Meet IGNITE Deputy Director Christine Hernandez, the first Latina elected to the Huntington Beach Union High School District Board of Trustees!
Christine Hernandez was sworn in as a trustee for the Huntington Beach Union High School in December 2024. Having spent more than a decade working in higher education and serving as a parent leader in her community, Christine has combined her personal and professional experience to serve on this school board. In March of 2026, Christine was one of 5 women recognized by the City of Westminster as a Woman of Distinction. Committed to serving her community in the same way she encourages those she trains at IGNITE, Christine has also led as both a city and county commissioner in Orange County, California.
Born and raised in California, Christine earned a bachelor's degree from California State University as well as a master's degree focused on higher education from the University of Pennsylvania. Christine first connected with IGNITE as a campus administrator at Mount Saint Mary's University in Los Angeles in 2016. In that role, she helped to host a Young Women’s Political Leadership Summit in Los Angeles in 2017. She later joined IGNITE as the West Coast Program Director in 2022 and has since served as the Director of College Programs and Senior Director of Programs before becoming our Deputy Director.