Anita Evans
Doctoral Student in Child Development
Doctoral Fellow
Anita is an Erikson doctoral student and alum of its Early Childhood Education master’s program. Her work at Erikson supported teachers in two school-year-long professional development series: SELove, which provided social and emotional learning for preschool teachers in Hawaii, and Project Connect, which connected learning routines with authentic assessment for kindergarten teachers statewide in Illinois.
Anita taught preschool for 8 years at a play-based co-op for children ages 2-5. She also has a background working in non-profit organizations as an administrator and teaching artist. Among her work, she created the Curiosity Club, leading arts + science workshops for inquisitive kids in summer camps, libraries, classrooms, and at the Adler Planetarium.
Her goal is for the Academic Success Center to be a resource for all Erikson students so that no one has to figure everything out on their own. We all learn better when we learn together.
Diane Carasig
MS in Child Development (2017)
Diane obtained her MS in Child Development from Erikson in 2017. She is passionate about early learning and prior to moving to Chicago for graduate school, she was based in the Philippines where she was a classroom teacher and a program officer for an early learning project. At Erikson, she was involved in early childhood research and policy.
Diane has worked for the Academic Success Center since 2017. She has worked with students through study groups, one-on-one tutorials, and giving feedback through ASC online.
She is currently based in the Philippines where she is a child development consultant and has remained connected to Erikson. These days, she is primarily occupied with using her child development knowledge in raising her two daughters.
Fernando Gonzalez III, LCSW
Master of Social Work (2017)
Fernando has his Master of Social Work from the Erikson Institute (2017) and is halfway through obtaining his Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Health Care. Fernando holds clinical interest in play therapy, psychosomatic theory, and child sexual abuse.
Fernando currently works full-time as a Clinical Coordinator at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital where he supervises a team of 10 clinical social workers. Additionally, Fernando provides clinical supervision and training in Play Therapy.
Fernando has worked for the Academic Success Center since 2017. Fernando supports students through a Theraplay and developmental lens, providing students with structure, transparency, and guidance.
Fernando enjoys spending time in the kitchen, primarily focusing on improving his skills in baking. Fernando also enjoys Latin dancing, exercising, and spending time at the beach.
