Alma Matters: Foundation Academy alumnus now working, coaching on campus

Riley Desin is a testament to perseverance, resilience, faith, strength and positivity. 

Born with a very rare bone growth disorder called hereditary multiple exostoses, Desin’s bones grow non-cancerous tumors on them, causing severe pain and discomfort. 

His growth disorder was diagnosed when he was just 1 year old. A full-body X-ray revealed bone growths from his head to his toes. 

“I’ve hd about 12 or so surgeries, all done with Shriners Hospitals for Children,” he said. 

Even then, he believes he had a relatively normal childhood and teenage years. 

“I’ve had three double-knee surgeries, and those times are difficult, but overall, it wasn’t super hard just because I’m really fortunate,” he said. “Growing up at Shriners, a lot of those kids have way worse conditions than I do. Even though mine is relatively severe for what I have, I know kids who are missing arms, missing legs, kids that have lost everything because of burns.” 

When he puts that into perspective, he believes he’s lived a “relatively easy” life. 

Transferring from Lakeview Middle School to Foundation Academy in the eighth grade, he had no idea years later he’d be working in education — let alone at the same school that provided him with years of lessons, support, love and faith. 

Today, he works at Foundation Academy’s admissions department helping students and families with the application and enrollment processes. 

He also is the assistant varsity coach for the school’s basketball team, and next season, he might return as the freshman basketball head coach. 

Back then 

Desin said transferring to Foundation Academy was a blessing. 

He spent five years at the school and graduated in 2019 as a member of the National Honor Society and Christians In Service, volunteering throughout the school and being a part of the basketball team. 

He also was a part of the Haiti Mission Team in 2019.

As an adult, he’s grateful for the love, support and care teachers and staff had toward students and still do. 

Because of his condition, surgery was inevitable at times. He said Foundation Academy was caring, helpful and understanding. 

After he had double-knee surgery, a buddy at school wheeled him around in a wheelchair, and the school always was supportive.

“I went to public school most of my life, so I got a taste of what that was like,” Desin said. “The relationships that the teachers have with the students at Foundation, I don’t think you’ll get anywhere else. We care about the students a lot. For some of us, we care about them so much it hurts.” 

His favorite memory at Foundation Academy was with his best friends and his Bible teacher, Linda Schefstad. 

“She would meet with my best friends and (me) and have lunch with us once a week,” he said. “She took time to just love on us and pour into us.” 

They would ask her about the Bible and enjoyed meaningful conversations. 

Even then, Desin said he took his time at Foundation Academy for granted and only had that realization when he was in college. 

He went to Valencia College and acquired a bachelor’s degree in business and organizational leadership. 

“When I went to college, I was like, ‘Oh, this is not the environment that I’m used to,’” he said. “That Christian environment was what I was used to.” 

While in college, he decided to serve as a substitute teacher at Foundation Academy as a way to earn extra income. He also coached tennis at the school during his sophomore and junior years of college and even had a third job at Scoops Old Fashioned Ice Cream Store.

“I had no intentions of being in education at all,” he said. “Growing up, my mom always told me, ‘You should be a teacher; you love kids.’ I was like, ‘Absolutely not; I don’t like school.’” 

His first substitute teaching experience was for Foundation Academy’s P.E. class. It was so much fun, he said. He immediately knew he wanted to get involved someway, somehow, beyond just subbing. 

“I got to wear gym shorts and a T-shirt, and I was like, ‘I could do this for the rest of my life and play basketball against these kids in P.E. class,’” he said jokingly. 

The feeling he had that day of gratitude and joy was proof he was being called to do something more. 

“That was the moment where I was like, ‘Let me see if I can do this full-time,’” he said. 

Getting involved 

Desin joined the Lions family within three months of substitute teaching at the school for the first time. He was offered a position in the admissions department, which he accepted. 

He has worked with the admissions department for two years now and has coached three basketball seasons. 

“For the last 10 or so years, Foundation is all I’ve known,” he said. 

While he didn’t want to be in education at first, today, he can’t see himself anywhere else. 

“I have 11 guys on my basketball team, and I consider them my sons,” he said. “The students are what keep us coming back every day.” 

He was offered the coaching job when he was subbing for the varsity coach who was on leave to spend time with his newborn child. 

“I texted him to congratulate him on the baby, and he was like, ‘Would you ever want to coach basketball?’” Desin said.

He said he’d like to experience an assistant coaching position before coaching on his own. 

However, the varsity coach was confident Desin could pull it off. 

Cool, you’ll be the head freshman coach, Desin was told. 

While that’s not what he was looking for, he loved every second of it. 

He started out as the head coach for the freshman team and as assistant coach for the JV team.

He slowly stepped into the assistant varsity coach position to fill in when needed. He has assisted in coaching the varsity basketball team ever since. 

Being a Lion 

What started out as a way to make extra income ended up becoming his new norm. 

Desin said Foundation Academy has been a blessing in his life, and thanks to God, who has been opening doors for him, he’s where he’s being called to be. 

His FA family is very encouraging and affirming, letting him know he’s making an impact and loving students well.  

“It wasn’t until I got into admissions that I started growing relationships with these students and I realized, ‘Oh my gosh, I really love these kids,’” Desin said. “Admissions isn’t necessarily where my heart lies. It’s really with these students and in creating relationships with them, being there for them.” 

While the admissions team is supportive and fun, Desin hopes to become a dean, assistant principal or principal so he can work more directly with the students. 

His mission is to serve the youth. He wants them to learn gratitude, the way he did.

More than that, he wants to show students and youth who Christ is. 

Beyond doing that at Foundation Academy, he also serves in the youth and children’s ministry at Quay Church, leading 12th-graders and fifth-graders. 

He wants them to know the love and support teachers and staff give students is not common, and it must be cherished. 

“Foundation has my heart,” he said.