If anyone is looking for some inspiration to do good in the world, look no further than this week’s Campus Celebrity, Erica Miller from Sunnyvale, California. Erica is a senior Criminal Justice major here at Lasell, as well as the President and co-founder of the Lasell chapter of She’s the First.
She’s the First *{Lasell} is an on-campus club that raises awareness on the importance of educating girls, as well as raising money to help sponsor girls in developing countries to go to school.
Erica started the Lasell chapter with a close friend and Lasell alumni, Danielle Fortin, after returning from a Shoulder-to-Shoulder trip to Uganda. Erica cites her trip to Uganda as her inspiration for starting the club, explaining that it helped her, “understand the importance of education.” She then went on to talk about how, “girls in particular do not get the opportunity as much as boys, and to me educating girls solved a lot of problems that are faced within developing countries”, and that, “this was when [she] knew how important it was to have a club that raises awareness on the issue and also fundraises money to send girls to school.”
The Lasell chapter of She’s the First has been at Lasell since the Spring of 2014, and since then has been able to sponsor 6 girls education, and is waiting to sponsor even more with the funds they raise this year. This is something Erica is very proud of, and she gushes, “knowing that we are giving girls this opportunity to go to school makes me extremely happy. I want them to be able to learn, grow, and dream about one day becoming teachers, doctors, lawyers, etc. and our club is giving them that opportunity”.
This inspiring lady is not only the president of a successful and important club, she is also very well traveled. She has been to Uganda, South Africa, and Namibia. She credits her traveling experiences for helping her grow as a person, stating, “I have learned to not just think about myself but also how my actions affect others. I have learned about myself and gained a strong passion for helping others.” Traveling to unconventional places is something that she is very glad she did at Lasell, because she learned so much about herself and other cultures.
After graduation, Erica is hoping to attend graduate school for international security with a concentration in human rights. Her dream job is to work for an international organization that deals with peacekeeping, human rights, conflicts and resolutions, and more. The world is lucky to have someone as amazing as she is pursuing such a noble career!
Erica advises all underclassmen to do something outside their comfort zone while at Lasell, whether it be traveling to Africa or just taking a risk on-campus. She encourages everyone to pursue what they love and are passionate about without excuses, urging, “do not let anything stop you because if you really want something, you can do it; it might just take some extra work.”
If anyone is interested in joining She’s the First *{Lasell}, talking about traveling, or just being inspired to pursue their dreams, make sure you stop and say hello to Erica!