MARISSA SMITH NAMED ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT FOR PROGRAMS
After a national search to fill the position of assistant vice president for programs, Marissa Smith was named to the role effective July 1.
Smith joined MCH Family Outreach in 2017 and has served as case manager, director, and most recently, program administrator in which she provided leadership for multiple Family Outreach offices as well as the Transition Services and Independent Living Program.
Since joining MCH, Smith has expanded her skillset by obtaining her clinical licensure, as well as certifications in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and is a Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Practitioner.
In her tenure, Smith nurtured and supported the Waco Family Outreach team, including social work interns from the Baylor University Diana R. Garland School of Social Work; completed training to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Supervisor; expanded adoption support and caregiver empowerment services to include opportunities for family engagement; and completed the University of South Florida’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in the Workplace program.
Smith serves on several internal committees and workgroups, and regularly represents and speaks about MCH across Texas and New Mexico. She has also been instrumental in the implementation of counseling services through MCH Family Outreach. Smith will present at the upcoming Council on Residential Excellence (CORE) and the Texas Alliance of Children and Family Services (TACFS) conferences this fall on the topics of motivating employees and evidence-informed independent living services.
Smith holds multiple degrees from Baylor University, including a bachelor of arts in medical humanities, a master of social work from the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work and a master of divinity from George W. Truett Theological Seminary. She is also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and a Licensed Child-Placing Agency Administrator (LCPAA).
Smith’s commitment to serve children, families and communities is not only a professional passion, but also a personal one. She and her husband, Brad, are active in their church, licensed and active foster parents, adoptive parents of daughter Cora Jane, and advocate for parent education, family reunification, and post-adoptive support.
SARAH AROCHA NAMED NEW ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
MCH is proud to announce the hiring of Sarah Arocha as its new athletic director. Arocha joined the MCH Athletic program in 2010 and brings two decades of experience to her new role as the ministry’s first female athletic director.
The Waco-native graduated from Waco High School in 2002 and went on to become a student-athletic trainer at Baylor University, working in the football, basketball, track and field, volleyball, and softball programs. Arocha graduated with her bachelor of science degree in education-athletic training in 2007 and obtained her master of science degree in education-sports management in 2008. She went on to become McLennan Community College’s first athletics director intern for Shawn Trochim. Arocha holds certifications in American Heart Association BLS CPR/AED and American Red Cross First Aid. She is also a member of the National Athletic Trainer’s Association.
In her tenure at MCH, Arocha has developed strong relationships with dozens of student-athletes and staff members. Arocha began her career at MCH as an assistant coach and later transitioned to an athletic trainer role in 2012. In this role, Arocha provided injury management, acute management, treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention for student-athletes. She has provided practice and event coverage in all sports, as well as clearance and evaluation of incoming and returning student-athletes.
“I am excited to build off the strong foundation our staff has built as we enter this new season,” Arocha said. “I have hit the ground running, doing whatever I can to support our staff and student-athletes.”
While healthy competition is encouraged at MCH, Arocha said “winning is not the main goal for our teams.”
“Our focus is to build Christ-centered relationships with and among our student-athletes,” she said. “My goal is to continue to provide a safe space where our youth can flourish as they grow in accountability, teamwork, leadership, and perseverance.”
Arocha takes the helm of a Bulldogs’ Athletic program that has seen great successes, including a six-man football state championship title in 2017, and two boys’ track and field state championship titles in the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
The MCH Athletic program is part of the Texas Christian Athletic Fellowship (TCAF), offering six-man football, volleyball, basketball, and track and field to residential students and Day Students of the University of Texas–University Charter School on the Waco campus.
GRADUATING SENIORS COMMIT TO MCLENNAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Charter school staff, family and friends celebrated two graduating seniors in May as they committed to continue their educational journey at McLennan Community College (MCC) in Waco. Elizabeth Davila-Soto, Day Student and class valedictorian, and Cesar Cano both signed academic commitments and will begin attending classes this fall.
Davila-Soto is a first-generation college student and plans on utilizing her pharmacy technician certification while attending MCC. She hopes to transfer to Baylor University and plans to pursue a career in pediatrics. Cano, a former resident, has transitioned to the MCH Independent Living Program and plans to pursue a career as a certified public accountant (CPA).
ELIJAH WILLIAMS SIGNED TO UNIVERSITY OF THE INCARNATE WORD

Elijah Williams, salutatorian for the MCH class of 2024, signed to attend and run track for the University of the Incarnate Word’s track and field team earlier this summer. Williams will run 400M hurdles and participate in triple jump events. UIW is a Division 1 school and competes in the Southland Conference.
Williams comes from a family of track athletes and his father, Darell Williams, uses his nearly 30 years of coaching experience to guide and train student-athletes at MCH. The younger Williams was a part of the MCH Day Student program, a member of the two-time state champion Bulldog track team and was an all-state football and basketball player. He will pursue a degree in finance this fall at UIW.

DEDICATION CEREMONY FOR THE BOBBY AND LINDA GILLIAM RECREATION AND ACTIVITIES CENTER
On May 11, MCH staff and family and friends of Bobby and Linda Gilliam gathered for the naming and dedication ceremony of the Bobby and Linda Gilliam Recreation and Activities Center. The center was a significant addition to the Boys Ranch when it opened in 2009 during Bobby Gilliam’s tenure as the ninth president of MCH (2003-2010).
The Gilliams impacted countless lives during their service to MCH, which began in the early 1970s, and they enjoyed investing in relationships with children and staff at the Boys Ranch. Bobby Gilliam passed away in 2014. The renaming of the Bobby and Linda Gilliam Recreation and Activities Center honors their commitment, service and devotion to this ministry.
“Bobby could not have done what he did at MCH without the support from the former and current staff members here,” said Linda Gilliam. “He always said, ‘A leader is only as good as the people they have with them.’ I thank you for always supporting our family and our efforts to transform the lives of children and families.”
CHARTER SCHOOL STAFF RECEIVE TRAUMA-INFORMED TRAINING

This summer, UT charter school teachers attended convocation and trainings in Austin as they prepared for the upcoming school year. Teachers and MCH support staff returned to campus for the new school year on August 1. The MCH Training department provided in-service training sessions for teachers and staff on emergency behavior intervention and Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Connected Classroom curricula. All school staff are equipped annually with trauma-informed training to further support the students in their care.

LINDSAYS NAMED ADOPTIVE PARENTS OF THE YEAR BY TACFS
The Texas Alliance of Child and Family Services (TACFS) has named Jeremy and Kimberly Lindsay as Adoptive Parents of the Year. The Lindsays’ story was featured in the 2024 spring Sunshine magazine. Kimberly Lindsay and MCH Family Outreach Abilene Director BrieAnna Vine detailed their journey together as the family pursued critical medical care for their 2-year-old daughter, Audrey, who had leukemia. The Lindsays were honored at the TACFS administrator conference in September.
MCH FAMILY OUTREACH TEAMS EQUIP FAMILIES FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR

MCH Family Outreach staff in 14 communities across Texas and New Mexico provided essential school supplies, resources and fun activities for families ahead of the new academic year.
In Tyler, staff participated in the annual back-to-school bash hosted by the Smith County Child Welfare Board and The Fostering Collective. Backpacks, clothing items and other school supplies were provided for 350 attendees who also enjoyed dinner and games.
The MCH Family Outreach Albuquerque staff co-hosted a back to school event for families at Explora Science Center and Children’s Museum. Children enjoyed painting and pizza while parents and caregivers registered their youth for public school and connected with case managers. Backpacks, school supplies, toys, and sports balls were provided to 80 participants.
MCH Family Outreach Permian Basin staff collaborated with Hope Alive Church to fill more than 60 backpacks with school supplies. The community initiative ensured students and families in the Odessa and Midland, Texas areas were well-prepared for the school year.
CHARTER SCHOOL HOSTS ‘FISH CAMP’ FOR INCOMING FRESHMEN

Incoming freshmen at the University of Texas–University Charter School at MCH were welcomed by staff at Fish Camp a few weeks before the start of the new school year. The freshman orientation began with breakfast and a fun game before an informational session and school tour. This academic year will mark Raul Kastner’s first as principal of the charter school after previously serving as the assistant principal.
“I look forward to guiding each of our eleven freshmen throughout their high school journeys,” Kastner said. “While this may me be a nerve-wracking time for them, I hope each of them remembers to have fun this school year and that our amazing team of teachers and school support staff are ready to help them.”
SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE APPROVES FUNDS FOR STUDENTS
The MCH Scholarship Committee approved a total of $198,023 in awarded funds for 18 adults attending college or trade schools in the 2024-2025 academic year. Students enrolled in the Transition Services (TS) program made the requests earlier this year and amounts were approved during the summer. The total amount does not include 25 special scholarship recipients who received financial support through the Albaugh or Hoover Scholarships. “I am proud of how our organization continues to invest in our young people,” said Trey Oakley, MCH President and CEO. “This is made possible by generous supporters who give us the ability to impart long-term life-changing opportunities for those we serve.”
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