Women Who Work: Britny Bock (@britny_no_e)

At Hugs for Black Women, we are committed to encouraging and empowering our female community and look forward to connecting with women on a mission to do the same. This week, we sat down with NIH program specialist and supermom, Britny Bock, to continue our conversation with women who work. As a full-time mother and career woman, she opened up to us about her experiences as a single black professional living in the DMV and how she prioritizes herself to be present for everyone else. Read on for more.

HBW:   Thank you so much for being with us today! We finally have a government employee. Can you give us some inside  intel? Lol.

Britny:  It’s G14 classified…if I tell you, I’d have to kill you, LOL. 🤣🤣

HBW:   Haha! No, but really…Can you give tell us more about your role at NIH? How did your education prepare you for your current position?

Britny:  I work as a program specialist on the extramural side of NIH. We fund research outside of the Institutes. I mainly support our program officers in planning workshops and conferences, council preparations, and anything needed to get money out the door to fund our grants. I’d say that, like in many science-related fields, my education got me in the door. I have a Bachelor of Science in Biology, with a minor in chemistry from Xavier University, and a Master of Public Health from Tulane University.

HBW:   How is it living in the nation’s capital?

Britny:  I love it! The DMV (DC, MD, and VA) has something for every mood. It’s a great place to be a young professional. You are surrounded by intelligent, ambitious, and motivated people, which I find refreshing. It’s a hard place to become stagnant. The people here work hard and play hard, so there’s always something to do.

HBW:   How has your experience been as a single black professional?

Britny:  I’d guess it’s similar to what I imagine it is for any single black professional woman – exhausting! The biggest challenges are finding balance and not compromising on your needs. Professional black women tend to be high achievers (statistics have proven we must work harder), so I don’t believe in working that hard in my professional life just to settle in my love life.

HBW:   And as a full-time mom and career woman?

Britny:  She’s been on the ride with me since the beginning! I don’t know any other way. Now that she is older, it is a little easier to balance. I don’t have a plus one everywhere I go. Thankfully my job is very accommodating to staff with children, and a perk of working for the government is we usually have the same days off. If they have a snow day, we usually do too.

HBW:   What’s the best parenting advice you can share with us?

Britny:  My best parenting advice is to be your child’s safe space. Parents should be protectors, and children should feel safe with us physically, emotionally, psychologically, and any other way you can think of. If my daughter couldn’t come to me, I’d be afraid to guess who she would turn to.

HBW:   Life advice?

Britny: 

Love yourself. Don’t be afraid to put yourself first and honor yourself. It’s not selfish; it’s necessary. You are no good to anyone, including yourself, if you are burned out.

HBW:   What’s next for you?

Britny:  I have a few things up my sleeve that I don’t want to speak about too soon. I’m happy where I am now and am focused on making a bigger impact in my area of passion: women’s reproductive health, specifically improving birth outcomes among black women.

HBW:   What words of encouragement do you have for black women?

Britny:  Hmmm… I’m trying to be careful because I feel like there is already a burden of “you got this” or “you’re so strong” on black women and the thought that it comes easy just because it doesn’t LOOK hard. I think I’d rather say that everything you need is already within you!!