Meet THINK Together Site Coordinator Cory Rikard

SPOTLIGHT
Profile

To the kids he supports each school day, he’s known as the human jungle gym. At 6’3, 195 lbs, and with most of the 150 children in his after-school program a third of his size, it’s understandable why he has quite a presence.

But his largess and his reach are about far more than physical stature. Students chant his name, like a rock star, as they see him walking on campus. They have embraced him as their big brother; someone they trust and respect. For Cory Rikard, THINK Together’s Site Coordinator at Carver Elementary in Santa Ana, the attention and admiration is all a result of his hard work and his attitude.

Cory, the youngest of five children, grew up in Enumclaw, WA; a small close-knit, rural cattle town of 11,420 residents about an hour SE of Seattle. It is a far cry from Santa Ana. It is a place with wide-open spaces and many outdoor activities; a place where kids run freely.

At an early age, Cory immersed himself in sports playing baseball at age 6, golf at age 7 1/2, and starting football at age 10. In high school, he played on both the baseball and soccer teams. A recruiter spotted him at age 19 and signed him to play semi-professional football with the Pierce County Bengals. But a football career wasn’t Cory’s destiny; after one season he blew-out his knee and never fully recovered.

For a year after the injury, Cory sat around feeling sorry for himself. Then, a friend suggested he volunteer coaching little kids in baseball. That opportunity changed his life. He realized coaching and working with youth was almost better than playing.

“Just because I couldn’t play sports didn’t mean I couldn’t feel the same joy I did when I was on the field,” he recounts. He also discovered he was good at coaching others.

Cory transferred to Central Washington University where he acquired not one but two Bachelor’s degrees in Mass Communications and Recreation Management/Child Services. Following graduation, he worked for a city program with youth and then became Youth Services Coordinator for one of the largest counties in Washington. However, at age 30, Cory decided it was time for him to explore the world outside of his home state, so he headed to California.

Originally, Cory landed a job with the City of Irvine as Community Services Lead in charge of after-school recreational programs, field trips, and special events; a short while later, he would become Director of Social Recreation for the Boys & Girls Clubs in San Juan Capistrano. Cory also worked as campus pastor/camps director at Mariners Church in Newport Beach. That’s where someone told him about the job at THINK Together. Both the Site Coordinator job and THINK Together’s mission sounded like what he had truly been looking for. “It’s amazing how much energy and enthusiasm the kids have after the hard work of a normal school day. But they eagerly walk into the after-school program ready to go and we’re right there beside them!” Cory comments.

When asked what gives him an edge he humbly answered, “We are all blessed with certain gifts. Mine is an ability to relate to kids … showing empathy, knowing what they are going through. And in kind, they respond back.”

Cory also adds. “It’s the team at Carver Elementary that delivers a quality front-line program. He says, “I don’t have an edge over others – this organization fosters team work, a positive spirit and a desire to help all kids achieve their full potential. But the staff at Carver, including our Site Assistant Josefina Mejia, do a wonderful job embodying that. And the kids, school staff and parents at Carver see that. They feel that!”

For Cory Rikard, he has found a home in California, his adopted state, and he’s living his calling helping students in Santa Ana achieve their full potential too.

NOTE: This profile of Site Coordinator Cory Rikard was written and submitted by Nadia Flores, Community Outreach Manager, OC Region.