Leadership Class Pivotal in this Alum's Career Choices

As I walked up to the building where Skylar works, I felt slightly nervous. Although I had seen him at youth group a couple of times before, this would be my first time talking with him; naturally, I was a bit nervous, wanting to do my best and be professional. When I walked in the front door, however, I immediately felt at ease. The peaceful lobby area, with a quiet atmosphere and gentle music, was calming and helped me focus on my approaching interview. When Skylar was ready for me, he led me into his welcoming office and settled down comfortably on the couch, considerably more relaxed than I was. His cheerful, friendly personality turned my interview into an easy and enjoyable chat.

Skylar Cook went to PRCA from seventh grade until his senior year. When he first arrived, however, it wasn’t called Pusch Ridge Christian Academy, but Palo Verde Christian instead. While in high school, Skylar developed personal relationships with his teachers and classmates. Some teachers that he was close to back in 2004 and before are still at PRCA, such as Mr. Clapero and Mr. Lovett. Skylar noted that seeing the adults carry themselves the way they did was honorable and seeing them out coaching sports as well was a cool part of the experience. Having moments with people away from school while on the retreats was particularly meaningful, as his relationship with Jesus grew through them while he was there. The most valuable class that Skylar had in high school was student body leadership. In that class, he read a powerful book called Who You Are When No One’s Looking, which had a lasting impact on his life because of its teaching of Godly traits. During his senior year, Skylar felt called to become a youth pastor and counselor for teenagers; both of those things turned out how he envisioned them, but in ways he did not expect.

Following Pusch Ridge, Skylar decided to attend Abilene Christian University. Ignoring all of his counselor Mrs. Abrams’ advice, he chose his college without visiting first. He began college as a psychology major, but when his parents divorced shortly after, it shook things up. During this time, Skylar grew to feel opposition to the whole youth pastor idea because of the struggles he was having personally from the situation in his family. He switched paths and started working toward a Psychology degree. Even though he was on a different track, while studying abroad in England God called him back to being a youth pastor. So, when he returned to Abilene for his junior year, he changed his major to Youth Ministry. But it was brutal. It required 21 credits per semester, which overwhelmed and exhausted Skylar. Despite this exhaustion, however, he says it was worth it. He ended up graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Youth Ministry. Later, he earned a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Colorado Christian University. Skylar considered his favorite class in college to be one called Exegesis, in which he learned how to combine the skills of translating the Bible in its original language with using context in order to understand the writers’ true intent. This was a difficult class, but it gave him a love for the Bible that he had never had before. College years turned out to be one of the best experiences of Skylar’s life; he says the best part was that through relationships in the church he attended, there was tremendous healing that God did in his heart.

At the beginning of 2011 Skylar married Kayla. He met her in his PRCA leadership class and they remained friends for six years afterward before they started dating. They got married in Tucson, and after living here for four years, they moved to Colorado so Skylar could pursue his degree and start a new adventure for his family. They now have three little girls: Adelyn, Colette, and Evangeline. While in Colorado, Skylar worked at Colorado Christian University. At first, he was an Enrollment Counselor but then moved into the role of Regional Enrollment Director. When COVID hit and started ramping up, the Cooks’ priorities were shifted. Because of how fast everything changed and became so scary, they decided it would be better to have their daughters around their family, and since both the couple’s family lives in Tucson, they returned.

Now, Skylar works at Affinity Counseling Center in Tucson. He is a mental health therapist, counseling teenagers, adults, couples, and whole families. He works with people on a range of issues, including depression, anxiety, trauma, marriage problems, and co-parenting after divorce. Working at Affinity has been an awesome opportunity for Skylar in the two and a half years that he has been back in Arizona, as he is in a position that he truly enjoys.

Skylar’s faith has grown meaningfully since he was in high school. He says the major difference is that back then his relationship with Jesus felt more like a box to be checked off at times, but as he has gotten older, it has become more of something that “really is everything” to him. He says he used to be so stuck on doing things in a certain way that he missed out on the reason he was doing them; since then it has become more of a personal relationship.

Although it’s been nineteen years since Skylar graduated from Pusch Ridge Christian Academy, he still remembers his high school experience and the impact it had on him. When I asked him about any advice he would give a senior, he said that when he looks back on his experience, college is as much about you growing as a person as it is about you growing as a professional. As you grow as a person and connect more deeply with Jesus, the other stuff finds its proper place in your life.

In addition to helping plant University City Church in downtown Tucson, Skylar says his most significant work has been his daily job, including helping people heal from trauma, bringing couples back to each other, and guiding individuals to freedom from anxiety and depression. He likes that, in this work, there are no physical rewards, but instead, he feels the joy of helping people be able to live their lives more freely.

Skylar has a couple of hopes and goals for the future. For one, he hopes to eventually write at least one book for youth pastors, giving them skills that are counseling-based, to support them in their work with teenagers. Skylar felt completely inadequate to do that in the past, and a book like this would be a tremendous help to youth pastors who feel as he did then. Additionally, Skylar would love to create a faith-based coalition of sorts to join with other followers of Jesus in medical fields to provide services to people in need who are underinsured or not insured at all. 

In everything he does, Skylar is a man devoted to Jesus, and the love in his heart is positively influencing the world.