Meet Jemila Herron, Grant Halliburton Foundation’s mental health education intern for summer 2026!
Jemila Herron is a University of North Texas alumna who graduated in 2023 with a degree in psychology. This summer, she’s interning with the Foundation, bringing compassion, curiosity, and a creative spirit to the work she does each day.
Jemila enjoys diving into true crime stories, researching family history, scrapbooking, and expressing her creative side. She’s guided by her belief in living unapologetically and loving yourself on purpose.
Here are 10 things to know about Jemila!
1. What was your first job?
My first job was babysitting for neighbors’ children in my apartment complex. My first official job, with a W-2, was at Blaze Pizza in Culver City, California.
2. What’s your guilty pleasure?
True Crime Shows, Podcasts, and Stories (The Real ones, not fictional).
3. What advice would you give to your teenage self?
To have unapologetic fun, be yourself, and love yourself on purpose.
4. What’s your favorite movie scene and why?
I’m not sure if I have one, but one I truly enjoy is in “Hitch,” when Eva Longoria’s character was crying that ugly cry at the museum when Hitch surprised her with her own family history. He was trying to be romantic, but ended up triggering her.
5. What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
People would be surprised to know that I sing. Unless they met me singing, then they would be surprised that I nerd out on things such as legal cases, crime investigations, and anything dealing with the body, biology, and the brain.
6. What would you name the autobiography of your life? Or what is your favorite book and why?
One of my favorite books is “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou because she not only tells readers about her life, but also shares the metaphor of a bird in a cage that still sings despite its captivity. I truly feel that metaphor represents Black America as a whole during that time, and sometimes even today, especially Black women. I have always loved poetry, so I appreciate metaphorical meanings and things that go deeper than the surface.
7. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work?
I am usually watching, reading, or listening to true crime cases, because I’m obviously obsessed. If not that, then I’m more than likely doing family tree research or scrapbooking.
8. What are the top three TV shows you’re watching right now?
“Fatal Attraction,” “See No Evil,” and “Sistas.”
9. Where’s your favorite travel destination and why?
Of places I’ve been, Los Angeles is my favorite because that was home at one point. Of places I’ve only seen on television or in pictures, Jamaica is my favorite because I love the cuisine and the beaches look beautiful. I will go there soon!
10. Why is Grant Halliburton Foundation’s mission important to you?
Grant Halliburton Foundation’s mission is important to me because it focuses on strengthening mental health resources for youth and preventing suicide. As a family member of a suicide attempt survivor, this work feels personal to me. I also love working with young people and believe they deserve to learn more about their mental health so they can become stronger beacons of hope for the future.
I believe mental health should be discussed more openly so there is less stigma around it and more people feel encouraged to take their mental health seriously.
