Interview with Erica Boykins by Michelle Carter Smith
In April 2023, Erica Boykins began working in the Corbett School District as a SBMH (School-Based Mental Health) Social Worker. Currently, the school district has a team of nine mental health and academic counselors, and this resource is available to all students and their families.
The daughter of two Dominican immigrants, Erica was born in New York City in 1992 and has both an older and a younger brother. Her parents are celebrating 40 years of marriage this year! Erica is very proud of her Dominican heritage as well as being born and raised in New York City. Erica is bi-lingual, having been raised alongside her Spanish-speaking grandparents. As a child, she attended a charter school from K-8th grade in NYC and then attended and graduated from the all-girls Catholic high school, The Mary Louis Academy in NYC. Growing up, she was involved in a variety of sports that included basketball, ballet, and karate. She also played the piano and violin. Erica describes her younger self as being a bit sassy and inquisitive, questioning everything! She says she has always had a deep care and concern for justice, fairness, and equity. She continues to have a deep care and commitment to community. Erica's father works in the auto industry and her mom is a teacher. Growing up, her parents felt it was important to visit the Dominican Republic every year to visit extended family as well as travel internationally and in the US to experience different cultures, food, and history. Erica loved the opportunity to experience so many different ways of life as a result of travel. For college, Erica attended Siena College in Loudonville, New York all four years and was the captain of the Step Dance Team while there. Erica majored in Social Work and minored in Psychology. Although Erica met her husband Austin while in college, they did not begin dating until graduation day! They dated for two years, became engaged, and were married on October 11, 2019. Austin works for Adidias and they were transferred to Portland in Dec. 2021. Erica worked in child welfare when in NYC after college and when she moved to Portland with Austin and their dog Turbo, she began working for Albertina Kerr Outpatient Clinic. While at Albertina Kerr, Erica found out about a job opportunity in Corbett, applied, and was hired. She feels thankful that everything worked out for her to be in the Corbett community. She said she can see and appreciate the value that folks have for their pioneer heritage and is excited to learn more about Corbett's history and pioneer families. Erica wants to be a support for all of the kids in the Corbett School District, bringing her experience and knowledge to best serve the kids in her care. She is here to learn and grow and says that best happens when there can be an exchange of experiences.