Gina Gutierrez / Roundup
The semester is coming to a close, and while his students are buckling down on those final exams, Professor James Rikel is dreaming about a life of hiking, kayaking, and moving to the Central Coast.
Professor Rikel, Life Science instructor, is one of the teachers that plan to retire from Pierce at the end of this semester. While he’ll miss his fellow staff and students, he’s excited for the next chapter of his life to begin.
Rikel was born in Pasadena, and attended San Marino High School. After graduating from high school, he attended Whittier College, where he received a degree in Chemistry.
However, teaching wasn’t always his first option.
Having attended USC Medical School for 4 years, he learned soon enough that a job based solely on research wasn’t for him. “I saw myself as professor, not a medical doctor,” he said.
Although he may be retiring, he wants to continue teaching. Instead of the more formal class setting he’s been accustomed to over the years, he wants try a different approach such as mentoring. He plans to volunteer more with BetterMen.org, an organization that seeks to provide help for men. He’s been with this organization for 7 years, and hopes to devote more time to it now that he’s retiring.
Aside from volunteering, Professor Rikel plans to move to the central coast, along with his wife Professor Kate Kubach, also a Life Science instructor at Pierce College who is retiring after the semester comes to a close. “I could have retired last year,” said Rikel, “but I decided to stay and wait for her.”
Now, both retiring, he has big plans. He plans to purchase a piece of land, and spend his days gardening, hiking, bicycling, and possibly backpacking across the Sierras. With all these plans, he does plan to come back to visit Pierce once in a while to volunteer in the garden.
Having been at Pierce for 34 years, he has no regrets of his time spent here. While sad that he won’t see the people in his department or his students everyday anymore, he’s ready for what’s to come. “I’ve been done with this phase for a very long time,” he said with a smile on his face. “Pierce has given me a lot more opportunities than I would have ever imagined, and I’m happy I could have been of service.”
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