March 23, 2023

Bianca Hernandez started working at MCRCC as a bilingual Community Engagement Specialist in September of 2021. We chose to give her this spotlight because we are inspired by her versatility, energy, and enthusiasm for the work that she does at MCRCC (which consists of many different things!) Just to name a few of her regular activities, Bianca is the master behind our social media presence, she makes sure that MCRCC is visible at community events, she provides lots of client support, and she delivers an abundance of presentations about MCRCC’s services.

Bianca is from Castroville, California. She graduated with a Master’s Degree in Sociology from San Jose State University, and she is currently a part-time lecturer at the same university in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, as well as Sociology - in addition to working at MCRCC!

We sat down to interview Bianca about her experience with the agency:

MCRCC: “What are your thoughts about crisis intervention work and supporting clients?”

Bianca: “When I was asked to support at the ACAC [Archer Child Advocacy Center], I looked forward to polishing my crisis intervention skills. What I really like about the ACAC is supporting the families. It really shows you that some folks need some space, and other folks want someone to talk all of it out with. It is important to remember that these are all valid trauma responses and every day is different at the ACAC.”

MCRCC: “What about community engagement activities and awareness-raising? Is there anything you’ve gravitated towards the most on the Community Engagement Team?”

Bianca: “On the CE Team I LOVE going to events. I go to just about every single event that we get invited to. It's really important to get our name out there, whether it be at a school, another non-profit event, a job fair, to see people and interact with them. I’m a people person so I like to think community events are my thing. I have a method now of inviting people to engage with our information tables by making it clear that although sexual violence might not affect them personally, it could affect someone that they know. 

I love going down to South [Monterey] County; it’s really important for us to have more of a presence there.

My second favorite thing is definitely social media!”

MCRCC: “Could you talk a bit about weaving in the work you do here at MCRCC with the work you do as a lecturer at San Jose State? How do the two things influence each other?”

Bianca: “100% I do see the influence that they have on each other. In the course I teach about sex, power, and politics, I implement trigger warnings before difficult material and conversations. It’s important to do because I don’t always know how the material might affect someone in my class. This method of trigger warnings is something I learned here at MCRCC.

Last semester, I had two students approach me to ask me how to become certified Sexual Assault Counselors!”

MCRCC: “What/who do you draw inspiration from?”

Bianca: “When I was in high school, MCRCC came to my class to present to us about its services. I actually began MCRCC volunteer training when I was a student at MPC but I ended up not being able to finish the training. Once I finished school, I really wanted to do something that was near and dear to my heart, and it was with the Rape Crisis Center. 

Also, my family is an inspiration and comfort for me, specifically my mom. Talking with her and sharing a cup of coffee with her is very grounding to me. That’s when I feel a sense of relief. Our bond keeps growing as I get older. My mom is the person who allows me to just be.” 

We hope you get a chance to meet Bianca at an upcoming event! Thanks to staff members like her, MCRCC continues to grow and flourish.