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Christy C Coker
Student Advocate & Director

As director of a retention, intervention, and prevention program, Christy Coker works to engage all segments of the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ student population by connecting students with mentors, services, resources, programs, networks, interventions, and/or preventions to increase successful holistic and positive experiences for students throughout their time in the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ community.

As the student advocate, the opportunity to work in multiple areas of a college community utilizing critical partnerships - faculty, staff, administration, student, parent, alumni - to assist students in becoming the persons they were born to be via information provision and/or problem-solving, is her primary goal on campus. Combining supportive, proactive independent steps with what is available to students allows for personal, educational, and professional growth customized for each student.  She is also the Student Outreach Alternative Resource (SOAR) Advisor.

With a Bachelor of Science (BSE) in Communication Education and a Master of Arts (MA) in Communication, Ms. Coker was previously a faculty member at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Arkansas Tech University, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte before returning home to Faulkner County in 2005. She was an Arkansas delegate to America's Promise under the direction of General Colin Powell and is a 2006 graduate of the Faulkner County Leadership Institute.  In her off-time, she is an event planner, genealogy researcher, and non-profit consultant.  Her daughter, Jordan, is a 2016 graduate of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ, and her grandson, John Christopher, is a prospective 2038 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ graduate.  Ms. Coker lives in the northern part of Faulkner County.

Additional Roles:
Life Strategies Coach
Homeless Student Liaison
Student Advocate

Practitioner:
Life Strategies Planning
Strong Interest Inventory (Professional, Social, Personal Interests – Career)
Stephens’ Ministry Care Program

Facilitator:
Reflective Thinking (John Dewey)
Internal Conflict Resolution, Dale Carnegie
OneLove Escalation (Relationship Conflict)

Certifications:
Mental Health First Aid
safeTALK (Suicide Prevention)
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
Trauma & Resilience
Title IX & Campus SaVE Act
OneLove Escalation (Relationship Conflict)
Conflict Style Interpretation
Infusing Emotional Intelligence into College Peer & Leadership Programs
Narcan Administration

Ms. Coker's overall professional role supports the motto of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ and reinforces the practice of "unto the whole person."

SOAR Staff:

Marah Rice, '25
Interim SOAR Team Leader
SOAR House Program Manager

Marah is from Carlisle, PA, and is entering her fourth year at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ as a Psychology/Mathematics double major. After graduating, she plans on attending graduate school in pursuit of a doctorate degree in Criminal Psychology with the hopes of having a career in criminal profiling. She has been involved in a few clubs/organizations on campus during her time at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ, some of which include the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ swim & dive team, SOAR, and working for the HelpDesk. Starting this year, she will be working in the student affairs office under Christy Coker. She is also a second-year Explorations Peer Assistant, where she works under a faculty member to help incoming students become accustomed to ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ's life.   

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, drawing, singing, weightlifting, and watching TV with her two cats. She has four older siblings, two brothers, and two sisters. One of her brothers is a ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ student, so she also enjoys bothering him between classes! During the summer, she works as a camp counselor/swim coach for an all-boys sports camp in Casco, ME. She is excited to spend another year as a SOAR executive and make new memories and experiences with the rest of the SOAR team!

Reagan Brown, '26
SOAR Team Mentor-Mentee Liaison

Reagan is a junior this year at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ and is the Co-SOAR Team Leader and the Mentor/Mentee liaison.  She is a current History major and hopes to work in a museum field after her college career.

Reagan enjoys photography and making Spotify playlists. Her favorite genres of music include jazz, pop, and oldies. She also enjoys reading historical fiction and non-fiction books, as well as romance. Reagan often loves to visit family in Emerald Isle, NC. She is greatly excited to spend her time with SOAR this year and is looking forward to making fun memories!

Elijah Kennedy, '26
SOAR Secretary-Treasurer

Elijah is a junior this year and is the Secretary/Treasurer for the SOAR team. He has experience working closely with ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ faculty as a departmental assistant for professors across the Psychology and English departments. He is a psychology major, with a focus on therapeutic patient care; he hopes to continue to graduate school and eventually become a board-certified therapist.

In his spare time, Elijah enjoys baking with friends, playing grand strategy games, experimenting with physics simulators, and he also enjoys reading or listening to ghost stories on occasion. His favorite genre of music is mostly that from the turn of the 20th century.  Elijah is ecstatic to be a part of the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ SOAR team this year and to meet many new faces.

Yaritza Hernandez, '25
SOAR House Residential Manager

Yaritza is a fifth year here at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ and is serving as the SOAR House Residential Manager during the 2024-25 academic year. She is currently studying Health Science with hopes of becoming a Physician Assistant. Yaritza currently works at Baptist Health Hospital.

In her free time, she enjoys hiking, going to the gym, and reading. She loves Latin music, Latin and Vietnamese foods, and Romance/Drama movies. Yaritza is super happy she gets to spend her time this year making SOAR a welcoming place for everyone!

Dominic Diamond, '25
SOAR Publicist & Social Media Manager

Dominic, a senior here at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ, is the Publisher and Social Media Coordinator for SOAR. He is currently studying Interdisciplinary Communication with hopes of being a writer or publisher in the future. Dominic is a current Murphy Scholar as well as being involved in his ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ community.

In his free time, Dominic likes to read, write, and make music playlists. He enjoys all kinds of music and all types of food. He loves to visit his grandparents’ house in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Dominic is excited to spend his remaining time in SOAR making the social aspect as fun as he can!

Adam Andrews, '26
Associate Team Leader, Second Saturday Suppers

Adam, a junior this year at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ, is in charge of SOAR’s Second Saturday Suppers. He is currently studying Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Philosophy with hopes of going into the field of Neurology.

Adam’s hobbies include biking, reading, going on walks, and learning new languages. He is also a lover of movies such as Fantastic Mr. Fox and Hereditary, hip hop and jazz music, and foods of the Asian variety. Adam is greatly looking forward to a fun-filled SOAR year!

Colin Phillips, '26
Associate Team Leader, Itza Pizza & Movie/Game Nites

Colin is the person in charge of SOAR’s Itza Pizza & Game/Movie Nites. He is currently a junior Computer Science and Mathematics major who hopes to be a software developer after graduating.

Colin enjoys computer programming, 3D art, and making music in his free time. He also likes to listen to music of the rock and electronic genres. Some of his favorite movies include Everything Everywhere All at Once and Nacho Libre. A fun fact about Colin is that he would love to one day visit the city of Venice.

He is looking forward to making SOAR a fun experience for everyone!

Liam Puls, '26
Associate Team Leader, Off-Campus Ventures

Liam is the one in charge of SOAR’s Off-Campus social events and is a junior this year at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ. He is studying biochemistry and is planning on going into either the medical or teaching fields.

Liam enjoys drawing, playing video games, golf and tennis, and also theater. In his spare time, he likes to listen to classic rock and metal, watch movies such as The Hobbit and history documentaries. He loves spending time with his basset hound, Mabel, and his cat, Morris.

Liam is excited to start this new year and make SOAR events fun!

TBD
Associate Team Leader, Alternative Events on Campus