Rita Buyco
Executive Director
Rita is our fearless leader here at SYM. You can find her in the office, in Drop-In, running errands for our many programs, catching up with clients and making pots of coffee throughout the day to keep everyone going. She loves coffee, and her go-to order is a simple and strong 2 shots of espresso. She loves working with the clients and having them feel deeply known by herself and her staff. She enjoys walking around Green Lake and isn’t fazed by a classic Seattle rain.
Amirah Chatman
Art room coordinator
Amirah is an Interdisciplinary Artist based in the Pacific Northwest, originally from Phoenix, Arizona. Her artwork thematically centers on creating imagery that evokes feelings of wonder, joy, and curiosity. Utilizing visuals composed of elements found in nature, weather, and space, she seeks to create dynamic scenes meant to intrigue the viewer. These scenes are rooted in her own curiosity of what the afterlife may look like, after experiencing several familial losses over the past few years. A lack of representation within traditional depictions of Heaven drove a need in her to see a place that was dynamic, colorful, vibrant, and reflective of her loved ones. Notable recent projects include a large site-specific mural located on the first floor of the brand-new Behavioral Health Resource Center located in downtown Portland, and a mural for Imagine Black Futures. She has shown work in multiple galleries within the United States, and currently spends her time facilitating art workshops for houseless youth.
Dan Coggins
DI Staff/music room coordinator
Daniel is a true PNW dude. You can find him on walking or biking trails in the mountains, eating Tacos Chukis in Capitol Hill, or showcasing his artistic side with his focus on street art. Before joining SYM staff he designed and painted the mural in Drop-in. Stop by and check out Dan’s work!
Mike Coggins
Di staff/Chaplain
Mike has a heart passionate about the powerful pursuit of individuals as being crucial to any hope of recovery and growth in life. He has a discipleship-oriented spirit that comes from his own experiences of people pursuing him in Jesus’ name. He’s a hard-core music style lover and can be found at skateparks hangin with his homies. He, like all of us on SYM’s staff, is a big fan of coffee and especially enjoys being at Poindexter. Another U District favorite of his is Cedars of Lebanon.
Antonio Gomez
Drop-In coordinator
Antonio finds enjoyment in the little things of life. He is passionate about the power of community and connection, especially for youth who are going through a tough time, as he has experienced his own struggles as a kid. Antonio hopes to inspire young people to seek out communities that resonate with their interest, values, or goals, through the community of SYM.
Alyssa McLeod
Operations assistant/program coordinator
Alyssa is a class of 2024 grad from the University of Washington, where she acquired her BA in Spanish and a minor in Dance. She is passionate about social services and using language and other forms of communication as ways to foster connection between people. She enjoys sitting on the Ave and drinking a coffee. You can find her most frequently in the SYM offices, doing admin work, designing social media posts, and planning fundraisers!
Grace Zackula
Case manager/program coordinator
Grace is also a class of 2024 grad from the University of Washington, where she earned her BA in Public Health-Global Health with a minor in Data Science. She interned with SYM for two quarters during her fourth year of university where she exuded compassion, dedication, and proactive effort and is now joining our team as a staff member! She loves spending time at Cafe Allegro and looking for new books to read at Magus Books. She is looking forward to stepping into her staff role here.