Alumni Spotlight

Erika Glenn, '07

Master of Science in Higher Education Administration

I graduated with a M.S. in Higher Education Administration with a concentration in Student Affairs from FIU in Spring 2007.  After earning my M.S. I worked as an Academic Coordinator for the School of Journalism & Mass Communication at FIU during the 2007-2008 school year.  I also worked as an Adjunct Faculty for the Communication Studies Department during that time.  As an Adjunct Instructor I taught Introduction to Public Speaking (SPC 2600) for 2 semesters.

I've always aspired to be an Attorney therefore, I began law school in August 2008 at Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston, TX. I received my J.D. in May 2011. I was recently sworn-in on May 14, 2012 and I am now a licensed Attorney in the State of Texas.

I currently work for the Woodfill Law Firm in Houston, Texas.  I began working for them as a Law Clerk in October 2011, and transitioned into an Attorney position once I passed the February 2012 Bar Exam. My practice areas include: Mass Tort Prescription Drug Litigation, Toxic Torts & Hazardous Chemicals, Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury & some Family Law. Outside of work, I volunteer with a local non-profit agency (Neighborhood Centers Incorporated) each month. There I assist members of the Houston community with matters in Immigration Law, and help Lawful Permanent Residents complete applications for U.S. Citizenship. This truly my favorite activity as I have a passion for Immigration Law. I've been volunteering with them for almost 2 years. In addition to this group, I volunteer with the American Bar Association (ABA).  I'm the Membership Co-Chair for the Pretrial Practice & Discovery Committee and I'm also a Contributing Editor for the ABA's ProBono Champion Newsletter. I love to write & volunteer so it's great to have this opportunity. 

While at FIU, I was a member of the Student Affairs Graduate Association (SAGA), an Assistant Residence Life Coodinator and a member of various Recruitment & Selection Committees for the Department of Residential Life.

Tips for my career search that I've employed are:

1. Know your talents, skills, and gifts and seek positions that utilize them. The best thing an individual can do for themselves is to know their strengths.  This allows you to be confident when interviewing and create a niche for yourself no matter where you work. If you're unable to find a position that utilizes those skills then volunteer with an organization that allows you to apply what you have. You can then use that volunteer experience to market yourself when applying for positions.

   
   

2. Get Involved with your Community-This allows you to expand your network and build your interpersonal communication skills. It also helps others learn about you & your skills.  It shows commitment and dedication, and when job searching the people you meet are able to recommend and vouch for you based on your interactions with their organization.
   
   

3. Stay Connected to your Peers (Classmates)-You never know who can help you and how they can help you. There are so many ways (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn) to stay connected today that not having time to do so just isn't a good excuse. Keep them up-to-date on your career progress and stay up-to-date on theirs.
   
   

4. Write down your goals & keep that vision close by-There's something about writing things down that makes them happen.  It also holds you accountable to the goals that you set. I try to revisit my personal & career goals every 4-6 months to make sure I stay on track. I also keep my goals to myself and don't share them until they've been attained.
   
   

5. Learn another language-being fluent in Spanish has helped me tremendously! It's also helped me to become a valued member at my firm because I'm the only Spanish-speaker.  I now handle all of our firm's Spanish-speaking clients.
   
   

6. Get connected on LinkedIn-don't just create a profile.  Create a profile, search and join groups that match your interests, and participate in discussions with those groups.  I've received job recommendations for both myself and friends by actively participating with LinkedIn.  My favorite group on LinkedIn is the Spanish-Speakers group.  I've found a Spanish conversation partner to practice writing and speaking with through that group, and made new connections!