PUC is happy to introduce Richa Evens as the new instructor of kinesiology and health science. From Orlando, FL, she graduated from AdventHealth University with an A.S. in Occupational Therapy Assistant and a B.S. in Health Science in 2014 before earning her M.A. in Teaching from La Sierra University in 2020. Richa will be teaching several courses at PUC, such as Adaptive Physical Activity, Health Education, Health Society and the Consumer, Physical Fitness, Fitness for Women, Outdoor Experience, Swimming,  Lifeguarding, Water Aerobics, Water Safety Instructor, Swim to Stay Fit, T&T Aquatic Fitness, and Pickleball. 

Of all the classes she will be teaching, Richa is most looking forward to teaching aquatic classes, as it has been her dream to have a job filled with teaching swim and lifeguarding. “I am very excited for T&T of Aquatic Fitness. In these classes, I get to combine all of my knowledge into probably my favorite class. T&T of Aquatic Fitness covers how therapeutic water activities can be for lifelong fitness, injury recovery, and how to create plans for water aerobics and fitness lap swimming. I get to combine my love of the water, teaching, and occupational therapy into one class,” she said. “I am also excited to teach lifeguarding. I have so much fun teaching this class, and I have students I have already taught at PUC who have become fantastic lifeguards. This class, I feel, has a great way of taking in learning from the classroom and concepts straight into water safety skills that students can use to get a job right after they have their certification.”

With her new position being a dream job, Richa has also loved being a part of PUC’s Kinesiology and Health Science department. “This is truly a team, and I feel we work well together,” she said. “Many times, I have gone to Professor Wyrick, Dr. Borin, and Professor Evens seeking advice and help. They are wonderful colleagues, and I am excited to continue to work with them.”

What brought you to PUC? Why did you choose to teach at PUC? 

My husband and I were looking for a chance to work in secondary education, and a position opened up for my husband at PUC four years ago. We knew the area from working at Lodi Academy and decided to give PUC a try. I was then hired as an adjunct and have continued to work my way up. 

What work did you do before coming to PUC?

Before joining Pacific Union College, I gained valuable experience in a variety of educational, healthcare, and aquatic settings. I supervised student custodians at a boarding school and previously served at Lodi SDA Academy and Elementary School as a substitute teacher, aftercare worker, and Specialized Educational Assistant. I am a certified Occupational Therapist with experience in Kansas and Lodi.

In addition, I have many years of experience teaching lifeguarding, water safety, and swim lessons through summer camps, community fitness centers, and swim schools. When I first arrived in Angwin four years ago, I worked as the supervisor of the gym facilities and taught college courses as an adjunct. I slowly gained more classes and have agreed to accept a full-time role. I am also a substitute teacher at Pacific Union College Preparatory School and a former Administrative Assistant. These diverse roles have strengthened my work ethic, adaptability, and commitment to serving others through education and mentorship.

What inspired you to study kinesiology and health science? 

I have always enjoyed health and learning about the body. I learned about occupational therapy after I had already started college and switched my major from biology to occupational therapy assistant. While working on my A.S. in OTA, I was also working toward my bachelor’s in Health Science. OTA helped me understand how the body moves and works, and I was able to use this knowledge when teaching swimming lessons. I love the water and teaching people how to swim and teaching lifeguarding. After substitute teaching while looking for other job opportunities, my love of teaching was reinforced, and I went back to school and earned a Master’s in Teaching. 

Once we moved here to PUC, I was given the opportunity to teach Swimming and Outdoor Experience. I was able to show my abilities as a teacher, and I gained more classes over the years. I love breaking concepts down and helping my students learn.

What key skills do you think are most vital for students to succeed in modern kinesiology fields?

Most of the students who come through Kinesiology and Health Science are seeking to go into one of the Therapy fields (Physical therapy, Occupational Therapy, or Speech). I feel that to succeed in these fields, you need to learn how to extract written information and translate it into what your client needs. 

Also, be able to look carefully at your client (through evaluation and therapy sessions) to determine what your client needs to improve to become more functional or sustain wellness in life. The classes that are offered in Kinesiology and Health Science help students start to develop these skills before going on to higher education. Extracting information from textbooks, learning how movement and tasks can be broken down, and then coming up with a plan.  

What do you hope students take away from your classes?

I hope my students take away the knowledge and the skills to become better learners and teachers. I want them to learn how to take the information they learn from my classes and apply it to their own lives. Health education is a creative example of how I hope students will learn how to be healthier college students and learn positive habits they can take with them after they leave PUC. T&T of Aquatic Fitness, Adaptive Physical Activity, and Water Safety Instructor are courses that provide information for students to take and teach. Whether it is to a future client or to a swimming student. 

I also want my students to build confidence. I love teaching swimming to adults because of the confidence boost adult students get when they learn how to swim. I want to build my students up and see them succeed in their college career. 

What would students be surprised to find out about you? 

Most of the students know about my love of swimming, lifeguarding, and acrobatics. They also know how much I love being outdoors and working at summer camp. I guess something I have not had much opportunity to talk about is how much I love water skiing. I especially love slalom water skiing. I grew up living on a lake, and I was on water skis by the age of 4 and slalom skiing by the age of 10. I do own a wakeboard, but honestly, wakeboarding is not my thing. I did it when I was younger and on the lake more; I was able to jump wake to wake, but I found I enjoyed slalom skiing more. 

I also have major test anxiety. I didn’t learn how to take tests well till I hit college, and one of my professors taught me how to study. I still get very nervous before tests and panic about what to study. I have learned to make a plan and pray. Pray, pray, pray. Knowing I can trust God helps a lot.  

If you could instantly make everyone adopt one healthy habit, what would it be?

Getting seven to eight hours of sleep. Our brain works so much better when we sleep, and our mood also improves. When studying in college and also for the big OTA certification exams and the California teaching exams, I made sure I got sleep. This allowed me to remember information and problem-solve the questions I didn’t know the answers to because my brain was rested. Planning ahead by breaking information down into smaller parts and starting to study up to a week in advance will help with achieving good sleep. 

Where is your dream vacation?

My dream vacation would be to the Florida Keys. My family would take vacations there every summer. I have so many fond memories of snorkeling and playing at the beach. My love of the ocean came from those vacations. One of my favorite places to visit was Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas. We would go snorkeling right off the beach and see little reef clusters with so much life. I would spend about 15 to 20 minutes just watching each little patch. I also enjoyed exploring the fort and watching the moat surrounding the fort just filled with jellyfish. We never swam there for good reason. I would love to share the Florida Keys with my kids someday.

What is your favorite thing about living in the Napa Valley? 

My favorite thing about living in Napa Valley is Angwin. We have such a wonderful community and church. I love how much the college students have embraced my family, and everyone knows my son. If you have not met him yet, just wait; you will. I love when my daughter goes into any building on campus; college students are eager to say hi and talk with her. The college students at PUC know how to make my kids feel special! Thank you to those at the Grind who have paid, from their own meal plan, for an uncrustable meal for my kids and have made endless chocolate milks. 

The church family is one of the best I have been in. This community knows how to rally behind someone to help them, and everyone is so involved. From elementary students to college students to the seniors who have spent their entire lives in Angwin. This is a special place.  

Do you have a favorite place to eat in the Napa Valley?

I think my favorite place at this point, because there are many, will have to be Siam Thai House in Napa. I don’t get to cook anything spicy at home at this moment because my kids can’t handle it. I love green curry, and the lunch special is wonderful. 

Finish this sentence: On Sunday mornings, you can find me… 

Wrangling my kids, trying to encourage them to eat breakfast. Mom Life!