Miles away, but always close to UD
Hernán Simó ’22 fulfilled his boyhood dream of getting a quality U.S. education, and now he helping others discover the benefits and successes of a University of Dayton Master of Law degree.
Simó, 33, is a public prosecutor in the attorney general’s office in Mendosa, Argentina, where the weather is extremely hot in the summer and cold in the winter.
“I like the beach and the nice weather all year long,” Simò said. “San Diego or somewhere near there would be a great place to live.”
Simò decided the UD School of Law online master’s program would help him become a working lawyer in the U.S. It also exposed him to legal issues around the world.
“I had classmates from the Philippines, Russia, China and Germany,” Simò said. “They offered their perspectives based on their experiences in their home countries. It was very enriching.”
His excellent classroom experience explains his desire to give back after graduating.
Simò is volunteering his time as a peer-to-peer ambassador and social media ambassador for UD, two of more than a dozen volunteer roles available to alumni as ways to give back to the University during the We Soar campaign.
He has provided video and written testimonials to share the success of the program. He participates in webinars and virtual events with prospective and current students.
Simò also shared his story through the program’s newsletter. He met with program leaders to discuss ways to continue to internationalize UD’s legal education.
According to Margaret Ioannides, assistant dean for online LL.M programs at UD, “Hernàn is consistently motivated by a desire to both optimize the student experience in the online LL.M. program and to educate other international lawyers about the accessibility and benefits of completing this program.”
Simò is interested in serving in a more formal role as a program ambassador and recruiter.
“I became a social media ambassador and the UD peer-to-peer ambassador to stay connected with the UD community,” he said. “I am always ready to collaborate with any help they might need and feel it is important to volunteer for UD.”
“I am always ready to collaborate with any help they might need and feel it is important to volunteer for UD.”
His experience with UD has not been totally virtual. In May 2022, Simò traveled to campus for an in-person graduation ceremony.
“Getting a chance to meet everybody face-to-face definitely felt like a dream come true,” he said. “I gave my all during the online program. I feel it is very important to stay connected with the University staff and my classmates because they appreciated me and valued me as a student.”
The high level of achievement at UD for Simò was inspired in a small way by the 1998 movie Patch Adams, starring Robin Williams.
“I always remember that scene when they are graduating from medical school and throw their caps in the sky,” he said. “When I was a little boy, I thought, ‘I want to study in the U.S. and do that.’ UD helped me fulfill that dream. I will never forget it.”