunities in the future. My time in D.C. has helped me to appreciate the diversity that is shown in the professional setting and it has encouraged me to make the most of every opportunity and learn new skills while doing so.
 
Question: What role do you see the EPA playing in a post pandemic world?
Answer: The EPA's mission is to protect human life and the environment. I am sure the EPA will continue to explore better ways to regulate and prepare for pandemics such as this, in which we will continue to ensure that the health of individuals is a priority by improving approval times of products and ensuring the safety of the products with the general public in mind.
 
Question: What is the best life lesson you learned as a TAMIU student-athlete?
Answer: I learned that there's always a silver lining after every shortcoming. In cross country not every race went as planned, despite the long hours of daily practices and the sacrifice of putting in so much physical energy into running numerous miles per week. At the end of the day, the improvement throughout the years helped me see the bright side to every failure. Even if it was a few seconds shaved off my time per race, in the long run it made a huge statement that I was making progress. By the time I was a senior, I realized that every race mattered because it pushed strength to me to always strive to become a better athlete. In the end, I was able to accomplish the goals I set for myself since I first joined the program, which encouraged me to always take every experience- whether it be in my favor or not- as a way to become a better version of myself.
 
Question: What is your best memory from your TAMIU athletic career?
Answer: The time I competed at the NCAA regionals in 2017 was the highlight of my cross country career at TAMIU. During the weeks and days leading up to this race, I felt both nervous and excited since this would be my final shot at NCAA Nationals after falling short the previous two years. I made sure to do everything right, from maintaining a strict diet to running every mile at practice with the mindset that I would qualify. That day, I remember feeling so much love and support from everyone back home and even those with me at the time, including my dad, while I was competing in Canyon, Texas. The gun went off and the moment I started running, all the nerves went away and I focused on enjoying every second of the race. I found myself in the top 10 as I approached the finish line and remained strong to the very end. I was overjoyed when it was official that I was one of the top 3 individual runners to qualify for nationals. This race was meaningful to me because all the 5 a.m. practices, long runs, and lack of sleep while handling school and running all became worth it. 
 
Question: Any shout-outs to anyone at TAMIU that had a big impact on your life?
Answer: I would like to give a shout-out to Mr. Griz Zimmermann. It was a joy to see how much he supported the cross country team year after year, because he was the type of person that brought along positive energy everywhere he went. Whenever he made an appearance at our races, the team and I were always motivated since he reminded us of how capable were of exceeding our limits. The fact that he had a particularly busy schedule, never stopped him from making time to cheer us on at races. I can never forget the time he flew out to Louisville, Ky. to support me when I raced at nationals my freshman year. This race was one for the books as Coach Benny, two of my aunts, and Griz had all made the trip to enjoy the distance festival together with me. Even though this course was muddy, rainy, and cold this didn't stop Griz from making it in time to the finish line to express how exciting it was to be at the national meet. To this day, I'm thankful that both him and coach Benny were able to present the TAMIU Athletics program in a way that had me convinced that TAMIU would be my home for the next four years, that same day that I first stepped foot at the university. I would like to thank him and all of TAMIU Athletics for their kindness and care displayed to not only me but to every student-athlete as well.