Photo by Christina VanHorn,
UNH Human Resources

Erika Giaimo Chapin knew when she rented a car with the license plate "492-JOB" to come to her interview at UNH five years ago, something was meant to be. "It was a sure sign that I should work at UNH!" Erika says. Her employment began soon after as an Assistant Director for the Office of Admissions. After earning her M. Ed. in Counseling from UNH in 2003, Erika accepted a position as an Academic and Career Advisor in Hood House in 2005.

As an advisor with the Undergraduate Advising and Career Center (UACC), Erika's main duties include working with undeclared students in the College of Liberal Arts. "We collaborate to discover their interests and passions to ultimately work to declare a major," Erika says. She also helps students find resources on campus, making references to different offices and services that may aid them.

For Erika, advising students also means being aware of various registration deadlines, possessing knowledge of the different programs and majors offered at UNH, and perhaps most importantly, establishing a relationship with students. "It's important to establish a sense of trust with my advisees so they know they have somewhere to go to get their questions answered," Erika says.

Helping students discover what UNH has to offer is not something new to Erika, as she worked for the Office of Admissions as first an Assistant Director, and then in 2004 as a Senior Assistant Director. While attending Mary Washington College as an undergraduate, Erika was a student tour guide. Her interest in college admissions grew from there, prompting her to apply for an opening with Admissions at UNH. "I had actually come to UNH in middle school on a trip with my music class, so when a position opened up in Admissions, I thought I should apply since I at least knew a little about the area," Erika says. "When I came for my interview, everything just clicked."

In both her former position at Admissions, and her current position at the UACC, Erika's passion is helping students. For two and a half years she supervised the Student Admissions Rep program, UNH's own group of student tour guides. "They are the most dedicated and enthusiastic group of students I have ever encountered," Erika says. "Now, being able to play a direct role in students' lives through advising is equally exciting. To me, the most important thing is the student experience."

When she's not on campus, Erika enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, snowshoeing, and camping with her husband Deacon and their dog, Pabst. She also loves watching movies and reading lots of books on different topics.

Erika's devotion to students goes above and beyond. "The students want to study abroad, major in three different areas, and participate in the honors program," she says. "It's lots of fun helping them map out their strategies to do it all."