Rick Nelson, Youth Odyssey’s new full time staff member, grew up in Waco, Texas. With Baylor University in such close proximity, Rick fell in love with the campus at a young age. Due to his love for the University, Rick attended Baylor and received a Bachelor’s in Business Administration in Management in May of 2013. Shortly after graduating, Rick spent 15 months on the Sangre De Cristo Mountain Range in Colorado working at Horn Creek Camp. It was there that Rick found his love for working with youth in the outdoors.
While in Colorado, Rick took advantage of his surroundings by hiking and camping in the Rockies and the Ozarks, he explored the Spanish Caves located on Marble Mountain, rafted the white waters of the Arkansas River, and recreationally rock climbed throughout parts of Colorado.
Since then, Rick has worked at the Sky Ranch, Texas location, as a part of the School Programs Department. During his time at Sky Ranch, Rick taught outdoor education programs primarily to 4th and 6th grade students from public and private schools. Another one of his roles was to present on behalf of Sky Ranch to teachers and administrators from the Northeastern region of Texas. At these presentations, Rick would promote the School Programs Department, and give teachers and administrators tools to more effectively engage with students in the classroom. Along with this, Sky Ranch has a partnership with Dallas Baptist University Ministry School, where Rick was apart of their Master’s Program. This Spring he will be graduating with a Masters in Christian Education, concentrating on leading nonprofits.
Rick has experience as a Level 1 High Ropes course facilitator through Adventure Experiences Inc., and is First Aid and CPR certified through Red Cross. He is excited to share his knowledge of education and outdoor experiences with the participants in our Youth Odyssey programs. We are excited to have him on board, and can’t wait to see what he can do!
