Helping others a rewarding career for Evans
Ken Evans rarely made a misstep as a standout multi-sport athlete at Washington High School, but after graduating from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2009 with a degree in sports administration and a minor in business, it took a “stumble” to fall into a fulfilling career path.
Evans said he went through “a couple jobs” before discovering in October 2014 that Tri-County Patriots for Independent Living needed a youth specialist. Evans, a former all-state football player at Wash High who went on to play the sport at IUP, applied. Given his background, it seemed like an ideal fit.
“My dad, Ken, went to Trinity, and he was a two-time state champion in wrestling,” Evans said. “I could always remember people looking up to my dad and my parents helping other people. I grew up in that environment. It was something I was always around.”
Quick with a laugh and even quicker with a smile, Evans quickly impressed the staff at TRIPIL, a Washington-based center for independent living that provides services and programs for disabled people.
“He has such a positive attitude,” said Joann Naser, director of development at TRIPIL. “He’s always smiling and always wanting to help. Another great thing about Ken is he listens. That combination is rare, and it makes him so effective.”
As youth specialist, Evans, 30, assists people ages 29 and younger with disabilities in becoming supporting members of their communities and schools. The youth program at TRIPIL offers five core services – advocacy, independent living skills training, information and referral, peer support and transition – and goes into school districts such as Washington, McGuffey and Carmichaels to teach life skills, offer support, organize activities and provide advice. People in TRIPIL’s youth program start with specific goals, and Evans helps build plans to achieve them.
“I really like what I do. The people I work with are one great team,” Evans said. “It’s almost like sports in a way. It’s not about you. It’s about everybody working together to achieve something.”
Evans excelled in sports at Wash High playing for legendary coaches Guy Montecalvo (football) and Ron Faust (basketball), and some of the lessons he learned from them provide inspiration for his work with TRIPIL.
High on the list of Evans’ achievements with TRIPIL was a three-day summer camp at the organization’s Beau Street office for seven attendees. Washington City Transit and the Washington Wild Things baseball team donated time, as did Ian Neumaier, a former competitive martial artist who is the founder and director of Find Some Flow Inc., which develops games for people with disabilities.
“The group of kids at the camp and the amount of energy from the group was really special,” Evans said. “The activities we had kept them engaged. They learned computer skills. We did some (do-it-yourself) projects. The whole camp was a great experience.”
Evans, father of 2-year-old Cecilia and 8-month-old Nicolas, spends more than his work hours helping youth in Washington and Greene counties. After ending the work day about 3:30 p.m., Evans heads to Wash High Stadium during the fall to work with the football team’s receivers and defensive backs. He’s been as assistant coach for four years.
“With Kenny, the first thing that comes to mind is the rapport he established with the kids. It’s amazing. He does such a great job, and the kids really like him,” Washington High School football coach Mike Bosnic said. “I think the kids realize he’s a pillar in the community and a fixture here. We’re fortunate to have him around, because he’s such a great role model and coach.”
Evans didn’t stop coaching when the Prexies were ousted by Freeport in the WPIAL Class AA quarterfinals; he simply shifted focus. He spends the winter sports season as the seventh-grade boys basketball coach at Trinity. It’s a position he’s held for five years.
Balancing work, fatherhood and coaching makes for a hectic schedule, but Evans manages to make everything work.
“Looking back on it, all this stuff just kind of happened,” Evans said. “I’m a big kid, myself. I’m 30, but I don’t feel like it. Giving back is just who I am, and doing it here where I grew up means everything. I can drive down the street and see some of the same faces from 10, 15 years ago. There’s no other place like home.”