Erika Scire always knew she wanted to help people. But it wasn't until she came to 17吃瓜网, got involved, and discovered a passion for leadership and psychology that she truly found her calling.
Why 17吃瓜网?
I didn't know what I wanted to major in. I was originally thinking about fashion but after visiting campus I knew Oneonta was where I wanted to spend my next four years. I never ended up declaring a fashion major; I started with History and ended up changing that second semester to Psychology. The more I got involved on campus, the more I realized 鈥業 like the leadership thing鈥� and 鈥業 like being involved on a college campus.鈥� Junior year was when I really recognized my passion and knew I wanted to get my master鈥檚 in Student Affairs and Higher Education.
After Oneonta
I graduated in May 2019 and started work later that month as a graduate assistant for student engagement and activities at Stony Brook University, where I earned a master's in higher education administration. Then, I became coordinator of First Year Programs and Leadership Development at Marist College, followed by Success Coach and Large Scale Events Coordinator at Long Island University. Now, I work as a campus recruiter for a boutique investment bank.
A Day in the Life
Depending on the season, I am helping to coordinate interviews for potential interns, run our diversity programs or plan the summer internship program. Currently, we are preparing for our summer interns so I am working on planning events in NYC for our interns. I still get to interact with and advise students regularly, which is something I always knew I wanted even before I graduated.
Best Part of My Job
Working with students; helping them navigate the interview process as well as their career journeys. Additionally, being a part of a team sharing ideas, working on projects and watching as our ideas come to life in the form of events or strategies for recruiting.
Best Experiences at Oneonta
Definitely getting involved. I became president of the Class of 2019 my freshman year. I also was an Orientation Leader, Orientation Mentor, Transition Team Member, L.E.A.D. Assistant and a member of O-Fan, Psychology Club, psychology honor society and National Residence Hall Honorary.
After becoming president of my class, I found so many different avenues to get involved in, which also helped me meet a lot of people I likely wouldn't have met otherwise. Getting involved helped me grow both personally and professionally and truly helped to shape my entire college experience.
About My Major
I love that psychology is the study of people, and while I was making all of these connections with classmates, professors and mentors, I was using psychology in my daily life to grow and develop in my relationships and gain understanding of myself and those around me. While I was interning with the Office of Student Success, my research focus was freshman involvement and how to get freshmen involved, and it all came back to psychology.
What I鈥檒l Remember in 20 Years
I'm definitely going to remember how pretty the campus was because I love fall and it's so pretty in Oneonta then. But also definitely the support I had here. A lot of the things that I did and was involved in wouldn't have been possible without professors or mentors or advisers who guided me along the way. And now I'm excited to be that for others.