Erica is a proud first-generation college graduate, daughter of an immigrant, and social justice advocate. Part of the college access non-profit 10,000 Degrees in high school and serving as a fifth grade teacher with Teach For America, Las Vegas Valley, Mosca experienced educational inequity in both her personal and professional life. “I am dedicated to empowering change from the community, for the community to ensure students can play the game to change the game of systemic inequity and oppression.
The opportunity to attain a college education is the foundation, though not prerequisite, for underrepresented students to become leaders of their own communities.” Mosca graduated Summa Cum Laude from Boston University in 2008 and has an M.Ed. from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and an Ed.M. from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. She was the 2019 Boston University Young Alumni of the Year and the 2020 Public Education Foundation's Education Hero of the Year.
She has worked in education as a teacher, trainer and former Special Projects Manager for CCSD Superintendent Dwight Jones. Mosca founded Leaders in Training in August 2012 at 26 years old and is in her ninth year as Executive Director growing the organization from a less than $10,000 budget and 20 students to 200+ students in the 9th grade - college graduates with a $300,000+ annual budget. Erica is an avid J-Cole, rompers, Las Vegas and connecting people fan. She was married over zoom during quarantine in April 2020 to her husband, Nicholas Jared Smith who is serving in his 15th year in the United States Air Force and currently stationed at Nellis Air Force Base. Erica continues to own her home 16-houses down from her Teach For America placement school where her mother and father reside and daily run into LIT students and families. Erica and Nick live together with their dog Panda.
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