Erin Higgins
San Diego,CA
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Child & Youth Program (CYP) Assistant (Paid)
Navy Child & Youth Program
01.2024 - Current
- Advanced from intern to staff after excelling in performance, demonstrating strong commitment, adaptability, and child development.
- Oversaw classrooms serving children from infancy through high school, with primary responsibility for a preschool group of 24 children alongside one co-staff (2:24 ratio), ensuring individualized attention, safety, and developmental support.
- Conducted behavioral assessments and developed individualized care plans for children ages 2-5, implementing strategies to manage challenging behaviors and foster growth.
- Collaborated with healthcare professionals and parents to coordinate evaluations, advocate for timely services, and support family engagement.
- Implemented culturally informed interventions for children from military families.
- Designed and facilitated age-appropriate activities promoting development, engagement, and healthy lifestyles.
- Ensured compliance with child protection standards while providing direct care (feeding, diapering, hygiene) and serving as a mandatory reporter; completed specialized training Incan safety and serving vulnerable populations.
Senior Shift Lead (Paid)
Jamba
05.2019 - 06.2025
- Supervised and mentored 15-20 team members and 5-6 lead staff, driving professional growth, collaboration, and a high-performing work environment.
- Resolved complex team and interpersonal conflicts, addressing performance issues, accountability, and workplace challenges, while supporting staff well-being and maintaining team cohesion under pressure.
- Managed daily store operations, including staff coordination, financial transactions, and oversight of metrics such as guest count, orders, food waste, voids, labor, inventory, customer service, sales, etc; ensuring store excellence.
- Led manager meetings and designed a comprehensive training program for team members and leads, including check-in tests and performance documentation to ensure compliance and skill development.
- Co-led the rebuilding and development of two additional stores alongside the General Manager, doubling team size and lead oversight while driving improvements in store excellence, quality, and operational performance.
- Promoted and offered leadership of the UC San Diego Jamba store as General Manager in recognition of exceptional leadership and operational skills; chose to focus on advancing a career in childcare and social services.
Childcare Provider (Paid)
Self-employed
08.2022 - 06.2023
- Provided direct care for children ages 5 and 9, creating a safe, nurturing environment that promoted emotional, social, and cognitive development.
- Partnered with parents to support special needs evaluations and tailored activities to foster engagement, learning, and growth.
- Supported daily routines, including meals and supervision, while encouraging independence and age-appropriate skills.
Administrative Lead (Unpaid)
Saint Gregory the Great Catholic Church
08.2017 - 07.2021
- Mentored high school students (ages 14-18) in spiritual and personal development, fostering growth and self-reflection.
- Designed and led retreats and interactive programs, creating engaging lesson plans and activities that enhanced student participation.
- Planned and executed camp logistics and layouts, ensuring smooth operations and successful youth events.
- Delivered presentations and facilitated discussions using lectures, storytelling, and interactive activities to effectively connect with students.
Education
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) - Psychology
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, CA06.2023
Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) - Psychology
San Diego Community College District
San Diego, CA05.2021
Skills
- Behavioral observation and assessment
- Family engagement and advocacy
- Clinical documentation and ethical practice
- Interdisciplinary collaboration
- Trauma-informed care
- Individualized care planning
Websites
Certification
- Mental Health First Aid- Adult and Youth
- First Aid/CPR/AED- Adult and Pediatric
ADDITIONAL COURSEWORK
- Utah Tech University, Hybrid, Navy CYP Trailblazer Internship Program in Child Development, Field Experience for Child and Youth Programs
- University of California, Berkeley Extension, Online, Adolescent Psychology
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Camp Andy — Clinical Intern (Unpaid)
The Andy Center — University of Washington, Seattle, WA
6/2025 - 8/2025
- Completed intensive training in autism, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental disabilities, applying applied behavior analysis (ABA), pivotal response treatment (PRT), and social skills interventions in structured play-based settings.
- Delivered a 5-week intervention program for children ages 6-12, primarily guiding a higher-intensity group of 10 campers ages 9-11 (compared to typical 12-15 per group) with 3-6 counselors, implementing individualized strategies to promote skill-building and developmental progress.
- Collected, tracked, and analyzed behavioral and developmental data for campers for campers, ensuring accurate documentation, confidentiality, and compliance with mandated reporting requirements, while contributing directly to ongoing research on intervention effectiveness and social-emotional growth.
- Created and implemented individualized counseling plans and developmentally appropriate activities to foster coping skills, emotional regulation, and social-emotional growth, maintaining awareness of each camper’s well being well-being and adjusting interventions as needed.
- Partnered with an interdisciplinary team of physicians, psychologists, behavioral analysts, and other professionals, providing input on interventions and sharing detailed observations to inform care.
- Invited to return for a second year by Camp Director Ben Aaronson, PhD (Seattle Children’s Research Institute & UW School of Medicine), in recognition of exceptional performance with high-needs campers and for contributions to research.
Lab/Psych Research Methods — Student (Unpaid)
University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
1/2023 - 3/2023
- Conducted an online experiment on social perceptions of attractiveness; designed study protocol , collected data, and performed preliminary analysis.
Psychology Laboratory Topics — Student (Unpaid)
University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
8/2022 - 9/2022
- Researched stigma in psychotherapy help-seeking; designed surveys, analyzed data, and examined age-related differences in treatment attitudes.
AWARDS
- “Coordinated Cooler” Award, Camp Andy (2025) — Recognized for outstanding group coordination, organization, and leadership during clinical/behavioral intervention programming.
- Outstanding Achievement Award, Navy CYP Murphy Canyon CDC II (2024–2025, awarded 5 times) — Recognized multiple times for excellence in supporting children, families, and program operations.
- Management Excellence & EcoSure Compliance Award, Jamba (2021–2025) — Repeatedly recognized for leadership, staff development, and operational oversight; consistently achieved rare audit scores exceeding 98% during biannual evaluations through accountability and quality assurance.
Timeline
Child & Youth Program (CYP) Assistant (Paid)
Navy Child & Youth Program
01.2024 - Current
Childcare Provider (Paid)
Self-employed
08.2022 - 06.2023
Senior Shift Lead (Paid)
Jamba
05.2019 - 06.2025
Administrative Lead (Unpaid)
Saint Gregory the Great Catholic Church
08.2017 - 07.2021
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) - Psychology
University of California, San Diego
Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) - Psychology
San Diego Community College District