Alumni Profiles
Erica R. Jeffrey
Erica R. Jeffrey
Degree: BS’01, Member
Hats on for IU
Dancer, choreographer, teacher, performer, and mediation and conflict-resolution expert, she is in constant demand in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she lives.
Yet Erica still finds time to volunteer in her local community, directing outreach programs and advocating for education and for the arts. One of the hats she is most proud to wear is that of president of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the IU Alumni Association.
Erica moved to the Bay Area in 2001 but didn’t get involved in her local chapter until two or three years ago. She was drawn by the sense of community it provides.
“Becoming a chapter member means there is already a built-in network of people who are willing to help others out,” Erica says. “Whether [that] is giving advice on where to live in the city, or how to get game tickets, or employment [information], there are people [here] as a group who are already interested in being engaged, who are very inviting, and who love meeting new faces.”
Like many IUAA chapters, the San Francisco Bay Area group organizes networking activities to help new alumni make connections with those who are already established in the area. It also serves as a kind of “welcome committee” for students and alums who are doing internships in the area and for new grads who are moving to San Francisco on a permanent basis.
“It’s good to extend the pool of people you know, and we are a group of people who can do that,” says Jeffrey. “Best of all,” she adds, “We are just a lot of fun!”
