At a time when countless families are falling apart and many young people are experiencing various forms of abuse, the role of a counsellor who is also certified in social work is becoming increasingly important.
For Tricia Hercules, bringing about restoration in the lives of others is indeed a herculean task. But this 29-year-old is cognisant that her decision to establish her own business and to work as a social worker was definitely a call of God.
Her faith-based business, Bright Life Family Centre, was birthed in 2015. Today, it is a growing establishment focused on mending broken families.
Undoubtedly, Hercules is an entrepreneur at heart, as she has also founded The Content Hub Barbados, which offers web designing services, social media management, and provides unique and purposeful content for websites, social and print media. However, Hercules’ role as a social worker far outweighs those of her second business, which she started in 2016.
There is no denying that her role as a social worker is crucial. But the journey to where she is now has not been easy.
When she left Deighton Griffith Secondary School back in 2006, she had no idea which career path she would eventually choose. She was an artist in the making but was told by family members that becoming an artist at the time was not going to put bread on the table every day.
“I also knew I did not want a 9 to 5 job. It was just torment thinking about it. I thought I would end up becoming an artist, but my mother didn’t like that idea. I also had a knack and interest for working with children and families. While researching programmes at the Barbados Community College (BCC), I discovered the social work programme and developed a keen interest in it.
“However, I was too young for entry into that programme. I opted to sign up for my next interest, which was business studies. Failing that, my next choice would have been the tourism programme at the Barbados Hospitality Institute. After being rejected by BCC, and awaiting word on my sixth form applications, I eventually gained entry into sixth form at Harrison College. My combination of subjects was very diverse – I was studying sociology, art and design and Spanish.”
Upon leaving Harrison College, Hercules attended the University of the West Indies Cave Hill to study sociology with law. But during the first semester, she realised that was not something she wanted to pursue.
Three years later, Hercules walked away from the university with an honours degree in social work. It would enable her to provide counselling services. (CH)
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