Meet Erin Hegarty, our new Special Assistant to the Executive Director!

Hello everyone! My name is Erin Hegarty and I am the new Special Assistant to the Executive Director.  I just graduated from the College of William & Mary and am ecstatic to join the Afterschool Alliance team. While at William & Mary, I majored in American Studies and minored in History; I was also fortunate enough to participate in a whole host of meaningful involvements outside of the classroom. One of my most special extracurricular activities was called Lafayette Kids—a tutoring and mentoring afterschool program for children living in a subsidized housing community. Through this, I had the opportunity not only to participate directly in an afterschool setting, but also to see the clear impact that this program had on the kids and their community. I am very passionate about community-based solutions and I loved seeing the ways that afterschool provided a bridge for kids, parents, and families to engage with learning outside of the classroom. Having seen firsthand the difference that afterschool programs can make, I feel incredibly fortunate to get to work at the Afterschool Alliance with such a committed and intentional team dedicated to furthering access to these vital programs for more children and their families.

As the Special Assistant, I will provide administrative and program support to the Executive Director and work on additional special projects in the office. The first project that I get to be a part of is Lights On Afterschool, a nationwide event bringing attention to the importance of afterschool programs and their impact. I am very excited to be a part of this event and cannot wait to see what other projects I get involved with!