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Ray Strickland ’04 became familiar with Alvernia’s campus before entering a classroom or declaring a major. His introduction came at summertime basketball camp with Alvernia Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Jack McCloskey, then coach of the men’s basketball team.

“He was why I chose Alvernia,” the communication major said.

But it wasn’t why he stayed.

“I met lifelong friends and made countless memories there,” the former professional basketball player said. “I’m still in contact with many of the people I went to school with. My teammates became brothers.”

Today, Strickland maintains ties to Alvernia – his cousin plays for the men’s basketball team – and mentors student-athletes.

That’s just one of the many hats he wears.

Though he tried out for the Philadelphia 76ers and other NBA teams, he ultimately signed a contract with the Portuguese Basketball League and traveled to Spain, France and Germany.
 

His basketball playing days came full circle after he signed with the Reading Railers of the Premiere Basketball League. But after he sustained a career-ending injury, his day job and mindset shifted.

Now serving as executive director for Seashore Leadership Academy in Gallaway, N.J., Strickland leads an engaging and rigorous program focused on at-risk middle and high school youth needing a structured school environment to enhance their behavioral, social and academic promise.
 

He landed the position after serving as a behavioral coach with Camelot Education at the Therapeutic Day School of Philadelphia. Attending graduate school at night, he earned his master’s degree in counseling in 2010.

“I learned my value was greater than putting a basketball in a hoop,” Strickland recalled. “Instead, I could help my community and become a resource. I could help give students the opportunity at a second chance and gain the tools they needed to be successful.”

In 2017, he doubled down on that commitment, starting the Ray Strickland Foundation. A product of Chester, Pa., a city located just south of Philadelphia and plagued with crime, poverty and limited resources, Strickland was determined to show the youth there how to pave the way to pursue their dreams of attending college or trade school. The Foundation helps to fund scholarships and educates youth and their families on how to best prepare for education after high school, holding symposiums on topics like SAT scores and FAFSA applications.

Strickland believes today’s youth have it even harder than he did growing up.

“We didn’t have the influence of social media,” he said. “Now they see people getting successful faster versus learning that if you work hard over time, you can earn that
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Ideally, Strickland said he would love to help pave the way for today’s at-risk youth to enjoy an experience similar to the one he had at Alvernia.

“It allowed me to see there is a world outside the world from which I came,” he said. “I got to see people from all walks of life sharing experiences together and becoming family. I got to see the world in a more diverse way.”