At one time, Erica Roszko dreamed of becoming a real-life Clarice Starling, the determined FBI trainee in the 90s thriller Silence of the Lambs. Though she visited the FBI headquarters in Quantico, Virginia, Roszko followed a different career path. Now, she brings the skills developed through work in higher education, the court system, the non-profit sector and social services to her role as the program coordinator for Wilkes University’s Bonner Leader Program.
Much of Roszko’s extensive academic career focused on criminal justice and forensic psychology, culminating in her doctoral program in criminal justice. She interned for the New York State Attorney General’s office, worked as a paralegal and served as a senior court representative for the Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services (CASES) in New York City.
“What they try to do is get first-time offenders or juvenile offenders who have misdemeanors, into a program instead of perpetuating the school-to-prison pipeline,” says Roszko. “They offer services, mental health, education and employment. We wanted to make sure they didn’t get into that cycle.”
Though she changed careers, the law continued to be a professional focus. Then her lifelong love of learning led to higher education work in admissions and advising for Strayer University.
“The pivots have been really interesting,” says Roszko, “but no regrets on any of it, because anything that I’ve been doing, I realized has been helping and mentoring.”
Roszko shared her commitment to mentoring as a volunteer with Braven, a career accelerator that focuses on leadership skills and work readiness for first-generation college students. “Being able to help first-generation students like myself and make sure that they get good jobs was always something I found interesting,” says Roszko. “And it really resonated with me because of my previous work within the juvenile justice system.”
In a twist fit for a movie script, Roszko was searching for a stationery store in downtown Wilkes-Barre when she noticed the Wilkes University sign on the bridge across South Main Street. She visited the website to learn more—and browse open positions—when she discovered the listing for the Bonner Leader program coordinator.
“That one popped up, so I went down the rabbit hole and said, ‘Okay, yeah, I’m applying for this,’” says Roszko.
During the interview process, Roszko already knew Bonner would be a perfect fit, combining her passions for social justice, education and leadership. And while she lives in Mount Pocono and will always call New York City home, during her first days on campus, she started to feel the campus vibe that makes Bonner — and Wikes in general — so special.
“Everyone I spoke to knew about the Bonner program. Every department either has an advisor within the Bonner program or has interacted with one of the students. And the bond of the program itself. It has such connections to the community,” says Roszko. “It just felt so welcoming. The campus itself, it’s like a little city. I’m so used to the city aspect of it, that felt so nice.”
While Roszko learns her way in the city within a city that is Wilkes, you can find her walking around campus with her service dog, Harley (named after forensic psychologist Harley Quinn, of Batman fame), spending time in the library or grabbing a beverage in Starbucks. When she’s in her office, she maintains an open door policy. “I’m willing to help anyone with questions,” says Roszko.”
The one thing Roszko has no question about after just a few weeks in her new role is the ability of the Bonners to serve and lead on campus and in the community. “Having all of these leaders in one room and just feeding off that vibe, they’re so connected, they’re welcoming and they’re ready to put in the work.”