After a semester of stress for this year’s seniors, Sahuaro finally welcomes Erica Allen, our new college and career counselor.  Mrs. Allen is available whenever you need her, whether it be to help with scholarships or any questions for post-high school plans, Mrs. Allen is your guide for success. Raised on a ranch and born in South Dakota, she’s learned the moral values of life over time and with her successful academic background, she is perfectly qualified to be our college career counselor.

When asked about the reason why she took the job and why on earth she chose Tucson of all places, she answered with “Well, I wanted to be closer to my dad who also lives here, and when they asked me to be a part of this school, I was very excited and took the opportunity.” She goes on to say that this is a “really fun job, and all the staff are very helpful and caring.” In addition to earlier statements she goes on to say, “this is more of an energetic place to work than my previous jobs.”

Mrs. Allen has had a pretty interesting past when it comes to her academic studies and career – she attended MSU Denver for her bachelors in psychology and then went to the University of North Dakota for her masters in Forensic Psychology. Before she was a counselor, she worked as an investigator for the Department of Child Safety. Before she worked with DCS, she worked as a group therapist for prison inmates, preparing them to become a part of the community again.  Examples of this would be support for drug addiction or helping them maintain a job.

In her free time she enjoys hiking, camping, running, etc. Basically anything having to do with being outside is her favorite hobby. She’s a smart and bright young woman who is willing to answer any question about college and your career or maybe you just need someone to talk to, whatever you need, Ms. Allen’s got it. As we ended the interview she hands me a sticky note with an inspirational quote on it, something she wants all of Sahuaro to know her by: “The best way to predict your future is to create it.” (Thanks Abraham Lincoln!)