A retired South Florida teacher who encouraged her classes to chase their dreams received a big thank you from a former second-grade student who recently landed his dream job within the Miami-Dade Police Department.
Officer Mario Hernandez, an 11-year veteran with the department, has dreamed about fighting crime from the sky for most of his life. It's a dream that literally came from above.
“Second grade…career day on a field and I was a kid," said Miami-Dade police officer Mario Hernandez. "I saw this helicopter land and it was captivating. It said Miami-Dade Police…And ever since then I knew I wanted to become a police officer.”
Hernandez joined the department's aviation unit as a tactical flight officer six months ago.
He and a pilot form a team that serves as the eyes in the sky for thousands of South Florida officers in and out of the department; Hernandez operates the chopper gadgets that assist with vehicle pursuits, suspect searches and even missing persons cases.
“It’s the best job in the county," said Hernandez.
It's a dream that may have never gotten off the ground had it not been for career day and his second-grade teacher Juli Prieto, who drove to the department's Opa-Locka airport hangar to take a ride with her former student, who is now living his dream.
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“He’s one of my Everglades students," said Prieto. "That’s what we used to call them — the dynamite kids.”
Mrs. Prieto is now retired but still remembers officer Hernandez' 1993 class. It's a trip down memory lane that she couldn't pass up.
“It’s wonderful that that day he was inspired," said Prieto. "To know he’s taken this course — policeman, you know, police officer so he goes and protects us; His community; I couldn’t be prouder.”
“I’m blessed, honored and humbled to have her riding with me," Hernandez said.
Hernandez, who wants to one day fly a Miami-Dade police helicopter, is thankful for Prieto's encouragement all those years ago.
“One phrase that sticks out is he who says he can, and he who says he can’t — are both usually right," said Hernandez. "And Mrs. Prieto told me that in second grade and she told me I could do anything I put my mind to.”
