Erin Doolin didn’t expect to attend a school of education, but she was sure to make the most of her time once she arrived.
During her undergraduate years at Emerson College, Doolin dreamt of working for Entertainment Weekly as a journalist. She even pursued a career in Los Angeles, interning with Disney–ABC’s reality and late night department.
Then, while working as an executive producer on a show, Doolin discovered new passions that would alter her path: serving as a mentor and cultivating community among young people.
Doolin applied to the Boston College Higher Education master’s program to pursue her new passions, saying she was attracted to the Lynch School’s commitment to the common good and dedication to support. “It seemed like a school that really cared about its students,” she said.
Uncommonly Active on Campus
Since arriving on campus, Doolin has thrown herself into work that helps others and fosters a safer, more communal campus culture. Chief among her campus volunteer work: She runs Stand Up BC, a sexual assault prevention program that emphasizes proactive bystander behavior.
Doolin oversees 45 volunteers through Stand Up BC. She and her team educate all first-year Boston College students on sexual violence, empowering them to prevent instances of rape and sexual assault. Doolin also mentors her volunteers in public speaking and co-facilitates HEAL, a weekly support group for survivors of sexual violence.
According to Doolin, Lynch School faculty and staff have been predictably supportive of her extraordinarily active time on campus: “They know that your assistantship is your passion and make the program work around that, ensuring classes are applicable to what you’re doing; they’re all about putting theory into practice.”
In addition to her work with Stand Up BC and HEAL, Doolin serves as a prevention advocate for the Boston College Sexual Assault Network, the campus hotline for sexual violence crises, and educates student leaders and athletes about intimate partner violence through a nonprofit dedicated to ending relationship abuse.
Of her extensive resume helping others, Doolin echoes the social justice values of Boston College. “I’m not doing this work to check off a box,” she said. “I’m doing it to create a better world. We have an obligation to provide students with an opportunity to learn and challenge the myths and misperceptions about sexual assault.”
Now that she has finished her Lynch School program, Doolin will continue her work helping others as the Sexual Assault Prevention and Education Specialist at Pace University’s Westchester campus. Eventually, she says, she’d like to earn an MSW or a PhD in higher education and work as a therapist or in education.