You might know Amy Rascop as the hard-working executive assistant to Dean Y. Barry Chung. But did you know you’re likely to find her rollerskating, hiking in the wilderness or cruising on the back of a Harley? Find out more in this edition of 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Faculty and Staff.
1. Amy is a roller skater
After reading an article last summer about the roller skating community, Amy purchased a pair of skates and convinced one of her best friends to do the same! She hadn’t put on a pair of skates in about 30 years, but now she skates at least four days a week for fun, exercise and agility.
2. Amy rides a Harley
When Amy first met her husband, he rode a ’72 Harley-Davidson Chopper. Since then they purchased a 1967 HD Shovelhead, with Amy’s only stipulation being: “It needs to have a King and Queen seat so I can come along!” Amy loves going for rides with her husband, though she never thought she would be a “biker chick.”
3. Amy loves outdoor adventures
Amy grew up in the Pacific Northwest and considers herself to be an outdoor adventurer. She loves driving quads, has been white water rafting three times on Oregon’s Deschutes River (a class 3 rapid), learned to surf on the Oregon coast, has hiked Mount Hood’s Cooper Spur and Washington’s Ape Caves, and has been parasailing in Hawai’i.
4. Amy attends The Rock Church
Amy calls The Rock Church in Point Loma her home church. She started attending The Rock when she moved to San Diego eight years ago. Having moved several times in her life, she knows how hard it can be to find a church where you feel comfortable and welcome. Amy says: “The Rock is a great church and Pastor Miles is never short of an awesome service.”
5. Amy helped raise a brother with Cerebral Palsy
Amy has one brother, Shaun, who is 13 months older than her. Shaun has severe cerebral palsy and Amy grew up helping to take care of her brother. Amy knows this experience helped her to see others with a different perspective and to be empathetic to those in need.
6. Amy is an avid gardener.
Amy and her husband recently purchased a home in San Diego and Amy has transformed the back and front yard from a mess of weeds into a tropical flower paradise. She enjoys roses and hibiscus the most, but is also learning how to tend to her baby plumeria tree, crossing her fingers that it does well.
7. Amy loves dogs
Amy grew up in her family’s business, a dog and cat boarding kennel. She enjoys cats, but loves dogs! Amy and her husband have a Rottweiler puppy, Sissy, who is 75 pounds at 10 months old. Sissy has become Amy’s co-worker during COVID and her source of laughter on those long days alone.
How Amy Rascop is making a difference in the College of Education
“I have always enjoyed supporting others and as the executive assistant to Dean Chung, I can do just that! My goal is to take the behind the scenes tasks that would otherwise fill his day, so that he can be free to lead the college.”