10 Questions for 1 Alumnus: Marcello Hernandez '15
(This article was first published in the Belen Jesuit Alumni Magazine - Summer 2024 edition.)
What was your experience like at Belen?
It was great. My friends from Belen are still my friends now, so I am very grateful to Belen and Head Soccer Coach Tanger Mendonca (legendary 3x State Champ).
What type of student were you?
I was a good student and graduated with a 3.5 GPA, but my conduct was not as good as that.
Can you describe one funny moment while you were a student?
I went to summer school to bring a C to a B in Chemistry, but I got a D in summer school Chemistry, so I had to ask if I could keep my original C. I think that’s funny.
What is one thing you will never forget you learned in school?
What a Penance Hall is.
How has your Jesuit education shaped you and helped you in your life?
Who in the industry has changed your view on fame?
Back
What was your experience like at Belen?
It was great. My friends from Belen are still my friends now, so I am very grateful to Belen and Head Soccer Coach Tanger Mendonca (legendary 3x State Champ).
What type of student were you?
I was a good student and graduated with a 3.5 GPA, but my conduct was not as good as that.
Can you describe one funny moment while you were a student?
I went to summer school to bring a C to a B in Chemistry, but I got a D in summer school Chemistry, so I had to ask if I could keep my original C. I think that’s funny.
What is one thing you will never forget you learned in school?
What a Penance Hall is.
Who made an impact in your life (at Belen)?
Tanger Mendonça helped me grow up and become a better man and soccer player. He’s more than a coach; he’s a great leader at Belen. Shoutout to Julio, the legend. Also, Professora Fariñas and Pancho Padura got me into acting.
How has your Jesuit education shaped you and helped you in your life?
It’s helped me balance work and fun. Belen is a very fun place, but you also have to work.
Who in the industry has changed your view on fame?
I wouldn’t say anyone changed my view. Still, people like Pedro Pascal, Benito, Ana De Armas, and SNL legends like Kenan Thompson, Colin Jost, Kristen Wiig, Amy Poehler, etc, have shown me a lot about work ethic and being a good person.
How has your life changed since joining Saturday Night Live?
I name-drop a lot more now, and I am working more than I’ve ever worked, and I’m very grateful for it all.
How do you make your role on the show a representation of who you are?
I write about what I know or what I have lived through.
What advice would you give to students interested in pursuing a career in TV/film?
Start somewhere, anywhere, and then just be consistent—never take breaks. Whether interning for people you want to be like or teaching yourself how to do stuff, I spent six years doing stand-up and making videos, making little to no money before anything happened for me. I interned at comedy clubs, cleaned tables, sold tickets on the street, worked on social media, etc. Just work hard and don’t give up, and someone will notice.
BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba by Queen Isabel II of Spain. The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline. In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the School property and expelled the Jesuit faculty. The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow. Today, Belen Jesuit sits on a 30-acre site in western Dade County, only minutes away from downtown Miami.