Gilberto Hernández has maintained school facilities at Irvine Unified School District for more than two decades as a night custodian. Until recently, he had not fully understood how all the contributions he and his employer made to CalPERS over the years would translate into a secure retirement.
Hernández joined Irvine Unified in 2002, often juggling multiple jobs until securing full-time work there in 2018. As retirement approached, he wanted to make the right decisions but struggled with understanding the nuances of his pension options. Online resources and English-only seminars left him with unanswered questions.
“The (language) barrier kept me tied up for many years,” he said.
So, when CalPERS offered an in-person Spanish-language retirement education class in June 2025, he signed up immediately.
“I felt that at last the language barrier was removed; in Spanish, everything opened up and I was able to understand my path to retirement,” he said.
While Hernández speaks English, the class helped him understand his options clearly, confidently, and without the stress that had held him back.
“It’s so much easier in our language — I feel less stressed,” he said.
It also showed him that he wasn’t alone. As it turned out, many members who speak Spanish as their primary language shared similar challenges, and the opportunity to learn in their own language made all the difference in better understanding their benefits and steps to retire.
Now, Hernández is set to retire in late 2025. He calls his CalPERS pension a blessing, one that will allow him to care for his loved ones and enjoy the life he has worked so hard to build.
“Now that I have my retirement, I can be at peace and take care of my wife,” he said.
Get Help in Your Preferred Language
For more CalPERS information available in Spanish, check out our video, Lo Esencial para Planificar su Jubilación (The Essentials for Planning Your Retirement).