Collective Excellence
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Collective Excellence *
Rick Daberkow | Owner, LYNC Learning Academy, LLC
Rick Daberkow brings more than 35 years of experience as an attorney, business leader, and active member of his community to his role as an owner of LYNC Learning Academy.
Rick's connection to LYNC, however, began long before he became an owner. As an early investor in LYNC Academy, he believed in its mission, approach, and potential to change how children and families are supported.
As a father of three, Rick understands the importance of surrounding young people with adults willing to see beyond behavior, build trust, and remain committed when things get difficult. He also brings a deeply personal connection to the LYNC Framework. Looking back on his own childhood, Rick recognizes that he was a young person who could have benefited from the understanding, support, and approach that LYNC provides today. That lived experience gives him a unique perspective on the children and families LYNC Learning Academy serves.
Rick's extensive legal and business experience will strengthen LYNC Learning Academy's operational and financial sustainability, ensuring the organization can continue serving students and families for years to come.
For Rick, ownership of LYNC Learning Academy is about more than operating a school. It is an opportunity to help create for today's young people the kind of support that can change the trajectory of a life.
Sarah Nelson | Owner, LYNC Learning Academy, LLC
Sarah Nelson brings a lifetime of caring for people, strengthening communities, and stepping in when support is needed most to her role as an owner of LYNC Learning Academy.
Growing up as part of her family’s business, Nelson Family Tree Farm, Sarah learned early what it means to build something through hard work, responsibility, relationships, and a commitment to the people around you. Throughout her life, she has carried those same values into roles centered on serving and supporting some of the most vulnerable members of her community.
Sarah has dedicated years to understanding the systems, barriers, and circumstances that impact individuals and families. Her experience includes many years serving as an EMT Medic, where she worked directly with people during some of their most difficult and traumatic moments.
Her connection to LYNC is also deeply personal. Sarah has been a resource, supporter, and steady presence for LYNC, its students, and its families since its inception. And long before LYNC existed, Sarah was supporting its founder, Meredith, a friendship that began during their junior year of high school and has continued through every chapter since.
As a mother of three and someone with her own lived experience with trauma, Sarah understands that families don't always need another person telling them what they should do. They need people willing to show up, understand what they are carrying, recognize the barriers in front of them, and help create a path forward.
Sarah brings that perspective to LYNC Learning Academy ownership.
For her, this work is not theoretical. It is personal. It is lived. And it is a continuation of a lifetime spent showing up for people when they need someone in their corner.
Tony Lochinger | Lead Youth Navigator
Tony joins the LYNC Learning Academy team following an impactful year and a half working directly with the former LYNC Academy. Leveraging his own lived experiences, Tony excels at establishing trust and cultivating a safe, inclusive environment where students feel empowered to be themselves. He has played an integral role in facilitating successful transitions back to school by employing a student-centered approach that allows individuals to guide their own educational journeys. For Tony, the most rewarding aspect of his work is witnessing student transformation; he regularly sees students progress from self-doubt to becoming confident individuals equipped to navigate future challenges using the LYNC Framework. Additionally, Tony enhances the student experience by teaching essential life skills, such as cooking and hands-on project management.