Samantha Ervin M.A. ’19 has accompanied her family on mission trips to rural Guatemala since the age of 11. She has always been drawn to the stories of those who have survived tragedy. One day in May 2017, a life-altering phone call brought disaster closer to home. “My sister called to tell me lightning struck a tree outside our home in central Massachusetts and caused a fire,” Samantha says. “The whole house burned down and we lost everything.” 

Losing their home was a great tragedy for Samantha and her family. Even though no lives were lost in the fire, the coming months were filled with great grief. “There is a lot of emotion attached to material possessions, although they were never meant to be permanent,” says Samantha. “At the same time, I was mourning the memories I had, and the memories that could have been.”

After earning B.S. and M.S. degrees from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Samantha did not plan to return to school. However, she believes Wheaton’s Humanitarian & Disaster Leadership program was started at the right moment for her to pursue work in disaster relief missions, particularly aiding children in recovery. “While I would not compare my experience to tragedy on a mass scale, I believe my personal experience of loss has equipped me to become a better leader in the humanitarian and disaster space,” says Samantha. “It helps to understand loss and grief in order to truly help others.”

HOMETOWN: PRINCETON, MA

DEGREES: M.A., HUMANITARIAN & DISASTER LEADERSHIP, WHEATON COLLEGE (IL); M.S., MANAGEMENT, B.S., SOCIAL ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT/ INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE

FUN FACT: SAMANTHA ONCE WENT SHARK CAGE DIVING OFF THE COAST OF CAPE TOWN