It's All About Growing While Helping For Katie Ericson

For Katie Ericson, serving as the Director of Wellness has allowed her to grow professionally while lending a helping hand to fellow student athletes, to end the stigma around mental health and well being. 

Katie Ericson was first drawn to Maryland because of the opportunities that she saw could be opened once she became a Terp - academically, athletically and socially.

“I went on an official visit here. I felt like it’s so much different from any other environment at any other visit I had been on. It just seemed like there were so many opportunities I could have here, not only to get a good career, but to have a good college experience and get involved. I do like that and all of the support I realized I’ll be able to have, to reach my goals.”

Ericson first joined the Maryland Made program in her freshman year, as she arrived on campus during the Covid pandemic. Because of the timing, Ericson saw Maryland Made as an opportunity to connect with fellow student athletes while also pursuing her goals as she began her studies on the Kinesiology track. 

“My freshman year was the COVID year so when I got here, you weren't really allowed to go anywhere. We were barely allowed in the training room and barely got to see our teammates. I just wanted to kind of get to know people and I thought it was special that I would be able to have an impact on the athletic community and that I could have a say and change things that I thought needed to be changed. So I decided to apply.”

At first, Ericson got involved on the SAAC board as a wellness liaison, which turned into a larger role, allowing her more responsibility. In her new role, she hopes to promote the mental health of her fellow student athletes, and provide them with the knowledge and resources when they need it. 

“I started as the wellness liaison and now I’m the director of wellness. I’ve been connecting with Dr. Hall and sports psych and trying to get some wellness [initiatives] going. I also worked with nutrition last year a little bit to do the Body Appreciation Movement. This year I’ve been wanting to do a little more with mental health. As a group we’ve been trying to figure out what we want that to be.”

One initiative that has stood out to Ericson has been green ribbon games to promote mental health - which she had the opportunity to take part in last year as a member of the Track and Field squad. 

“We definitely have tried to touch on as a whole the executive board, mental health, and just trying to stop that stigma. Let people know that there are resources and we do have sports psych available to us.”

“We’re trying to figure out a way that we can get games dedicated to mental health, and have green ribbon games. My team did it last year, and that’s something I remembered. I thought it was so cool that we got to do it.”

Through her work with Maryland Made, Ericson has also been able to take part in a number of volunteer experiences - including the Adopt a Family gift wrapping party, which she highlights as one of her most valuable experiences since joining Maryland Made.

“I have loved volunteering. I thought the wrapping party was so special this year because it had such a good outcome. Sometimes we don't get that big of a group and so many people showed up. That was really special.”

“I thought it was so special when we were handing out mental health fliers [at the gift wrapping party] and everybody wanted more. They wanted to bring it into their locker rooms. They wanted to share it and I think just having that feedback and having people want to make an effort was a big thing. Overall, the wrapping party this year was one of my favorite things.”

Being able to be a part of a community like Maryland Made, has also allowed Ericson to take advantage of resources to help herself grow both professionally and personally, explaining that she is thankful for the support that the program offers - including career fairs and mentors.

“I think that knowing I have support behind me and knowing that they want to make our time here the best possible, and they want to see us go on to big careers and just help us reach our goals - I think that has been the best part for me.

“They're there to help us and just make us better. I want to give back to them and put my best foot forward.”

Ericson encourages all student athletes to take the first step to get involved with Maryland Made, describing it as an opportunity to grow and create meaningful connections and relationships.

“I think that just getting into that community and just getting the Maryland Made staff to know your name is so important, because they’re going to be the ones that are there to help you, and they’re going to be the ones that will help get you connections to reach your future goals. I think that joining SAAC and being in this program is one of the best decisions I’ve made since being here. 

“It’s a good community that I love being a part of.”