Julia Hernandez, M.A.

Tell us about your role and how long you've worked at MI-DDI.

I have been at MI-DDI since February 2005. When I first started, I was hired for the Detroit 360 Project where I worked as a Family Support Navigator. The second project I worked on was SEAM (Supporting Educational Achievement for Minorities), and I helped families to learn their children's educational rights. Years later, I received a subcontract with Michigan Alliance for Families as their interpreter/translator.

Is there anything or anyone who led you to work in this field? Tell us about it.

Because my oldest child was born with congenital toxoplasmosis, you could say that "this career chose me and not the other way around". My son, Oscar Davalos, was diagnosed at a young age with this disease that is transmitted by a parasite usually caused by cats, but I have never had a cat.

Tell us about your education and professional affiliations.

I went to school in Mexico for my primary education and finished high school through the University of Guadalajara. Here in Michigan, I attended Madonna University where I graduated with a B.S. in psychology with a concentration in mental health. Years later, I returned to school to study a Masters in Spanish with a focus on cultures from Latin America and Spain here at Wayne State University.

What project(s), program(s), and/or research are you currently focused on?

Currently, I am working on the Michigan Older Caregivers of Emerging Adults with Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (MI-OCEAN) Caregiver Support Project funded by the Health Endowment Fund. The primary aim of MI-OCEAN is to address the needs and health concerns of aging caregivers of adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities.

What experiences have you learned an important lesson from?

No matter how scary it might be to have a child with a disability, it is amazing how resilient we can be if we focus and work on the ability of that child, and not the disability.

What is your favorite part about working at MI-DDI?

The opportunity to work on different projects. MI-DDI is a constant learning experience. There is never a dull moment.

What is your superpower?

I guess you can say that I am able to juggle a few things at the same time. I do not like routine when it is ongoing and constant. This is why I like working on different grants. It gives me an opportunity to make things better for others.

What do you enjoy to do in your spare time?

I enjoy reading. I read in English, Spanish, and Italian.

Tell us about your most rewarding experience in the past year.

This past year of 2020 was very tough for all of us due to the pandemic, so I will not talk about that. However, I will say that one of the most rewarding experiences ever has been the ability to grow my hair fairly quickly, and I was able to donate it five times for children with cancer.

Do you have a hidden talent skill or hobby? What is it?

I enjoy learning other languages and cultures. Particularly, I find fascinating how humans from different parts of the globe are more alike than we are different.