EDUCATION

Looking back now, Hergit can fully appreciate that – while growing up in a world where the great divide between the have-nots and the privileged – her educational path was one of great fortune. It started at home – a home that was led by parents that valued education and that read to their children; a home that was filled with books.

Her academic journey started with an experiment – a school that was owned and operated by the Dominican Republic Tobacco Industry, where the children of the workers had access to the same level of education as that of the children of the executives, and where education was at a premium. The best education money can buy – and it was free. Books, tuition – all free. La Esperanza provided young Hergit the solid foundations that would serve her well throughout her entire life. Not just academically, but socially as well.

While the public school system in the Dominican Republic – then as much as now – left much to be desired, Hergit had the opportunity to pursue her studies in private schools thanks to government founded scholarship based on merit. This further sealed her belief in the value of a proper education.

She later attended the UTESA – the Technological University of Santiago – where she studied Business Administration.

The opportunity to pursue her studies in institutions such as these, and the privilege of having parents for whom education was an absolute shaped the way she approaches her current position with the Public Education Foundation. “It was such an everyday, normal occurrence for me growing up to my mother who read to me and that were fully invested in my learning, that it never occurred to me that some of my kids out there are going at it alone” she once said. “Often, it’s not a question of ill-will by parents – sometimes they don’t have the time to devote to their children’s education. Sometimes, they don’t have the know-how to, given the limited education they received themselves. But we’re in this together, and where they won’t or can’t – we can and must.”

Master’s program in Hispanic Studies-Spanish. UNLV, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2022.

Bachelor of Business Administration. Technological University of Santiago, Santiago, Dominican Republic,1994.

French language diploma. Alliance Française de Paris, Paris, France, 1991.

LANGUAGES

Spanish- Native Speaker

English- Fluent

French- Highly Proficient

Advisory Roles

Libraries and Literacy Council for the State of Nevada – Appointed member Jul.1-2013 to Jun 30, 2016.

Worked on a task force to write a literacy report to the Governor’s office on the State Council on Libraries and Literacy.

Co-chaired seven local “Ya Es Hora!” citizenship workshops, bringing together 16 diverse organizations and more than 750 volunteers to provide free service to people seeking United States citizenship.

Active member of Downtown Achieves’ parent engagement efforts. Las Vegas. NV. 2013-2015

Honors

Awarded 2010 and 2011 Diversity & Inclusion Leader of the Year by the Human Rights Campaign.

Latin Chamber of Commerce Leadership Nevada graduate, 2012 Human Rights Campaign Women & Leadership graduate, 2010  Designated Competent Speaker by Toastmaster International, 2007

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

21st & 24th National Conference on Family Literacy (NCFL) March 25-27, 2012. March 15, 2015. “How ELL is practice within mainstream classrooms.”  Presentation on best practices by Saint Paul’s Superintendent Valeria Silva during the Northern Nevada Leadership Summit. Reno. NV. Feb.7, 2013.

“Reforming Professional Development to improve Literacy Outcomes in Nevada.” Research on professional development shortcomings and steps to improve them. Presented by The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities and Nevada Succeeds. Aug. 4, 2014

Parent Revolution Seminar. The Public Education Foundation’s Leadership Institute. Las Vegas NV. 2013

New Strategies Needed for College Student Success. The Nevada Literacy Summit. Mar 18, 2014, Las Vegas, NV.