Mrs. Pierrette's Reflection

My first name is Erga. My parents created my name by taking the first two letters from each of their names: Er from my father Ernst and GA from my mother Gabrielle. When people mispronounce my name, I often share how my name was created so that they can remember not to call me “Air-ga.” 

I was born in Port-au-Prince Haiti. I moved to the United States when I was four years old. We relocated because the conditions in Haiti at the time was increasingly dangerous due to political turmoil and schools were being shut down for safety concerns.  

My maternal grandmother sponsored our family to the United States as she did for her other children. We relocated and lived with her in North Cambridge, MA until my mom was able to find her own apartment. My grandmother played a Brobdingnagian role in my life. She helped my mom raise me and my two siblings, while my dad was still working in Haiti and flying back and forth. I am a middle child. I have an older brother and a younger sister.  

I was very close to my grandmother. Through reflection I realize that we share many of the same characteristics and values. My grandmother kept me grounded in my Catholic faith by praying with me and making sure that I went to church every Sunday, attended CCD, and participated in church activities. She was highly active in the church, she organized retreats, prayer groups, and fundraisers. My grandmother organized a few talent shows to raise money for church activities. She gave me opportunities to tap into talents that I was unaware of having. I choreographed dance routines and performed folklore, kompa and hip hop on a few occasions in front of our large congregation. 

My grandmother, Clermicie Constantin, had a deep love for God and for helping others. She provided childcare for single mothers in and around our neighborhood who were struggling and in need of a safe place for their children so they could go to work or go to school. My grandmother did this for free. She had a hand in raising her seventeen grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren too! My grandmother had a big heart and an amazing smile. She was the reason I was able to attend and graduate from North Cambridge Catholic High School. NCC is where I was blessed with an unforgettable religion teacher named Mr. McCarthy who is the Director of Advancement at Malden Catholic!!  My grandmother passed away from cancer on March 20, 2010. I still have a huge void in my heart.  

Growing up I was taught by white teachers from Kindergarten to Freshman year in college.  My first experience having an African American teacher was my sophomore year as an undergraduate at Salem State. My professor’s name was Dr. Pharnal Longus. Professor Longus was an amazing human being. It was in his class that I was able to feel validated and able to connect the dots of my racialized experience navigating the education system. I learned words and concepts such as systemic racism, colorism, ethnicity, discrimination, microaggression and gaslighting, internalized racism, implicit bias, the impact of stereotyping and more. 

I felt so validated and empowered with this new knowledge! That is when I began to contextualize my purpose and dedicate my efforts to developing ways to dismantle systemic racism by bringing people together to teach others that race is a specious construct that divides us. Dr. Longus was grounded in his faith his values and his belief that racism could be undone through education, research, dialogue, celebrating cultures and building community. As he used to say, “race divides us culture unites us!” 

We must embrace who we are and be intentional to always show up in spaces authentically because God wants you to be who he created us to be. 

While I was a student at Salem State, I wore many hats that allowed me to be of service to my peers and my school community. I was a Resident Assistant because I wanted to help students feel welcomed and supported in their new environment. I co-facilitated The Race, Culture and Ethnicity Workshop for students and teachers with Dr. Longus and his family before he passed away Sept 9,2007. After his passing we named the workshop after him to continue his legacy. I was the founder of two student organizations, and I was also the first Haitian Female to be elected as Student Trustee, a position that I held for two years!! After graduating, I attended Simmons University in the Advanced Standing MSW Program which allowed me to earn my master’s degree in ten months. 

What I have learned over the years is that there are lessons to be learned through hardships, losses, and disappointments. When things don’t go as planned, pray more. Try not to complain by asking, “why me God” instead say “thank you God for choosing me to go through this situation, help me so I can help others.”  Paul’s prayer for enlightenment reminds us to ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding … then the way you live will honor and please the Lord and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit…we also pray that you will be strengthened with all His glorious power so you will have the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. (Colossians 1:9-12,NLT) 

As your dean of Community Culture and Equity I hope to move our school forward in big ways and in small ways while grounded in the Xaverian Brother’s mission and values. My goal is to make all students and families feel included. I believe that we all need to feel seen, heard, valued, and loved. 

Ms. Pierrette holds a Master of Social Work degree from Simmons College and a Bachelor of Social Work from Salem State College. Her community engagement includes the following: Mystic River Watershed Association Advisory Board member, ABCD Advisory Board member, Malden Reads Steering Committee member, First VP Mystic Valley Area Branch of NAACP, Chair of Environmental Justice Committee, Education Committee member, Clean Water Action Steering Committee member, Friends of the Malden River Steering Committee, President of Malden Juneteenth Inc. Executive Board member of Salem United, Inc., a member of Friends of Roosevelt Park and Friends of the Malden Public Library.  

Ms. Pierrette was a school adjustment counselor for Malden and Revere Public Schools. In her early career she was an ongoing social worker with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families and A Protective Case worker at Elder Services. In addition, Erga is a student, wife and the proud mother of two sons who are Malden Catholic graduates, ’21 and ’23, two daughters Class of 2027 and 2028 and toddler who is in pre-Kindergarten.