In 1996, Dr. Marlena Uhrik’s was selected to carry the Olympic Torch, an honor she celebrated again this year by walking in Rancho Cordova’s Fourth of July parade wearing her original Olympic Torch Relay uniform. Photo by Rick Sloan

RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) – The turning point in Dr. Marlena Uhrik’s career didn’t happen in a classroom.

It happened when she noticed children waiting in line outside a recovery center in Hayward during the 1980s. Expecting to see adults, Uhrik instead found siblings standing quietly, waiting for a meal because they had nowhere else to go while school was out.

“I remember thinking somebody’s got to do something about this,” Uhrik said. “Little did I know I was going to be that person.”

That single moment has shaped more than four decades of work dedicated to children and families, leading to programs that have fed thousands of young people, supported educators across California and, most recently, encouraged Rancho Cordova students to see how one act of kindness can ripple through an entire community.

Children decorate pennants with drawings and messages of kindness as part of the Waves of Kindness program. Photo courtesy of Marlena Uhrik

Today, Uhrik serves as CEO of All Ways Learning, an educational company she founded to connect families, educators and children through books, workshops and social-emotional learning programs. Her newest initiative, Waves of Kindness, has already reached more than 3,000 students in the Folsom Cordova Unified School District and continues expanding with grant support.

The project asks participants to decorate weather-resistant pennants with drawings or messages about kindness. Hung together, the individual pennants form colorful displays that remain in schools as a daily reminder that small actions can create lasting change.

The idea grew from Uhrik's award-winning children's book, “The Magic of Making a Difference: One CAN Make a Difference,” which encourages young readers to recognize the impact a single person can have.

“In today’s world, many children and adults struggle with a sense of belonging, empathy and connection,” Uhrik said. “I wanted to create something where kindness isn’t just something we talk about. It's something people experience together.”

The first public Waves of Kindness installation debuted during Rancho Cordova’s International Festival in May 2025 after receiving a city mini-grant. Hundreds of children and families created pennants that were later to be displayed at City Hall. Since then, the program has expanded into local schools, where students from transitional kindergarten through fifth grade have contributed to the growing displays.

Dr. Marlena Uhrik’s newest initiative, Waves of Kindness, has already reached more than 3,000 students in the Folsom Cordova Unified School District and continues expanding with grant support. Photo courtesy of Marlena Uhrik

“One of the most rewarding parts of Waves of Kindness was watching every student take part, including our special education students," School Mental Health Specialist at White Rock Elementary said. “Some students who don’t always show kindness during the school day wrote some of the most thoughtful, encouraging messages. It reminded me that students often carry more empathy than we see day to day. They just need the opportunity to show it.”

For Uhrik, education has always been about creating opportunities.

She said she knew from childhood that she wanted to become a teacher, often lining up dolls and pretending to lead a classroom. After graduating from San Diego State University at age 21 with both a bachelor’s degree and teaching credential, she began what would become a career spanning classrooms, colleges, school districts and statewide leadership.

Her path eventually brought her to Sacramento after accepting a consultant position with the California Department of Education, where she spent 10 years overseeing statewide initiatives focused on character education, student assistance programs and preventing underage drinking.

Yet despite the statewide responsibilities, she never forgot the children she saw waiting for food years earlier.

That memory inspired her to create The Kids' Breakfast Club in 1992, a volunteer-led program providing free meals, educational activities and mentoring during school breaks when many children lost access to free school lunches.

"It started as a grassroots effort," Uhrik said. "The community stepped up big time."

Dr. Marlena Uhrik’s serves as CEO of All Ways Learning, an educational company she founded to connect families, educators and children through books, workshops and social-emotional learning programs. Photo courtesy of Marlena Uhrik

Volunteers cooked meals, donated books and clothing, while local police officers played basketball with children, helping strengthen relationships between law enforcement and families.

The program eventually became a nonprofit organization that served children for 15 years and earned Uhrik recognition as a Community Hero. In 1996, she was selected to carry the Olympic Torch, an honor she celebrated again this year by walking in Rancho Cordova's Fourth of July parade wearing her original Olympic Torch Relay uniform.

Over the years, Uhrik has written eight award-winning children's books while continuing to develop educational programs centered on literacy, family engagement and character development. In 2024, she was recognized as a Woman of Distinction during Women's History Month at the California State Capitol for her contributions to education and community service.

Her latest efforts continue to build on the same philosophy that has guided her career from the beginning.

“I just feel that's part of my mission, to help people know they can make a difference and inspire others to share their gifts so they can make a difference, too,” Uhrik said.

Looking ahead, Uhrik hopes to expand Waves of Kindness into additional schools this fall and recruit community volunteers to serve as "ambassadors of kindness."

Her long-term vision is simple.

“I would love Rancho Cordova to be the City of Kindness and be an example throughout the United States,” she said.