My name is Erica Webb and I'm honored to be joining the First Generation Office at Dartmouth! I am dedicated to supporting students when they face challenges and celebrating their successes, especially when they are first generation and / or low income. I've had the privilege to work with a wide range of populations and age groups, and am fascinated by the ways that exploration, play, and storytelling are valuable tools for growth across the lifespan.
I graduated in 2002 from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) with a bachelor's degree in psychology. While at IUP, I had the opportunity to join the Robert H. Cook Honors College, a living-learning community where scholars were so excited by learning that even our residence hall had classrooms! Some peers seemed to have arrived with information to help navigate their college experience. I was so relieved when an advisor told me I wasn't lost, I was just a typical first generation college student.
In 2007 I completed my Master of Social Work (MSW) from the Universities of St. Catherine and St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. While in school, I worked as an educator for teen mothers and also became curious about the experiences of teen fathers. I was able to complete my master's thesis on the social support available to teen dads and their unique experiences of parenting.
I began working at Colby-Sawyer College (CSC) in 2008 as an adjunct instructor for child development and sociology, which is where my obsession with Maslow's hierarchy of needs began! In 2016 was hired as their Director of Student Success and Retention where I enjoyed supervising my peer mentor staff and creating a summer bridge course to prepare incoming first gen students for their college experience. And, in 2022 I received the Judith Pond Condict '62 Award for Excellence in Service at CSC.
On a personal note, I am originally from Pennsylvania where, in high school, I was a proud alto and "theater kid"! My husband Eric and I are fortunate to be raising three of our own theater kids in a little house, with beehives, in the forest. (Eric and Erica…we know!) Our home is filled with honey, dance parties, storytelling, reading in blanket forts, legos, and at least one person singing at the top of their lungs at all times