Alum Spotlight: Valerie Berrin '11
Despite knowing she wanted a liberal arts education during high school, Valerie (Val) Berrin hadn’t heard of Barnard until speaking with alumnae in Miami. She recalls quickly “falling in love” and realizing she could “get the resources of a research institution and the experience of a liberal arts college without being in the middle of nowhere.”
Val took advantage of Barnard’s unique curriculum by taking an interdisciplinary approach to her academics and college life. She hadn’t anticipated studying religion before starting at Barnard, but she took many religion classes out of pure interest and loved that the major was interdisciplinary and small. “Religion is a mixture of psychology, anthropology, history, and more, and I could go to class and just learn for the sake of learning.” Apart from her academic interests, Val was always interested in public health and education and joined extracurriculars like Peer Health Exchange, where she taught health education in New York City public schools.
As graduation neared, Val began looking into nonprofit jobs that combined health and education. Coincidentally, her sister had recently started a nonprofit to develop peer-to-peer comprehensive health education programs in Miami high schools — a natural transition from the work Val had been doing with Peer Health Exchange in New York. After graduation, she decided to return home to help her sister, and they’re still working together thirteen years later! Their nonprofit, Health Information Project (HIP), trains high school juniors and seniors to teach their ninth-grade peers an innovative health education curriculum. “It's all about delivering peer-to-peer education and connecting kids to resources so they can get help when needed.” As HIP’s Chief Operating Officer, Val has worked to expand the program beyond Miami into greater Florida, reflecting, “It is so exciting to build something right out of college from the ground up, be creative, and be your own boss.” Throughout her career, her religion major has also turned out to be more relevant than expected: “Studying religion and culture has helped me understand the different demographics I work with and their health decisions. The exposure to different perspectives has allowed me to approach people uniquely and find creative solutions.”
Beyond Florida, HIP is partnering with the Clinton Foundation in Little Rock, Arkansas and expanding into NYC with a grant from the Heckscher Foundation for Children, which Val especially looks forward to since she hasn’t been back to Barnard’s campus since graduation. As an alum, she has stayed connected with other graduates through greater-Florida alumni groups and even formed a group for young professionals in Miami. She has also volunteered with the Admissions Office as a BAAR (Barnard Alumnae Admissions Representative), interviewing high school students interested in Barnard. “Every student was so impressive, and I loved getting to tell them why I thought Barnard was so special.”
Looking back, Val considers the community one of her favorite aspects of Barnard, highlighting her tight-knit relationships with her professors and peers that have persisted even after graduation. “Everyone at Barnard is passionate about something,” creating an “incredible and unique” environment that fosters “intellectual discourse.” She credits conversations with her peers for developing her ability to actively engage and use her voice: “I really learned to interact with all types of people and learn from different perspectives, a valuable life skill both personally and professionally.” Val also emphasized Barnard’s health accommodations, which helped her feel supported both academically and physically through health and autoimmune issues. “It’s not everywhere you get such an intimate, nurturing, nourishing environment that makes campus feel like a safe place when it comes to being open about your health.”
When asked what advice she would give prospective students, she said to stay open-minded, regardless of what you think you want in your education or career. “If you are looking for a small, nurturing environment, but also love the big city, consider Barnard. If you want to be able to take a random art history course and then actually go to see that piece in a museum, consider Barnard. If you are willing and open to taking advantage of every opportunity, then Barnard is the right place for you.” Summing up her Barnard experience, Val simply said, “Barnard is so unique; you cannot really compare it.”
Source: Interview conducted by Anjali Barnabas ‘24