Christy C Coker
Student Advocate & Director
As director of a retention, intervention, and prevention program, Christy Coker works to engage all segments of the Hendrix College 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 Hendrix 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 Hendrix, and her grandson, John Christopher, is a prospective 2038 Hendrix graduate. Ms. Coker lives in the northern part of Faulkner County.
Additional Roles:
Life Strategies Coach
Homeless Student Liaison
Legal 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 Hendrix College and reinforces the practice of "unto the whole person."
SOS Staff:
Bella Galdamez, '27
Student Assistant to the Director
Bella is a sophomore this year at Hendrix and is
working as an assistant to the director of SOS, Christy Coker. She is a current
psychology major and is planning on going to graduate school to pursue a career
in the field of child psychology after her time at Hendrix. Bella is a part of
Hendrix’s Olé Club and Volunteer Action Committee.
When not at Hendrix, Bella is either
working at Aldi or spending time with her dog, Buddy. She loves to read,
crochet, and play volleyball and enjoys watching TV and movies with her
friends. She is an enjoyer of art, specifically Claude Monet, and she also
enjoys all different kinds of music.
Bella is greatly excited for her first year
being a part of the SOAR team!
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
Hendrix 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 Hendrix,
some of which include the Hendrix 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 Hendrix'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 Hendrix
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!
Marah is certified in the following:
Peer Mentoring
Mental Health First Aid
safeTALK (Suicide Prevention)
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
Narcan Administration
Campus SaVE Act
OneLove Escalation (Relationship Conflict)
Conflict Style Interpretation
Infusing Emotional Intelligence into College Peer & Leadership Programs
Reagan Brown, '26
SOAR Team Mentor-Mentee Liaison
Reagan is a junior this year at Hendrix 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!
As the Mentor-Mentee Liaison of SOAR, Reagan is certified in:
Mental Health First Aid
Peer Mentoring
safeTALK (Suicide Prevention)
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
Campus SaVE Act
OneLove Escalation (Relationship Conflict)
Conflict Style Interpretation
Infusing Emotional Intelligence into College Peer & Leadership Programs
Narcan Administration
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 Hendrix 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 Hendrix SOAR team this year
and to meet many new faces.
Elijah is certified in:
Mental Health First Aid
Peer Mentoring
safeTALK (Suicide Prevention)
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
Campus SaVE Act
OneLove Escalation (Relationship Conflict)
Conflict Style Interpretation
Infusing Emotional Intelligence into College Peer & Leadership Programs
Narcan Administration
Yaritza Hernandez, '25
SOAR House Residential Manager
Yaritza is a fifth year here at Hendrix 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!
Yaritza's certifications include:
Mental Health First Aid
Peer Mentoring
safeTALK (Suicide Prevention)
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
Campus SaVE Act
OneLove Escalation (Relationship Conflict)
Conflict Style Interpretation
Infusing Emotional Intelligence into College Peer & Leadership Programs
Narcan Administration
Dominic Diamond, '25
SOAR Publicist & Social Media Manager
Dominic, a senior here at Hendrix, 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 Hendrix 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!
Dominic's certifications include:
Mental Health First Aid
Peer Mentoring
safeTALK (Suicide Prevention)
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
Campus SaVE Act
OneLove Escalation (Relationship Conflict)
Conflict Style Interpretation
Infusing Emotional Intelligence into College Peer & Leadership Programs
Narcan Administration
Adam Andrews, '26
Associate Team Leader, Second Saturday Suppers
Adam, a junior this year at Hendrix, 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!
Adam's certifications include:
Mental Health First Aid
Peer Mentoring
safeTALK (Suicide Prevention)
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
Campus SaVE Act
OneLove Escalation (Relationship Conflict)
Conflict Style Interpretation
Infusing Emotional Intelligence into College Peer & Leadership Programs
Narcan Administration
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 Hendrix. 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
