Jonathan Hernandez, a professor at Fresno State University and Bakersfield College’s Delano Campus, was recently ranked number five in the country in the official Top 25 national rankings for Rate My Professors.

Rate My Professors is a website affiliated with MTVU where students can rate and review their professors and the ranking system is based solely off of student feedback.

Hernandez was ranked number five in the country, making him the highest-rated professor in California.

Hernandez was born in Selma and attended Reedley College. He later transferred to Fresno State for his undergraduate and graduate degree in Communication.

Hernandez was first notified of his high ranking via email by MTVU’s Digital Coordinator back in late July, but he was unable to speak about it to anyone until the official Top 25 rankings were made public. Despite being unable to tell anyone about it for a while, he was still humbled by the experience.

“It is extremely humbling to know that my students think of me so highly, and I am wholeheartedly grateful for each and every one of them,” he said. “From Bakersfield to Fresno, I am completely blessed to have the best students each semester.”

Hernandez thinks of his students as family and because of this, he levels with them and often talks about his own experiences as a student and makes a real attempt to connect to each student. He often calls his students “the best students in the world.”

“You can ask any student of mine, and they will tell you that I am an open book,” he said. “I am not afraid to talk about my past failures as a student, for the reason that I do not want my students to make the same mistakes that I once did. I express how challenging college and graduate school were for me personally, but through hard work and a lot of heart that anything is possible. I believe that me sharing this info creates an equal ground for everyone in my classroom. They feel a connection.”

This experience has changed Hernandez’s life and motivates him to continue his efforts and help push students in the right direction.

“If God allows me to be around 30 years from now, and I am still able to give my all in the higher educational field, this national recognition that my students were able to bless me with this year is something that no one can ever take away,” he said. “And, because of this, I am more driven in the classroom than ever before.”

Hernandez works at both Fresno State and BC’s Delano campus. Because of this, he has to drive up and down Highway 99 often. However, the lengthy car drives motivate him even further because he enjoys working at both campuses.

“It is an honor to be at two colleges that I genuinely love,” he said. “I work for two of the best presidents in the country, in my opinion, in Dr. Sonya Christian and Dr. Joseph Castro.”

Hernandez recently started the one and only communications club, WECOMM CLUB, in the Delano campus.

“I personally believe that student success should not only be implemented in the classroom, but outside the classroom as well,” he said. “Therefore, it was a no-brainer for us to start this at Bakersfield College (Delano Site) starting this semester. It is no secret that the Delano campus needed something to form a stronger bond with the main campus, and we feel very strongly that WECOMM is what is going to bridge the gap.”

Hernandez attributes his success and experiences to his students and family.

“I would like to thank my family of educators who motivate me to be the best version of myself every day. And, last but not least, I would like to thank ‘the best students in the world’ (past and present), for making all of this possible,” he said.