Michael Angelo Hernandez Turns Community Concerns Into Local Reporting

Explore Clairemont’s newest freelance writer, Michael Angelo Hernandez, is a Clairemont resident who somewhat accidentally became a writer and an activist involved in Clairemont issues.

Michael Angelo moved to San Diego from the Moreno Valley to attend the University of California San Diego (UCSD) for political science. Campus housing was pricey, so he moved to an apartment in Clairemont with some friends in 2021. With only one assigned parking space, Michael Angelo found himself frustrated with the lack of parking.

He lived near the DMV, and residents of his complex used the DMV lot for overflow parking. Then the DMV put up a fence to keep cars out, and Michael Angelo got even more frustrated with his parking situation.

“They were literally taking away something people needed,” he said.

But, at the time, he didn’t know what to do about the situation other than be mad about it. Fast forward a few years, and Michael Angelo started thinking more about how he could affect change.

“One day at work, I was like, ‘What can I do to change something about the community, so I went on Google to see what I could run for, and I found the Clairemont Community Planning Group,” said Michael Angelo.

He officially threw his hat in the ring, organized a small campaign, and knocked on neighbors doors to ask for votes, and was elected to CCPG in 2024. Michael Angelo, who is serving a two-year term, said the experience has been eye-opening and a wonderful learning experience as to how local city politics work.

He’s been exposed to land use, transportation, development, parks and recreation, and other issues. And he was at the heart of one of CCPG’s biggest topic’s, the Clairemont Community Plan update, which passed in 2025. San Diego’s community planning groups are only advisory, but their recommendations are considered when the City Council and Planning Commission make decisions.

How political science turned to writing

While Michael Angelo always had an interest in politics, it wasn’t until his senior year of college when he took a creative writing class that he realized his love for writing outweighed his desire for a career in political science.

“I’ve always felt really attached to words and communication,” said Michael Angelo. So, after college, he worked as a writer for a local news station for a few years, and dabbled into creating some social media news clips on his own.

Then, Michael Angelo continued to seek more long-form writing jobs with local news outlets. He recently began writing for the OB Rag, where he wrote a piece on the neighborhoods within the neighborhood of Clairemont. Last week, he wrote his first article for Explore Clairemont on Flock automated license plate readers in our community.

He’s especially interested in writing more about hot-button community issues, like parking and accessory dwelling units (ADUs).

“I went really into the ADU rabbit hole with all its loopholes,” Michael Angelo said. “It was like they set up Clairemont specifically to be farmed for ADUs.”

With Explore Clairemont as his platform, Michael Angelo hopes to delve further into the topics that both inspire and frustrate the communities of Clairemont, Bay Park, Linda Vista, Kearny Mesa, and Serra Mesa.

Michael Angelo’s Clairemont favorite

There is a decent chance you’ll catch Michael Angelo in the Vallarta Express drive-thru in Clairemont ordering adobada fries, a ritual he began in college.

“The first time I ever had adobada fries was when I got here to go to college and they were from Vallarta’s in Clairemont, and I haven’t stopped coming ever since.”

In addition to his reporting, Michael plans to continue attending local meetings and following the development, housing, privacy, and civic issues shaping our neighborhoods.