Generation Dayton Featured Professional
- Name:
Stephanie Ricker- Title:
- Wish Coordinator
- Organization:
- A Special Wish Foundation
- Community Involvement (groups, clubs, boards, etc.):
- Nassau Street Lay Marianist Urban Farming, Generation Dayton Membership Committee, and updayton GREATer Dayton Stories Project.
- Hobbies and Interests:
- I really enjoy meeting new people, cheering on the Flyers and the beach volleyball team I am on at Setter’s Club. I also enjoy competing in marathons and am training for a Sprint Triathlon in July. But most of all I love boxing at Drake’s Gym on Patterson and St. Clair. It is by far the best workout and most fun I have ever had working out!
- Favorite Area Eatery:
- This was too hard to pin down just one favorite place to eat, so I will split it into two. For lunch, I love Oregon Express Pizzas on the patio. For dinner, nothing tops potato soup and the Ruck sandwich from the Dublin Pub.
- Favorite Weekend Activity:
- Spending Saturday mornings at the 2nd Street Market with friends, shopping and working events for A Special Wish Foundation like the Glow Fore Wishes golf scramble that happened in June!
- What do you love about Dayton?
- I love there are so many hidden gems in Dayton. For example I went to the University of Dayton for four years, and I had no idea that Drake’s Boxing Gym and Setters Volleyball Club even existed. I cannot wait to discover my new favorite place in town!
- How has Generation Dayton aided your professional, personal and/or social development?
- After receiving a full time job in Dayton before graduation from UD, I really needed to develop a new network of peers, both professional and social. Generation Dayton provided me with such opportunities in multiple ways. I am so happy and proud that I am a part of GenD. It has broadened my view of Dayton (the city) in a positive light outside the ‘UD Bubble.’
- Tell us a little more about your profession and company...
- A Special Wish Foundation is Dayton’s only local Wish Granting Organization providing a Wish experience for children under the age of 20 diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. I am currently the Wish Coordinator, meaning that when a child qualifies for Special Wish services, it is my job to make it happen. So far I have granted wishes such as trips to Walt Disney World, laptop purchases, shopping sprees, bedroom makeovers, Nintendo Wiis and trips to the San Diego Zoo, Washington, DC, Hersheypark, PA, Monster Truck World Finals, as well as opportunities for children to meet their favorite celebrities such as Kid Rock and Ellen DeGeneres.
- What do you enjoy about your career/profession? Employer?
- Working at A Special Wish has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my lifetime. Not only do I get to talk about Disney World, bedroom makeovers, and shopping sprees every day, but I am truly making a difference in the lives of local children and their families in the Miami Valley. I love going to work every morning and working weekends if it means seeing a child smile during their many challenges. We have a very small staff (only three full time) and rely on volunteers to help us grant wishes. It is truly the best job I could have ever asked for!
- Favorite quote or inspiratonal saying:
- "Hey – I’ve got nothing to do today but smile.”
- Click here to view past featured professionals.
