Laura Williams

Office Manager

A lifelong Texas resident, Laura is excited to be joining the Youth Odyssey family.  After graduating from Baylor University with a degree in Family and Consumer Sciences, she came to Corpus Christi and has made it her home ever since.  She has worked for several non-profit organizations and loves to feel like she is making a difference in someone’s life, even if behind the scenes.  She is a committee member for the Beach to Bay Relay Marathon and an active member at First Baptist Church, participating in their Worship Choir and Sanctuary Ringers handbell group. 

When not working, Laura loves to meet her group of friends for coffee and fellowship.  As a young girl she spent many summers with her grandma “Mamoo” and learned to sew and quilt, bake traditional Czech kolaches, garden, and to can and preserve nature’s bounty.  She and her sister have a small business selling jams, jellies, and pickles - all from recipes and skills learned from Mamoo.  Her sister has recently introduced her to birdwatching, which is quickly becoming her favorite pastime!  

TAMUCC - Workstudy

Social Media Intern

Coming January 2026

Erica Salinas

Journeyman Program Facilitator

Erica was born and raised in Corpus Christi, TX. She is a proud graduate of Moody HIgh School where she participated as a student sports trainer, and Health Occupations Students of America. 

She studied in the Paramedic Program at Del Mar College and is certified in CPR/First Aid. She enjoys camping, hiking, and all outdoor activities. She especially enjoys spending time with her family and pets  exploring National and State Parks.  One of her favorites is Big Bend National Park. 

Erica previously worked for CCISD as a Parent Liaison, that is where she found her passion for working with families. She feels her role at Youth Odyssey is the perfect job because she gets to share her love of the outdoors with young people, and teach them the life skills that will help them grow. 

Robert Petty

Journeyman Program Facilitator

Robert was born in Joliet, Illinois, and moved with his parents and siblings to Portland, TX, at the age of 10 years old. He is a graduate of Gregory-Portland High School. While in high school, he was very active as a leader in his church youth group. As an adolescent, he enjoyed surfing, skimboarding, working on a friend's ranch, horseback riding, working cattle, camping and hiking at Texas State parks, and backpack trekking in the Sandia Mountains and Pecos Wilderness of New Mexico. It was during high school he realized his passion for working with teenagers and families while participating in these activities.

Robert attended Abilene Christian University and earned his Bachelor of Science in Psychology, specializing in Adolescent Psychology. While studying at ACU, he was an avid bicyclist, enjoyed horseback riding, and obtained PADI and NASDS Open Water SCUBA Diving certifications. Since graduating college, Robert’s entire career has been dedicated to assisting children, adolescents, and families through mental health, education, and self-directed services. Being a Youth Program Facilitator at Youth Odyssey allows him to share his love for outdoor adventures with the youth and community, and further teach them the life skills that will help them establish who they are to become.    

Robert enjoys hiking, camping, kayaking, exploring, and generally being outdoors. His favorite outdoor adventure companions are his wife and children as they have camped and hiked many miles throughout the Texas State Parks System and several of our nation's National Parks. When not on an adventure, Robert enjoys spending time with friends and family, being active in his church, playing disc golf or KUBB, watching Indycar or simply catching his breath.

Raegan Meyer

Program Facilitator

Raegan was born and raised in Portland, Texas, where she was homeschooled. Her growing years were filled with camping in tents, on cots under the stars, and even in the backyard! Her curiosity drove her to learn as much as possible about camping and outdoor survival, which she accomplished through reading her dad’s old Boy Scout Handbooks.

With the promise of adventure and new experiences calling her name, Raegan moved to
Oklahoma to attend Oklahoma Christian University. She received her Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication: Creative and Electronic Media. Her college years included volunteering in the summers at Bandina Christian Youth Camp as a camp counselor and head of waterfront activities, working as a resident assistant in her residence hall on campus, being heavily involved with Oklahoma Christian’s Eagle Media, and volunteering as an officer for a social service club.

After graduating from college, Raegan went on to work in Gatlinburg, Tennessee as a
zipline tour guide. It was in the Smoky Mountains that she began to realize the scope of her
passion for working with kids and having a job outdoors. She spent her days in Tennessee
camping, swimming in creeks, going for long drives through the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park, and appreciating the diverse plants and wildlife. Between the zipline tourism
seasons, she spent a winter working in Maui as an ATV driver and maintenance crew member, where she was again able to appreciate the joy of working outdoors. After a couple of years in Tennessee, Raegan began working as an outdoor recreation guide at Camp Rockmont near Asheville, North Carolina. She honed her skills of belaying on the camp’s outdoor climbing wall, guided and instructed the youth on canoeing and paddle boarding, and enjoyed every day she got to work outdoors with camp participants. She has returned to her hometown after gaining valuable experiences all over the country and is excited to bring her passion to the Youth Odyssey team!

Noelle Ryder

Program Facilitator

Noelle was born in Tigard Oregon, but raised in Ridgefield Washington. As a military spouse she has had the ability to move to different states going from Oregon, Washington, Connecticut, and now Texas. This has strengthened her ability to be adaptable in many settings.

Noelle is currently attending Charter Oak Stage College where she has finished her associates and is working on her Bachelors in Social Work. Noelle plans to get her Master’s in Social Work and obtain her Licensed Clinical Master Social Work licensing so she can work in a therapy setting. Noelle has several years of working with Youth in various settings which has fueled her passion of watching Youth grow.

Outside of her academic and professional pursuits, Noelle enjoys reading, hiking, journaling, and playing the ukulele. She especially values quality time with her children and loves exploring nature and making memories as a family. Her long-term goal is to provide therapy services that promote healing, resilience, and connection.