All smiles, all the time. That is how the MRHS community will remember our beloved friend who passed away on November 9th, 2023 due to health complications. Dr. Miguel “Pitbull” Hernandez started off his own educational journey at Keyport High School in New Jersey where he showed a great interest in wrestling and football. People said that, “His prowess on the football field earned him the affectionate nickname Pitbull.”
After graduating from high school, Dr. Hernandez attended Montclair University where he earned a Bachelor of Science. Later in his career, he attended Kean College where he earned two more degrees, a Master of Arts in Special Education and a Master of Arts in Education Administration. In 2004, he reached the height of his educational climb by obtaining a Doctor of Education from Nova Southern University. At this time, “Pitbull” became affectionately known as “Doc.” While he served in many leadership roles, his career hit an all time high in March of 2016 when he became Superintendent of Manchester Regional High School.
During his tenure as Superintendent, Dr. Hernandez initiated many impactful programs. He started the Memorandum of Agreement with Montclair University allowing staff to establish programs that enable individuals to complete various graduate programs on site and through online and hybrid courses. He also created the Academic Academies at MRHS to further encourage students to be the best they could be. With his knowledge of educational best practices, he served as a William Paterson University Professor of Residency and organized a summer leadership professional development retreat. His outgoing, social side was reflected in the Chinese exchange student program, music festival, and field day events he brought to MRHS. Finally, he could often be seen learning alongside teachers during his Superintendent’s Institute sessions where teachers were given a platform to share their talents with their colleagues. In other words, he brought positive changes and people together which ultimately led to improving MRHS for everyone. Although he retired from his position as Superintendent in August of 2020, Doc just couldn’t be away from MRHS and so he came back as administration support.
While football was one of his earliest passions, his true life’s passion belonged to the care of students. Throughout his career, Doc strove to make sure that every single student under his watch had the opportunities they needed to make something of themselves, just like he did. Dr. Hernandez wanted every student to feel seen and heard, never neglected. He always saw the positive side of situations and tried his best to sweep away any negatives. The Doc’s perpetual smile and friendly disposition made him a favorite among colleagues and students alike. No matter how much time passed between conversations, Doc always remembered what had last been discussed which let people know he really cared. For these reasons and so many more, MRHS won’t be the same without him.