Meet Erinn
Dr. Erinn Scott | Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Director for the Multicultural Health Program | Counseling and Psychological Services | Five Years
What's the name of your hometown?
Dayton, Ohio
Describe your role as Assistant Director for the Multicultural Health Program.
I coordinate the CAPS Multicultural Health Program (MCHP), which aims to address the mental health needs of racially minoritized students at Carolina. We achieve this aim through outreach activities, individual therapy, group therapy, seminars and liaison relationships with campus partners. MCHP staff members are racially diverse and carry a myriad of clinical specialties including identity development, family of origin issues, gender and sexuality, first generation college students, immigration issues and assimilation/acculturation stress.
What do you like most about your work?
College counseling work is exciting because no two days are alike! I like the ability to wear multiple hats and engage in a variety of activities such as therapy, program development, supervision, and consultation. I also value collaboration and enjoy working with colleagues from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines.
Is there a lesson learned from working through the pandemic that you are applying now that students are back on campus?
The pandemic has taught all of us lots of valuable lessons. The one that I am intentionally applying now, both with myself and with students, is the value of connection. Human beings are social creatures and like it or not, we need each other. As an introvert, I initially reveled in working from home, however, as the pandemic stretched on, I had no idea how much I would miss connecting with colleagues informally. I undervalued those few minutes after a meeting when we would walk and talk together down the hall, or grab lunch at The Beach and catch up with each other's lives.
What's your favorite work memory?
This is a hard one! I have so many great memories from my time at CAPS. If I had to pick one though, it would be a few summers ago when a few of my CAPS colleagues and I rode a city bus to Merritt's, home of the acclaimed "Best BLT sandwich", for lunch. I had not ridden a bus in years so that part was fun, but the most fun was the light-hearted laughs and conversations between staff. The food was delicious and the company was excellent. It was one of those beautiful summer days - not too warm and not too sticky. On the way back we decided to walk some of the way, and I got to explore more of our beautiful campus.
What's one of your favorite things?
Right now one of my favorite things is seeing the world through my four year old daughter's eyes. I just love the way she makes sense of things and I enjoy watching her personality develop. My husband and I adopted our daughter at birth and although she physically looks nothing like me, her mannerisms and character are SO me! She is funny, smart, compassionate and curious - not to mention she is cute as a button! And she keeps us on our toes constantly. The other day we were having a Disney princess marathon (one of HER favorite things lol) and after the second movie she looked at me and asked, very seriously, "Mom, why do princesses have to have a prince?" I explained to her that princesses do not, in fact, have to have a prince and I pointed out that her favorite Disney princess (Moana) doesn't have or need a prince to save her village. She thought on it awhile, agreed and went on to state "Well I'm a princess and I don't need a prince to help me. I can run fast and do flips all by myself". My little feminist in the making!
What are you listening to? (music/podcast/ book)
Now that I am a podcaster, I am hooked on them! I start my day with NPR's "Up First" to get caught up on national news. I am also currently supporting other friends I know that are also podcasters. Some that I enjoy are: "Hagar's Daughters", "The Quinn Alexandria Show", "The Balanced Working Mama" and "I Now Pronounce You" (my partner is featured on a recent episode)
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I want to take a moment to shout out my amazing MCHP staff members, Sophia Davis, Faye Hobgood, and Susan Chung, who have done remarkable work in a short time frame. I also want to mention my former co-facilitator, Dr. Cherish Williams who has moved on from CAPS but was instrumental in getting MCHP established. Thank you to all who have supported us and we look forward to continuing to make an impact.