Biography
Erica Maria Litz has been an Adjunct Creative Writing and English Professor for Scottsdale Community College since 2016 and has been teaching English for various colleges for 20 years. Erica Maria Litz is also a published poet and professional writer, editor, and publishing consultant. Her credentials include a BS in Business, MFA in Creative Writing, and MEd in Curriculum and Instruction in Gifted Education from Arizona State University. She shares this as essential to her bio as faculty and author: My mother is over half Muisca (Chibcha) descent and is originally from the northern Andes of Colombia. Although assimilated by law and necessity in her country of origin, my mother's family insisted we never forget our indigenous ancestry and origins. They withstood public mocking and yet prospered because they knew who they were. And because they knew who they were, they knew how to maximize agricultural yields at high altitudes through indigenous farming methods they brought with them from their ancestral region. We are Hijos del Volcán. When they prospered, they shared opportunity with relations and families who shared their origins at a time when our people struggled and internally migrated to escape war and drought. Our family’s stories helped me know who I am, develop the gifts the Creator gave me to help others on their path to develop theirs, and honor what is good and strong that was left for me from all my ancestors from all sides of our family.