What Does It Mean To Be a “Gustie For Life”?
When Erickson was looking at colleges, she thought Gustavus wasn’t an option. “I didn’t think I had the resources to attend a private school,” she says. “But my high school counselor said that Gustavus would support me.”
That counselor was right. Erickson’s financial aid package made Gustavus more affordable than a public college. She was thrilled to commit to a place that would challenge her academically and where she’d spent summers in Tennis & Life Camps.
Then, the tornado destroyed campus the spring before Erickson’s first year. Where another school might have faltered, “I saw this spirit of community, people banding together to rebuild our home,” she says. “That’s how I knew it was the right choice to be a Gustie.”
As a student, Erickson wanted to study Spanish and Geology. She was passionate about language and science but wasn’t sure where that path would take her. Her peers and professors consistently affirmed that her passions were worth pursuing because—well—they were simply her passions. After earning a master’s degree in Spanish linguistics from San Diego State University, she spent 13 years teaching college-level language courses, always dreaming of a return to Gustavus to serve the community that supported her.
Now, as the Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement, Erickson develops programs that connect alumni to one another,
their local communities, and to students. She loves seeing the unique ways Gusties exemplify the College’s core values every day.
“Alumni directors at other colleges always tell me they envy our community,” she says. “There’s not another institution where
people are so excited to see and support each other, whether they’re in the headlines or in their neighborhood.” The best part of her job, she says, is watching alumni and friends connect with each other—the big embraces between old friends, the laughter over first-year dorm stories, shout outs on social media, and the excitement to help prospective students—future Gusties—find a home on the Hill.