Background
I was born and raised in the Detroit area and attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.  Throughout my years at Michigan I spent summers working at SpringHill Camps in their high school ministry program. I graduated with a teaching degree in math and science and moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, shortly after.  I spent five years teaching in a public high school there in the science department while earning my master’s degree in curriculum and instruction.  I also worked in youth ministry at a local church for several years.  Nearing the end of these five years I was eager to find a ministry to join that combined experiential ministry in the outdoors with a mission to challenge students in their walk with Christ, which is how I ended up at LeaderTreks. 

How did you become a Christian?
I decided to make a commitment to follow Christ in junior high while involved in a local youth group.  Since then I have been on an amazing adventure discovering the depths of God’s heart for me.  My high school years were mostly consumed with learning about God’s word.  After that, especially in the last few years, my journey has been marked by pursuing Christ’s heart relentlessly despite difficult or good circumstances in life.

What is a leadership lesson you have learned?
I have seen the most effective leadership by people that lead by example and finish strong.  Servant leadership is effective in reaching people’s hearts when leaders do these things, otherwise you are just supervising. 

What is one of your gifts and how do you use it?
One of my gifts that I discovered in the last five years of my life is the gift of Faith.  I love sharing my life story and God’s ever present faithfulness throughout it all; it is so rewarding to see people who are traveling through difficult circumstances encouraged by this.  I am eager to do any speaking about who God is to me and the promise of His goodness and His glory revealed in all of our lives. 

Who is one student that you have seen grow as a leader?
I know a student named Evan and I have seen him grow from his freshman year all the way to his senior year in high school.  In the process, Evan has gained self-confidence in who he is created to be and has even acted on what he feels God has called him to do.  He has taken bold steps recently to continue to pursue God in a culture that values pursuing pleasure.  This pursuit has recently brought him to a short term mission trip to China and he is now considering longer missions after high school.  He used to have to be encouraged to step out of his comfort zone and now he is leading others into serving God.