Valley grad with desire to help others readies for global adventure

A vacation to Kathmandu, Nepal, planted the seed of adventure in Valley High School graduate Skylar Houck.

“I went there to study Buddhism, but I developed this itch to travel,” said Houck, 23.

“I really enjoyed the culture shock and experiencing things that are completely different from what I’m used to.”

Houck, who graduated from Chatham University in 2019 with degrees in English and political science, is gearing up to spend two years in Taiwan.

This fall, she’ll study international communications at National Chengchi University to earn her master’s degree. She’ll live in Taipei City on her own, not part of any U.S. university program.

“I really wanted to go back to Asia and experience different facets of culture throughout the huge continent,” she said.

Born and raised in New Kensington, Houck said traveling across the globe has her eager and apprehensive.

“I am a bit nervous about traveling this time around,” she said. “I’m really just jumping into a situation in which I have no idea what to expect, but that sort of adds to the excitement.”

In 2018, when she spent part of the summer in Nepal, Houck studied at the Rangjung Yeshe Institute to learn about Buddhism and traditional meditation from local monks.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that was funded through a Pittsburgh scholarship, Houck said.

“I had never experienced life outside of the U.S. before, and, most of all, I really wanted to learn more about Buddhist tradition,” she said.

Houck credits her years at Valley High School for laying a solid foundation of wanting to continue learning.

“I had so many great teachers. I was mostly inspired by my English teachers and learned that writing is foundational to any career path,” she said. “The teachers and other students at Valley really made me who I am today.”

Houck said a dream of hers is to help younger Valley students through a local scholarship or similar program.

“I want Valley students to thrive,” she said. “They deserve it.”

Once she returns from Taiwan, Houck aspires to work with refugees in Pittsburgh or elsewhere across the country. Working as an adjunct professor is also a possibility, she said.

Houck already has been helping people through her job at Central Presbyterian Church in Tarentum, where she coordinates the Clothes Closet. Houck works four days a week organizing bags and boxes of donated shoes, shirts, pants and coats to be resold at bargain prices to those in need.

An internship with the church’s communications team parlayed into a job, and Houck said her time at the Tarentum site has reinforced her career path.

“This service is important because every week the clothing ministry serves people who are struggling and helps make them a little less stressed about life’s challenges,” she said.

“It’s grown my desire to forge a career working with refugees.”