Hezel is a Jesuit priest who has worked in Micronesia for 50 years. During his early years in the islands, he taught at Xavier High School in Chuuk and then served as principal and director of the school. As a young teacher, he co-authored two Micronesian social studies textbooks and tried his hand at other curriculum development projects, including individualized instruction programs.

Following this, he shifted to public education in 1982 as he became the full-time director of Micronesian Seminar, a Jesuit-sponsored research-education institute that embraced the entire region. In this capacity he has organized several conferences on current issues and has written and spoken widely about social change and its impact on island societies. He has also published more than 100 articles and several books on Micronesian history and culture and has produced more than 70 video documentaries for local broadcast, including a seven-hour series on the history of Micronesia.

He works in a parish on Guam, where he also assists migrants from Micronesia.

Hezel was a featured speaker of the Presidential Lecture Series this past January, presenting on his documentary "Before We Began Counting Years."