Ethan Rucker

Ethan Rucker coaches Harris Public Policy students to tell their career story. As Associate Director, Digital Solutions and Career Systems Manager in the Career Development Office (CDO), Ethan works closely with the team to help students contextualize their experiences. In both one-on-one and group coaching, Ethan is committed to understanding student goals and challenges and identifying strengths to facilitate career growth. He also leads the mental health working group at Harris, which shares resources and raises awareness for positive mental health and wellness for Harris students.

Ethan’s career started when he joined Teach for America (TFA) in Indianapolis, where he taught 6th–8th grade math, coached basketball, and served on the school’s instructional leadership team. Over two years, he helped increase students’ math mastery by over 25 percent across all three grade levels. After teaching, Ethan pursued a degree in mental health counseling at Loyola University Chicago, where his interest in career development coaching was kindled. He worked for several years as both a graduate career advisor and academic advisor at Loyola before joining the CDO team at Harris.

Ethan is a licensed professional counselor in Illinois, and a proud graduate of the University of Florida where he earned a BS in psychology. During his time in TFA, he attained an MA in teaching from Marian University. After teaching, he moved to Chicago and earned an EdS in clinical mental health counseling from Loyola University Chicago.