Petrina Jenkins, domestic violence community education advocate, is one local woman with a big heart for people and her community. She has worked in the domestic violence industry for close to 15 years, first as a court advocate, then a transitional housing director and coordinator of numerous domestic violence awareness campaigns. A 1995 graduate of Grambling State University, Jenkins has served in both local and state domestic violence advocacy positions, including as the president of the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence Women of Color Task Force. On the side, Jenkins runs a small business, Razzle Dazzle By Trina, which specializes in home décor. She’s learned what it takes to thrive at home and in the workforce, making a difference wherever she goes.

Q: What is a domestic violence advocate exactly? Jenkins: A domestic violence advocate is an individual that is the ‘voice’ of victims and survivors. You might call us agents of change. We challenge the various systems that could influence or impair the safety of victims and their families. Those systems include but are not limited to the judicial, educational, religious, housing and many others. Leaving an abusive relationship can be a very uncertain and dangerous time, and advocates are there to step in to assist in the process.

Q: What does a day in the life look like for you? Jenkins: Usually my days begin early and end fairly late and are generally very unpredictable. Between crisis calls, awareness campaigns and overall survival advocacy, my days are pretty busy. With a son in college and another in high school, I frequently peek at my phone to make sure I hadn’t missed any of those ‘emergency’ calls or texts.

Q: How do you balance a family life with your career? Jenkins: A task that my husband and mom makes so stress-free for me. My husband cooks and completes household chores when he makes it home. He and my mom negotiate picking up our son from his many extracurricular school and social activities. I’m always greeted with hugs and smiles when I arrive home, and work is left at work ... most of the time.

Q: What advice would you give to other women who are trying to balance the different facets of life? Jenkins: Putting family first is essential, only after God, of course. Make the time with family count; cherish every moment together. Pray together, smile and laugh often and never sweat the small stuff. Be thankful for everything and worry about nothing. Live in the moment, for it is a gift that will never be repeated. Lastly, do or say something goofy. Laugh about it, and never be ashamed of being imperfect.

Q: What is your passion? Jenkins: I enjoy spending time with loved ones. I am very creative and enjoy thinking outside of the box. I am fortunate in that my passion is also my purpose in life. I want those hurting to know there is hope. I am a divine instrument of Christ Jesus. However imperfect I am, it gives me great joy in knowing that everything I am, all that I have been through, was in His plan to lead me to this place.

Q: Where do you hope to see yourself in the next five to 10 years? Jenkins: I would like to begin traveling more. I want to see parts of the world I’ve never seen. I’m also very excited to see what the future holds for my two incredible sons. I’ve even had thoughts of going to law school. Who knows?

Q: What inspired you to take the career path you have? Jenkins: In my case, my career path chose me. I finally accepted that the very experiences that were meant to destroy me were the same experiences that empowered me and led me into this career path. I was only 5 years old when I was preyed upon by a caregiver. That was an experience that brought me an incredible amount of shame and blame throughout my teen and young adult years. As unpleasant as it may seem, that experience in combination with many others taught me the importance of self-worth and living beyond my circumstances. It showed me that no one deserves to be hurt, especially by someone that claims to love them. Today, I am so thankful for those experiences because they have become a part of the driving force behind my dedication to ending domestic violence and child victimization.

– Betsy St. Amant

“Be thankful for everything and worry about nothing.

Live in the moment, for it is a gift that will never be repeated.”