Her Story
About Dr. Erin
Dr. Erin Smith is a dedicated higher education and community development leader with over a decade of experience in educational attainment, student success, and strategic program management, currently serving as Director of Adult Degree Reengagement at OneSpartanburg, Inc. In this role, she leads a program to raise Spartanburg County's educational attainment levels by identifying residents with some college but no degree and removing barriers to degree completion, managing college navigators and a business liaison, and measuring program outcomes. She also serves as Founder and CEO of The Erin Effect, a personal shopping and styling firm, and as a Board Member for Greenville Theatre. Her career includes serving her tenure at Greenville Technical College, where she worked for ten years. During that time, she served in several roles there including enrollment management, dual enrollment, and new student orientation. She was named Dean of our Early College and Special Programs at Greenville Tech in 2014 and served in that role for 4 years. In 2019, she was named as the Director of the I-BEST program at Tri-County Technical College and served in that role for almost 3 years. She holds a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration and a master's degree in College Student Personnel Administration from Nova Southeastern University. She is recognized as a visionary, student-centered, and community-focused leader who is deeply committed to advancing educational equity, supporting adult learners, and strengthening communities through strategic partnerships and impactful programming.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Dr. Erin
01What do you attribute your success to?
My mother and the way I was raised. I was raised to love learning and prioritize education. I was raised to be resilient and purposeful. Those attributes have guided my career.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
"When what you're doing is in the best interest of the students, you can never go wrong." My professor, Dr. Bradley Williams, told my cohort this during a lecture in my master program and I have never forgotten it. I have gone to bat time and time again for students because they are the priority. Everything else comes together when students are the focal point. In higher education, we worry about graduation rates, retention, persistence, and attrition. All of those problems are easily solved when all of the decision-making keeps students in mind. First.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say to be a sponge. Soak up as much knowledge as you can. Ask questions but also learn to observe and discern things for yourself. Higher education is definitely a sink or swim type of work environment. People expect you to come in capable and perform. Do that and absorb as much as you can as you grow into your role.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is a lack of passion for the work. This can be a very thankless job. I used to say that we get paid in hugs. Meaning, we do not make a lot but work purpose and serving our students sustains us. Eventually, that wears off and you really have to dig deep to continue showing up for students. Some professionals aren't doing that work. For some of them, it's just a job. You cannot effectively serve students without passion.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I value honesty, hard work, passion, resilience, and purpose. You have to know your purpose in order to be successful. My purpose revealed itself to me years ago and I love the simplicity of it. My purpose is to serve.
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