Erica Banks
I am a proud alumna of Navarro College. I am currently a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Sociology at Northwestern University. My dissertation focuses on the experiences of Black women who have been incarcerated. I particularly focus on examining their financial stability and economic mobility over their lifetime, particularly in the years and decades after they have been released from prison. I am about one year away from completing my dissertation. Upon receiving my Ph.D., I plan to begin my career as a university professor.
My years at Navarro College were highly influential, and they laid the foundation for my academic journey. In fact, the most memorable part about my time at Navarro College was the immense support and encouragement I received from various professors such as Professor Laurie Robertstad, Professor Rita O’Brien, Professor Lisa Dillman, Professor Dan Nesmith, Professor Beverly Pearson, and Dr. Tommy Stringer. In 2010, I graduated Summa Cum Laude with my Associate of Arts in General Studies from Navarro College. I was also a recipient of the M.C. and Mattie Graduate Caston Scholarship, which played a significant role in my ability to complete my undergraduate studies.
Upon graduating from Navarro College, I attended the University of Texas at Austin. Given my passion for studying social issues, Black history, and doing empirical research, I decided to major in Sociology and minor in African and African Diaspora Studies. In 2012, I graduated with High Honors and Special Honors from the University of Texas at Austin with my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. However, my journey did not end there. Because I had such a strong passion for empirical research, academic writing, teaching higher education, and traveling, I left Texas to pursue my graduate studies.
After I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, I moved to New York City to pursue my Master of Arts degree. It was at New York University that I ultimately found my “academic calling” so to speak. I began to take a strong interest in research on racial inequality, gender inequality, incarceration, and prisoner reentry. In 2015, I graduated from New York University with my Master of Arts in Humanities and Social Thought. That same year, I moved to Chicago to begin my doctoral degree in the Department of Sociology at Northwestern University. Now that I am nearing the end of my academic journey with my Ph.D. in Sociology in sight, I cannot help but to think about how far I have come. Because of my background as a Black woman, a first-generation college graduate, and a college student from a low-income family, my academic journey came with countless obstacles. Fortunately, the continued support and encouragement I received from the Navarro College community helped me to persevere. It is my hope that my story will inspire Black students from similar backgrounds to aim high and never give up on pursuing their goals.
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