Thomas Ratekin

Tom Ratekin is the Academic Advocate serving through AmeriCorps at the Multicultural Family Center this year. He grew up in Indiana and moved to Dubuque around a year ago with his girlfriend, Neha, and their two cats, Opie and Piper. At Wabash College, Tom majored in Greek studies, where he spent most of his time translating and interpreting Ancient Greece and Rome’s greatest works. Through these studies, he learned about the greatly underappreciated duty of being a good citizen and community member. Tom aims to bring these lessons to the students that he works with so that Dubuque’s next generation grows up to be considerate and contributing members of society.  

In his time at the MFC, Tom has created a youth leadership group called the Teen Leadership Council (TLC). Their biggest project was a bike giveaway that served 26 community members and educated the public on emissions and eco-friendly alternatives for transportation. Additionally, the TLC was very helpful in the planning and preparation for the Easter Egg Hunt hosted at the MFC. Whether it is running a project for the community or developing their skills as future leaders, the TLC shows that teens are capable of creating change for the better. 

Tom is also responsible for conceptualizing a sign-in app for teen programming that has increased safety protocols and communication with parents. Parents are now notified when their child signs in and out of the program, allowing parents to track their child’s attendance without calling. 

Everything that Tom has done throughout his term is to prioritize the safety of our teens and the quality of programming. He truly believes that this next generation shows so much promise and that all we have to do to find their success is encourage their creativity and passions for learning.