Houston native heads to top-rated graduate program after earning bachelor’s degree in prison

Houston native heads to top-rated graduate program after earning bachelor’s degree in prison

Benny Hernandez III joins the Factor Uncensored to talk about where he's headed.

In December 2020, Benny Hernandez III was leaving prison after a decade of being behind bars on family violence and robbery charges.

By February 2021, the 41-year-old made a longtime dream come true: being accepted to the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin.

While incarcerated, he graduated Suma Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M Central Texas. After earning that, he told himself that he’d continue his education with a Master’s.

"The LBJ School has always been a goal of mine because it’s such a prestigious program," Hernandez said.

Education, he said, was part of what he knew he needed to change his life once he returned to the public.

"At some point I told myself that I needed to address the issues that led to my incarceration, and I did that through meditation and working out, and also by educating myself," he said. "Education has changed my life. The opportunity to go to school and improve myself was a tremendous factor."

You can watch Benny’s full interview with Isiah Carey above. If you’d like to help Benny fund his education, click here.