Bright, bubbly and queer AF would be the best 3 ways to describe Ericka Smith! A 26-year-old grad student at ODU, Smith has changed this campus and brightened the lives of several students. When she’s not busy advocating for all issues LGBT or studying for her masters in mental health counseling, Smith spends time with her cat and chihuahua or finding a new fun color to dye her hair.
Smith is a Graduate Assistant (GA) and LGBT Advocate and Ally Engagement Assistant (the only paid position at ODU dealing with LGBT!). She is also on ODU’s Safe Space committee, which is an unpaid group of staff and students who provide events to LGBT students. On top of that, she’s a Safe Space ally trainer and is working towards becoming Licensed Professional Counselor, focusing on LGBTQ+ mental health and domestic violence.
Luckily, we were able to sit down with Smith outside of her busy schedule to get the inside scoop on all she does!
HC: Is this what you saw yourself doing after getting your undergrad degree?
ES: This is a very new position; I’m only the 3rd person with it. Each other person has, to my knowledge, only served in this position for 1-2 semesters. I will be in it until I graduate in a year. My office, the Office of Intercultural Relations, was attracted to me because my vision basically matched their office mission. I was recommended by a professor in the Women’s Studies department and I hope to set the standard for this position.
HC: What was your and the university’s vision?
ES: The vision was being more inclusive of queer and trans people of color (QTPOC), fems, non-binaries and gender non-conforming. And to deviate from the norm of white cisgender male as face of LGBT. I wanted to be more on the educational side in order to better reach people who aren’t in the LGBT community so they can understand. Also, to bring in different people from under discussed parts of the acronym for more education and a wider variety.
(Ericka with Robert Taylor Jr., an NYU undergrad invited to present his workshop,”Queeribbean: Bridging the Intersections”, after a meet and greet with ODU’s only LGBT student organization, ODU Out, February 23rd, 2017)
HC: What area of ODU do you feel needs the most improvement?
ES: That’s really hard to answer because I have never felt more supported in a job. The higher ups in our office truly care about the diversity and inclusiveness. All the people that we’ve had are possible because of them. My concern is with student engagement and attendance. I really want to create safe spaces for students to come to events. I want to focus on the things people tend to shy away from. I want to talk about bi and trans people because they’re coming to the forefront of the LGBT community. I’m still trying to find ways to get interest among more students, especially those who aren’t LGBT. I will say I would like if they would allow another LGBT student org. We only have one, ODU Out, there’s so many students orgs and for us to only have one LGBT org, why can’t we have another one?
HC: What inspired you to create the LGBT Peer Mentorship Program?
ES: Well the GA before me, Dexter Gore, wrote the proposal, and it got approved. So I did the inaugural run, did revisions and created a manual. It’s facilitated by me and my supervisor, Associate Director for the Office of Intercultural Relations, Jasmine Omorogbe. It’s lots of fun and the mentors and mentees got so much more out of it! I had no idea what to expect, but the feedback we got at the end was better than what I anticipated. We have lots of returning people and mentees wanting to be mentors. The goal is really to help tie people to the Monarch community and feel safe and secure in their identity. Also, to let them know the school supports them.
(Ericka with Pidgeon (first on left), White House recognized Intersex activist and advocate, after the “Intersex is Beautiful: Deconstruct the Binary” event, March 2nd, 2017)
HC: What is the most rewarding thing about your work?
ES: Without a doubt, knowing the impact that this has on people. In a sense that, not to be cliche, but that you are helping someone come into themselves and feel good about it. Early adulthood and college can be the most challenging and exciting time. Sexual identity can come under such scrutiny and be devalued. To help a person know that all parts of their identity, and all parts of them should be honored and celebrated is amazing. These are reasons why I’m in counselling, and did women’s studies. I really care about the human identity and helping it thrive. It feels like this work connects with my larger social identity.
HC: How do you feel women’s studies has changed since you got your degree?
ES: The funny thing is my entire academic career I’ve always been that student that educates my professors. I try to stay on the front of whatever is happening in the sociopolitical world. I was still sharing with my professors that trans women were being killed at alarming numbers. My teachers weren’t talking about that, but I brought it up so it was a topic of conversation. I think classes at ODU are widening the breadth of issues because they’re becoming aware of the issues that exist for many women. Things are obviously impacted by what’s happening now, it’s creating a sense of urgency. To hear how it’s affecting students, their thoughts, how to work towards a vision of change and unify. We’re entering a new wave of feminism and gender exploration and discussion. It’s more of a construct that is no longer black and white. Trans women are women and they can be feminist and we should honor that. It’s not that they aren’t women, they’re just women of a different experience.
(Ericka with Kat Blaque, a trans woman blogger, YouTuber, and internet personality at the “A Night with Kat Blaque” event, October 19th, 2016)
For her closing statement, Smith said, “It’s really satisfying to have a job that goes so well with my program. It’s giving me the exposure and allowing me to apply counseling I learn to students that I work with. For example, when students texted me after the election, I was able to use my counseling skills and bring them back down to a level where they felt safe and listened to.”