When her first husband, Duane Rios, died two months after being deployed to Iraq as a Marine on April 4, 2003, Erica Rios was consumed with the feeling of "having absolutely nowhere to turn." Duane was only 25 at the time of his death. The two were high school sweethearts.

"No one knew what to do," she said. "And, like so many people in helping professions, I chose social work because I wanted to be for others what I needed in times of crisis."

In addition to this, Rios, who worked for five years with the Department of Child Services, said she's always found herself fascinated by mental health and human behavior - particularly the "why" behind people's actions.

The Griffith native moved from California back to the Region and later enrolled in a graduate program at Indiana University Northwest to earn her master's degree in social work.

[To read the rest of this article by Olivia Heersink, click here.]