Personal Testimonial

The following was written by Chris Marshall, Alumni Director at Lehigh University, about Mark Erickson, whom he considered a mentor.

Mark, who is now the vice president for administrative and government affairs at Lehigh, was the one who stopped by my office on a hot summer day in July 2001 and asked the following question: “Would you ever consider applying for the position of alumni director?”

I dismissed the notion at first, then gave it some serious thought, and created my first-ever resume (at the age of 35). Two months later, after four rounds of interviews, more than 50 “interrogators,” and a major presentation and paper, I was hired in the position and have been in this role ever since. It’s amazing to think that a simple question from a friend to a friend changed the path of my life.

But it was during my undergraduate days that I first met Mark, when he served as the dean of students. In my sophomore year, I was a Gryphon in M&M and was having some hard times on the home front. One night, after practice and after dinner, probably around 8 p.m., there was a knock on my residence hall door. It was “Dean Erickson.” He had heard that I was struggling a little and just wanted to check in and see how I was doing.

We ended up talking for more than three hours and we have been close friends ever since. Mark has taught me the importance of balance in life (an art I am still learning), he showed me what kindness is all about, and he taught me about caring for others—a skill I took and applied to my coaching years and one that I maintain today.