Georgianna Herbin

Georgianna Herbin

Many incredible people have passed through the VACorps internship program since we first started hosting interns in 2006. “Oh the places you’ll go” is a series where our alumni share updates about their careers and life accomplishments. In this latest post, Georgianna Herbin (’12) writes to us from Jamaica, New York, where she has spent the past 4+ years working as a Behavior Intervention Specialist at The Center for Family Support. She just published her first book, The Color of Fear, which is now available on Amazon. Georgianna participated in a counselling & psychology internship in 2011 and was an absolute pleasure to host in the program from the world GO! You can can connect with and view her bio HERE on LinkedIn.

Please give us a summary of your career to date. What have been doing and where do you see yourself heading?

Prior to and after VAC, I worked in the human service field with a concentration on the Intellectual and developmental disability population. As a Senior Manager, my career path began to drift away from direct contact with the clients and into more of an administrator role. I recently transitioned to a Behavior Intervention Specialist where I work closely with the clients by offering them support and counseling. Out of this direct contact with the population, I discovered that no matter the disability—mental or physical, we are all connected. Life happens to them as it happen to us. For example, when losing a loved one they grieve as we do. When family rejects them due to sexual preferences, they hurt and feel the shame.

It is out of this experience and others that I set out on the journey to write a book about LGBT empowerment and acceptance. I am happy to say that the book entitled, The Color of Fear is available on the Kindle App. I see myself in the near future hosting dialogues, conducting empowerment workshops, starting an NGO and possibly an eBook publishing company.

What were the highlights of your internship experience in Cape Town?

My internship in Cape Town afforded me the opportunity to sharpen my leadership, interpersonal and mediation skills while working with a grassroots organization on a human rights campaign. I was given the responsibility of creating and facilitating workshops and dialogues for local community members to discuss prevalent issues that challenged the townships. I assisted with the coordination of economic skills development workshops for refugee women and I mediated conflicts to foster clear channels of communication with the additional benefit of alleviating social tensions in refugee communities.

Can you share an example of how your internship experience aided the growth of your career?

I utilize the skills that I have developed in South Africa every day. The internship taught me to be patient and to listen. When working with people, no matter the circumstance or the cultural background—everyone wants to feel that they were heard. What I have learned is that when encountering a conversation with someone new, that person may not remember the specific details of the conversation but they will remember how you made them feel and that will go a long way in fostering new relationships.

What’s the single most important piece of advice you’d like to give to future VAC interns and/or those considering participation in the program?

First, I will say just make the commitment and do it. Join VAC. Living in a foreign country can be intimidating however VAC has a committed team that will look after your best interests. Take advantage of the internship opportunity and take advantage of all that VAC has to offer. Their team coordinates many outing, trips, and adventures. It is an opportunity of a lifetime.

Any predictions for what we can expect from you in 10 year’s time?

Publishing The Color of Fear is the first step in what I hope will be a lifelong journey of inspiring hope in communities worldwide. I see infinite possibilities for the next 10 years.