The fellowship is a one-year leadership acceleration cohort program designed to amplify and centralize the work of young adult Christian leaders. The program provides experiential and financial resources to further their impact in the world.
Paul Ammons
Paul is a non-profit professional and lifelong San Diego resident. He has invested his time and energy in creating inclusive and trauma-informed spaces for youth. He currently serves as an Advocacy Supervisor with Voices for Children, where he manages Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers to advocate for the needs of local foster youth. He attends Normal Heights United Methodist Church, a community centered on LGBTQ+ inclusion and exploring the intersections of justice, truth, and tradition. He was privileged to help start an ecumenical LGBTQ+ affirming youth group through his church and sits on the board of directors for Rainbow Spaces, a non-profit dedicated to creating culturally affirming and accessible spaces for queer youth. In his off time, Paul enjoys taking long drives, re-watching Studio Ghibli movies, amateur gaming, and spending quality time with friends and family. Paul was nominated by Grounded Faith: Pursuing Faith Formation, Relational Maturity, and Vocation Through Embodied Presence at Whitworth University.
Sarah Garland
Sarah is the Assistant Director of the Gaede Institute for the Liberal Arts at Westmont College. With a passion for listening and mentorship, she is dedicated to fostering meaningful connections across differences. Sarah earned her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Westmont and spent a year in Ghana with International Justice Mission (IJM), advocating against child labor and human trafficking. She currently co-directs two ministry projects at Westmont: Trailhead: Seeking God’s Call, a summer program for high school students, and the Young Adult Leadership Lab, a new initiative that brings young adults and California churches together to reimagine young adult ministry. Outside of her professional endeavors, Sarah loves running, going to the beach, and is an aspiring yoga teacher. Sarah was nominated by the Westmont Young Adult Leadership Lab at Westmont College/Gaede Institute.
Madelyn Muir Johnson
Maddie (she/her) is an ordained deacon in the United Methodist Church. She grew up outside of Kansas City, Kansas, and currently lives in Chicago, Illinois. Maddie serves on the Mercy and Justice team of the Great Plains United Methodist Conference (Kansas and Nebraska) as a contractor creating faith-based justice resourcing for local churches, where she crafts leadership development retreats and programs, and directs a young adult social justice summer internship. She received her Master of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (G-ETS) and has just begun her Doctor of Ministry at G-ETS in their Leadership for Social Transformation track where she hopes to develop curriculum focused on sex and sexuality education. Maddie also spends time volunteering as a hospital advocate supporting survivors of SA with medical and legal advice. She is passionate about creating spaces for dialogue, storytelling, and truth-telling as both a means and end of justice work. Maddie was nominated by Holy Partnerships: Creating a Culture Shift Toward Valuing Young Adults in Congregations at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.
Malik Jordan
Malik is a leader who is passionate about following God and serving his community. He grew up in Waukegan, Illinois, where he attended Shiloh Baptist Church. He has a twin brother and two older sisters. Every Wednesday night, he helps lead a young adult Bible Study group. He has a deep love for food and a particular fondness for Neo Soul music. Musiq Soulchild is his favorite artist! Malik is a professional in the technology field who also enjoys building gaming computers for fun. He is in a committed relationship with another believer, striving to model a Christ-centered approach to dating. Malik was nominated by the Mosaic Young Adult Initiative at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.
Maria Korchak
Maria is a Carpatho-Rusyn Orthodox Christian, working as a Financial Analyst for an education technology startup. After studying accounting at College of the Holy Cross, she worked in corporate America and in the nonprofit sector, merging her interests’ best practices in for-profit organizations along with the mission of the social sector. She is the chairperson of her diocese’s Carpatho-Rusyn Heritage Working Group. Its mission is to preserve, celebrate and practice traditions from this ethnic minority that enhance Orthodox spirituality. Her passions lie in the intersection of lived Orthodox theology through liturgical life, pious customs influenced by folk tradition, and learning from and respecting our collective cultural identities. Maria was nominated by the Telos Project at the CrossRoad Institute.
Taylor Miskel
Taylor is a native of College Station, Texas, and a graduate of Texas A&M University (BS). Taylor has a heart for adventure, creativity, and purpose-filled spiritual development of Christians. She loves helping to create meaningful experiences for people. These values and passions have led her to called service opportunities in North Carolina, Colorado, Texas, and the Dominican Republic. Sensing a call to ministry during her college years, Taylor attended Denver Seminary where she received her MDiv with a focus on Chaplaincy. Taylor has served as a Chaplain at UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill through their CPE Residency program and additionally served in four different Christian denominational congregations in the areas of student, worship, and pastoral care ministries. Taylor, her spouse Matt, and their son, Emmett, enjoy trekking in nature, watching the Durham Bulls and Carolina Hurricanes, and being outside in general together. Outside of her work, Taylor enjoys rock climbing, dabbling in photography, floral design, painting, kayaking, hiking, and playing volleyball. Taylor was nominated by Christian Curious at Denver Seminary.
Cadence Moore
Cadence is from the small town of Canby, Oregon. She grew up surrounded by a loving community filled with strong Christian communities. During her youth, she was a part of several of the churches in the area, getting to know community members and their heart for serving their neighbors. Cadence attended Seattle Pacific University and earned her BA in Christian Theology. She currently attends SPU seminary where she is working toward her MA in Christian Ministry. Still seeking the specifics of her vocational calling, she has enjoyed working with the Dean of Theology doing special creative projects, coordinating the university’s Urban Involvement Program, and nurturing her faith in a community that surrounds her with so much support. Cadence was nominated by Pace NW of Seattle Pacific University and Seminary.
Hanna Newcomer
Hanna is the associate director of the TCU Wesley Foundation, a campus ministry at TCU in Fort Worth Texas. She is nearing the completion of her Master of Divinity from Brite Divinity School. Before working in college ministry, she was a youth pastor in a rural methodist church for six years and worked in foster care and elementary education. She is passionate about helping young people to form deep meaningful relationships with one another and with Jesus. Her ministerial focus rests in mental health and wellness, developing young Christian leaders, and filling the gap between the next seven generations and the church! When she’s not working you can find her reading, running, or snuggling with her four dogs. Hanna was nominated by the 787 Collective of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
Aileen Nicolas
Aileen (she/her) graduated with an MDiv in May 2024 from Candler School of Theology at Emory University and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in geography from the University of Georgia. Her research interests lie in religious education and youth ministry, with an emphasis on pastoral care for the children of the Latin American immigrant community. Her interdisciplinary background brings a unique perspective rooted in space and place to her work with and alongside youth in theology. She works on curriculum development for independent projects for her church, Archdiocese, and other clients. She also works for a variety of organizations, including the Youth Theological Initiative, the BRIDGE Initiative, and Candler Foundry, to promote youth engagement and young adult leadership in the church. Aileen is proud of her roots as a Southern, Mexican-American from Atlanta, Georgia. She attends and serves at the Catholic Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Aileen was nominated by the BRIDGE Young Adult Innovation Hub of Candler School of Theology.
Emily Norwood
Emily (they/them) was born in Iowa and now lives in Michigan. They graduated from Kalamazoo College with a degree in Biology/Pre-Veterinary Medicine and are currently working on an MDiv. They spent several years working in pre-clinical pharmaceutical safety assessment and in ethics and regulatory oversight for pre-clinical and clinical research. They now serve as Director of United Campus Ministries in Kalamazoo and spend much of their time at First Congregational Church working on a little bit of everything. They teach at the zoo during the summer and give snowboard lessons during the winter. Em is an Ironman triathlete, a musician (especially handbells and tower bells), a hiker and adventurer, a collector of odd things, and the proud parent of two cats. They are described by their friends as the closest thing Kalamazoo has to a cryptid. They were nominated by the Ministry Collaboratory at Princeton Seminary.
Elizabeth Maria Oviedo
Elizabeth is a graduate from both Franciscan University of Steubenville and Loyola Marymount University. After receiving her Bachelor’s in Theology and Spanish, and her Master’s in Urban Education, she became an educator for five years. Within that time, she taught English, Math, and Science at the middle school level, and taught religion at the high school level while also being the Campus Minister and Department Chair of Theology. Currently, she is both the Director of Religious Education and Youth Minister at Our Lady of Grace in Encino, California. Liz was nominated by FIELD (Faithful Innovation through Encountering, Listening, and Discerning: Practicing Synodality in Ministry with Young Adults) at Loyola University in New Orleans.
Luke W. Owens
Luke (he/him) lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota and is the vice president of Augsburg University Student Ministries, an organization that is dedicated to providing for the spiritual needs of students on campus. He will be graduating from Augsburg University this fall with a BA in Religion. Luke also serves as both a mentor and leader in StepUp, a nationally recognized collegiate recovery program. Through StepUp, he has helped Augsburg students achieve academic success and provided a community of accountability and support. Luke is celebrating four years of sobriety this year and is passionate about helping those around him with their recovery. After graduating in December 2024, he hopes to pursue higher education in counseling where he can continue to work with others in recovery. Luke was nominated by the Riverside Innovation Hub at Augsburg University.
Matthew Rivera
Matthew, also known as MattWithADream, was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. He is the first in his family to earn a college degree, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology at Trinity College. Matthew is the Executive Director of The Dream Support Network, a full-service organization whose mission is to inspire, educate, and support youth and young adults in their pursuit of living out the life of their dreams. To do such work, The Dream Support Network provides extensive programming and workshops, experiential learning opportunities, and full-day retreats. Matthew is currently pursuing an MDiv at Yale Divinity School while serving as a Pastoral Intern at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Springfield, MA. Matthew is a motivational speaker by nature and enjoys sharing insight and perspective that he’s gathered on his journey. Matthew was nominated by Communitas – Young Adult Innovation Hub at Yale Divinity School.
Jose Carlos Sandoval Garcia
Jose Carlos is a proud immigrant and DACA recipient originally from Zamora Michoacan, Mexico, who has called Chicagoland home since 2001. His journey took him from playing semi-professional soccer in Spain to studying Business Administration at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, Robert Morris University, and Marymount California University as well as earning a Business Leadership certification from Stanford University. This was followed by joining the family business, Chula Vista Imports, providing mango and strawberry to a couple hundred of your favorite “La Michoacana” ice cream shops. Beyond business, Jose Carlos is deeply involved in his community actively leading discipleship efforts and the Iskali Service Day. He serves as co-chair of the Junior Board of Iskali, a Catholic non-profit that empowers and equips the next generation of young Latinos to become transformative leaders in their communities. Jose Carlos was nominated by the Young Adult Initiative at the University of Notre Dame/ISKALI.
Brookelyn Skrezyna
Brookelyn is from Lockport, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. She is passionate about bringing the joy of Jesus to everyone—especially young people—through the lens of her Catholic faith. In her local church, Brookelyn is active as a choir member, cantor, youth leader, and ALPHA Host. She works with special needs adults and strives to give people in unfortunate circumstances the best life possible. When she’s not working or serving in her church, you can find her swing dancing, reading books, kickboxing, or playing pickleball. Brookelyn loves her faith, coffee, new adventures, meeting new people, and learning new things. Brookelyn was nominated by the Saint Meinrad Young Adult Initiative at Saint Meinrad Seminary.
Michelle Suh
Michelle is a 1.5 gen Korean American nomad who identifies Suwon, South Korea, and Los Angeles, California, as home but currently resides in Denver, Colorado. She graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor’s in Psychology and Fuller Theological Seminary with a Master’s in Divinity. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology at the University of Denver. Michelle is a chaplain in the U.S. Army Reserve and served as a hospital chaplain prior to returning to school. Meaning making is an essential part of her work and way of being, and she hopes to be a voice and an advocate for those who have been hurt by religion in big or small ways through her work as a psychologist in the future. Michelle was nominated by Fuller Youth Institute’s Discipleship Initiatives with Young Adults (DIYA) at Fuller Theological Seminary.
Joy C Williams
Joy (she/her) was raised in Henderson, a small town nestled deep in East Texas, where she was steeped in service, scholarship, and church life. From her youth to the present, Joy has been actively engaged in her church’s youth groups and currently leads a small group for young adults. She holds degrees in Economics and Applied Analytics from Spelman College and Columbia University respectively. In her spare time, you can find Joy immersed in a good book, on her yoga mat, or enjoying quality time with friends and family. Committed to making a difference in her community, Joy focuses on lending her skills to initiatives that impact those around her in Atlanta. Joy was nominated by the Connecting with Hope Innovation Hub of the Interdenominational Theological Center.
Mantryll Williams
Tryll is a community organizer from North Carolina. He is driven by a deep, unwavering love for humanity and works to dismantle oppressive structures while promoting transformative justice, mutual aid, truth, and reconciliation. Tryll is privileged to be a product of an HBCU, North Carolina A&T State University, The Children’s Defense Fund, and Faith Community Church in Greensboro, North Carolina. Everywhere he goes, he aims to model and uphold what he considers sacred instruction: act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. Tryll was nominated by Welcome Home: Young Adults Shaping Holistic Houses of Worship with the Children’s Defense Fund.
