El 31 de enero/January 31st

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¡Feliz cumpleaños a ... April Lee Hernández! (1980-       )

Photo from LionChaser Films (Hernández's company
with her husband). Click HERE. 
An actress who has appeared in many television shows, Hernández is known by many for her role as Eva, based on real-life high school student Maria Reyes, in the 2007 film Freedom Writers. She was born in The Bronx, New York, to loving Puerto Rican parents who encouraged her to become whatever she dreamed of being. While studying at Hunter College to become a nutritionist, Hernández took an improv class "just for fun" and fell in love. She left college to pursue stand-up comedy and acting, where she found success. She moved to Los Angeles for her career but returned to New York to marry husband José Castillo. The two have a daughter together, Summer Rose, born in 2012, and often speak to youth about their faith through Bold Faith Ministries (click HERE to see Hernández speak about her work with Bold Faith). The survivor of an abusive relationship during her teenage years, Hernández is also active in raising awareness about teen dating violence. She shares her story in her 2015 book, Your Voice, Your Choice: A Story of Resiliency and Redemption, and also in person at schools and churches around the country.

For resources for teaching Spanish, Level 1 through AP, CLICK HERE.

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