It is with deep gratitude and genuine sadness that we mark the retirement of Christine Rucker, MPA, who concludes an extraordinary career as Director of STAR’s Adolescent Education Program (AEP), widely known as THEO—Teens Helping Each Other. Christine’s leadership has shaped STAR, SUNY Downstate, and generations of young people across Brooklyn. 

Christine joined what was then the AIDS Prevention Center in 1991, before the formal launch of the STAR Program. Her vision, rigor, and compassion quickly stood out, and in 1994 she was appointed Director of Adolescent Education—a role she would hold for more than three decades, guiding AEP/THEO into a widely respected model for youth-centered HIV education and prevention. 

Over its 30-plus-year history, AEP has trained more than 600 teen peer educators through its intensive six-week summer training institute. Under Christine’s guidance, young people from the communities we serve gained public health knowledge alongside leadership skills, confidence, and a strong sense of responsibility to their peers. THEO alumni have gone on to careers in medicine, nursing, public health, education, law enforcement, the military, and community service—many continuing HIV prevention and health equity work. Notably, Marian Searchwell-DeSouza, EdD, now Program Manager of AEP’s Personal Responsibility and Education Program, began as a THEO peer educator in the early 1990s. 

Christine fought tirelessly to ensure that every young person who entered AEP had access to safe spaces, meaningful opportunities, and trusted mentorship. Under her leadership, the program expanded in reach and impact, earning recognition from the Mayor’s Office, the Junior League of Brooklyn, the Robin Hood Foundation, and the AIDS Institute. 

Her influence also extended beyond AEP through the creation of Brooklyn Association of Teen Educators (BATES) and the Brooklyn Adolescent Service Network for Adolescent Providers (BASNAP), collaborative networks that include more than 25 youth-serving organizations across Brooklyn. As Christine begins a new chapter, we will deeply miss her steady leadership. Plans are underway to ensure a smooth transition for AEP/THEO. Her legacy lives on in the lives she shaped and the lasting impact of THEO. We thank her for her decades of service and wish her continued purpose, fulfillment, and joy in the years ahead.