Among many questions, we asked the seniors in this series to share with us what they are obsessed with, and we have to say, we are obsessed with Erin’s answer: “Skin and hair care, global politics.” From the micro to the macro; from the self to the world, Erin shows us time and time again through her words and her actions, how loving and knowing the world must be rooted in loving and knowledge of the self.

When the pandemic in many ways made the outside world go dark and many of us struggled with isolation, Erin was able to use the disruption as a door to greater connection, both to herself and to her family. “Without the world’s clock to keep me going, I had to develop my own rhythm and learn how to stay accountable to myself... I leaned heavily on the support and company of my family. I spent more time with my siblings all together in the last year than ever before. They kept me grounded, motivated and hopeful.”

From her fond high school memories of Black Student Union meetings and town halls, to one of her proudest accomplishments being “advocating for meaningful and lasting chance at my school,” Erin shows us how she alchemizes love and knowledge, for herself and her communities, into vehicles for change and upliftment. Love for Erin is not passive and may not always be easy, but it is, as she also describes her own life as “meaningful.”

We have no doubt that Erin’s pursuits, her commitment to community and gifts for connection and activism, will be an asset not only to her but to her team of fellow students, her Posse, that she became a part of when she earned the prestigious and selective Posse scholarship. Erin is tasked by this full scholarship from Posse for student leaders with both supporting her peers and being a change agent in the school at large. For Erin this will be a continuation of so much work she has already done. Erin said she would tell her younger self to “recognize the blessings you have been given,” and we would only add that she has shown herself as not only a recognizer of blessings, but a participant in creating them.

From the micro to the macro, from the self to the world, we wish Erin all the good things as she takes these next steps.