Derek Webb

“From all the numerous hobbies available to me as a child, my love for nature was immediately recognized by my parents, and I was whisked away into cub scouts. That love grew as I continued up through Boy Scouts and ultimately wound up leading the entire troop as Senior Patrol Leader. Through this time I garnered great experiences teaching younger kids and inspiring them with my starry-eyed appreciation for the great outdoors.

Although my love of nature called to me and I strongly considered becoming a marine biologist or anything else related to biology, I also needed to understand what made humans work the way we do. I thus earned my BA in Psychology at the University of California Davis.

A few years after college I learned that I am able to form a mutually respectful rapport with kids very effectively and decided to become an educator. I worked for the Palo Alto School District for several years, joining the behavioral team early on. At the same time I learned about our educational system and how neuroscience tells us how humans learn best through my partnership with the non-profit organization the “Kuriosity Lab.”

Through the combination of my love of nature, my ability to work with students, and my disillusionment with the ‘traditional’ education system, I have found what feels like a perfect fit here at Riekes. I honestly have a dream that I may find a way to change education for the better. It’s no small thing for me to say that I feel Gary Riekes has built a dream that aligns so well with my own.

Thank you Gary!”