Erica Hurst, a sophomore at UCA, loves getting to know people and communicating with her peers.
Hurst serves as a mentor in the Schedler Honors College. She works on a volunteer basis and maintains a friendly relationship with the Schedler Honors College students.
“My main job is to be there for the freshmen as they encounter some of the difficulties and struggles of being a first-year student, but I also get to host events and make lots of friends,” Hurst said. “It’s been nice. It’s definitely stressful sometimes, but I feel like I’ve grown a lot, and I’ve learned a lot.”
Some of the events she hosts as a mentor include painting sessions, movie nights and scavenger hunts. She also helps host a “Tough Talk” presentation where they discuss trending or difficult topics.
The Honors College helped Hurst make some of her best friends and allowed her to learn how to become a better leader.
“I have learned that I really like being in roles of leadership. In group settings, I tend to just kind of naturally take on more of a leadership role. I’ve had practice doing that as a mentor,” Hurst said.
In addition to being a mentor, she worked with the Honors Council and has become close with many professors, including the dean of the Schedler Honors College, Patricia Smith.
Hurst, 19, is currently an English major with a double minor in Interdisciplinary Studies and Religious Studies.
“I kind of always knew I’d be an English major. I was in denial for a while, but I finally declared it and it’s been great,” Hurst said.
Hurst is from Paragould, Arkansas, but attended high school in Monette.
“My hometown is very small. It’s like being stuck in a postcard. It looks pretty, but I was happy to be able to move on from it,” Hurst said.
In her free time, Hurst enjoys reading, writing, painting and thrift shopping.
“I’m an English major, so it’s hard to get myself to read because, after a day of reading, the last thing I want to do is read more. But whenever I do get to read for pleasure, it’s a nice change of pace, and it’s a good way to get out of your own head,” Hurst said.
Hurst currently works with children at UCA’s Child Study Center.
“I was worried that I wouldn’t like working with kids, but I actually do. They’re very sweet and funny, and I feel like it’s getting easier for me to feel authoritative. So that makes the job easier,” Hurst said.
While Hurst plans to attend graduate school to get her master’s degree in English, she would also like to work as a teacher someday. She wants to teach at a high school or become a professor.
If Hurst had to give her peers any piece of advice, it would be to take a self-care night.
“It doesn’t matter if you just took one. There is no limit. Watch a movie, do some skincare, be with friends, whatever,” Hurst said.
