Meet Rick!

Rick was born in Sonora, Mexico but was raised in northern Utah. Rick was in the Utah foster care system for 4 years before he aged out at the age of 19. Rick attended Weber State University where he studied Social Work and went on to work various jobs within the social work field. He has worked at a youth shelter (Ogden Christmas Box House), residential treatment and day treatment centers (working with teenagers running group sessions and recreational therapy), worked with DCFS as a TAL Coordinator (mainly focusing on establishing Regional and State Youth Boards and providing support for teens in northern Utah transitioning into adult living), he was Utah’s first FosterClub summer internship recipient (a national organization dedicated to training, educating, and connecting foster youth to various advocacy and policy reform groups and resources), served on the Board of Directors for First Star (an organization focused on providing support and guidance in higher education and career pathways for foster youth in Utah), and is currently serving on the Advisory Board for Common Thread (a non-profit with a mission of providing a place for teens in Utah to feel seen, connected, and supported).

Rick enjoys being outdoors in nature and likes to stay active. He is an ultra runner, loves to snowboard, is a beginner surfer, is a novice fly fisherman, dabbles in rock climbing, and loves to find time to meditate and practice yoga. His favorite pastimes include reading, listening to his favorite podcasts, and going down crazy and interesting rabbit holes on YouTube.