On Monday, Hernandez announced that this week will be her last at the Graham Media Group-owned NBC affiliate after 12 years at the station.
In a lengthy farewell message, Hernandez called the decision difficult but said it was time to prioritize her health and family. She said years of waking up in the middle of the night for early morning newscasts had taken a toll, and she wants to be more rested for her children, reduce stress and be more present at home.
“The time has come for me to say goodbye,” she wrote. “I’m going to take a step in the direction of choosing my own health and family.
Hernandez reflected on major stories she covered during her tenure, noting she started at KPRC the same week Ebola reached Dallas. She later reported through hurricanes, severe storms and the COVID-19 pandemic. She also highlighted award-winning reporting on mental health and investigations into Houston drinking water safety that drew attention from lawmakers and environmental advocate Erin Brockovich.
She also used her departure announcement to defend local journalism at a time when trust in media remains strained.
“Misinformation is rampant, and the value of reliable, community-focused journalism cannot be overstated,” Hernandez wrote. “The individuals who remain in local news are here for the right reasons.”
Her final day at the station will be Friday.
Hernandez joined KPRC in 2014. Most recently, she appeared weekday mornings on KPRC 2 News Today from 5 to 7 a.m. and from 7 to 10 a.m. on the station’s streaming platform, where she co-anchored KPRC 2+ Now.
Before arriving in Houston, Hernandez worked behind the scenes at CBS’s 60 Minutes and NBC Nightly News in New York, and later worked on-air at WCBD-TV in South Carolina.
Earlier this year, Hernandez published her first children’s book, School Makes You Super!, inspired by her two sons.
A Houston native, Hernandez attended Clear Lake High School before graduating from the University of Oklahoma.