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Where are they now?
2007-2008 USC Alumni
2006-2007 USC Alumni
2005-2006 USC Alumni

The 2007-2008 Urban Servant Corps — Where are they now?

Danielle Birch Since wrapping up USC in August, I have found myself plenty occupied with new adventures. After moving out of our 5 & 9 community, I moved in with a new community made up of three USC volunteers from our year, Cara Schultz, Julia Zaffarano and Celia Meyers, an LVCer, Amber Hill, and our honorary USCer, Nathan Bock. I am currently a full time student at CU Denver, finishing up prerequisites for nursing school. I have been accepted into the Regis Accelerated BSN program which I will be signing my life over to this January! I am also working part time as a youth instructor at Girls Inc. of Metro Denver, my placement last year, and get to hang out with this years Girls Inc. volunteer Caroline Gonia.

Laura Chabot moved back to Ohio in August to seek gainful employment and be close to family.

Annice Correia remained in Denver and is seeking employment.

Nicholas Delmonico left the USC in January 2008 to pursue personal interests in public speaking, teaching the community about disability rights, working with kids and volunteering. He recently moved into an apartment downtown and is starting his own non-profit.

Amy Engelbrekt also stayed in town and has been working at her placement site, the Women's Bean Project. She's hanging out with old 5 and 9'ers as much as possible, just got engaged, and is planning a move to Alaska!

Drew Rindfleisch bravely accepted another year of service and community with the Urban Servant Corps! He is working on the outreach team at Urban Peak-a shelter and support program for homeless youth.

Cara Schultz also remained employed at her placement site as Urban Education Coordinator at DenUM. She lives in community with former USC'ers, Julia Zaffarano, Nathan Bock, Danielle Birch, Celia Myers and former LVC-er Amber Hill, at the "Columbine House."

Julia Zaffarano married Nathan Bock in August 2008 and is still working as a direct care counselor at Urban Peak (you guessed it, her volunteer placement from last year!). She lives in the Columbine House in community.

Fredericka "Fred" is serving this year with Brethren Voluntary Service at Copper Ranch, a healing farm for persons with mental disabilities in North Carolina.

Tyler Goswick married Ana in July 2008, and they moved to Durham North Carolina, where Tyler is pursuing a Masters in Divinity at Duke.

Kate Hunt completed 1 ½ years of the USC and is earning a Masters in Public Policy at the University of Denver, working in the advocacy field, and still baking and enjoying all things pink!

Laura Meixell is living in Denver with Kate, and working at The Gathering Place as the Association Liaison (fundraising, event planning, etc). Yes, The Gathering Place was her USC placement too.

Celia Myers lives in the Columbine Community house and is working at Metro CareRing, where she also served last year. She just got into a graduate program in school counseling.

Scott Piebenga lives in northwest Denver with a couple of friends from college, and enjoys a household with considerably more male energy than the Ogden community of 4 women and 2 men last year. Scott is still working at St. Francis Center.

Angie Schaeffer writes: I'm still living in Capitol Hill and work at Excelsior Youth Center in Aurora. As a Youth Treatment Counselor, I teach life skills to girls ages 11-18 who have emotional/ behavioral/ mental health difficulties. It is difficult work, but I enjoy it! My hope is that the girls will have the capacity to learn what they need to know in order to create self-sufficient lives for themselves so they won't have to live in homelessness or poverty. Our focus is prevention. I'm grateful for the experience I had working at DenUM because it gave me a solid background on the complexities of the homeless and low income populations. My work as a case manager also provided a great foundation for the work I'm doing now.

Jean Tsen is pursuing graduate studies in theology at Denver Seminary and volunteering at The Gathering Place.

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The 2006-2007 Urban Servant Corps — Where are they now?

Laura Barrett stayed in Denver and is living in community with friends from First Mennonite Church while working at Denver Urban Ministries.

Amanda Christman is working at the Boys and Girls Club this year and continues to live in Denver.

Nicholas Delmonico continued to serve with the USC until January 2008, at which time, he decided to pursue other opportunities. Nicholas is currently volunteering with the American Council for the Blind and building his social/political/personal network in Denver.

Christy Hansen is living in Rifle, Colorado and working as an ongoing caseworker for the Garfield County Department of Human Services. She loves being in the mountains and was married on March 1 in Iowa to Brendon Newton!

Heather Harold is currently living 4 blocks from the Ogden House (her home last year during USC) and is employed at the Empowerment Program where she volunteered last year!

Cara Holmquist is in seminary at PLTS in Berkeley CA. She came to Denver for a visit during her first quarter 'reading week' and reunited with almost all of the Five and Nine, including Christina Z from MN on speaker phone.

Kate Hunt continued on with USC on her second year at Urban Peak serving on the Street Outreach team. Kate is excited to be attending Denver University in the Masters Program School of Public Policy next fall. Her primary emphasis will be in City Planning and Environmental Affairs.

Lauren Kraus is working in the admissions office of her alma mater, Luther College and recruiting more USC-ers than ever in Decorah, Iowa.

Erica Nees is in her first year of medical school in Laramie Wyoming and got engaged in October.

Sarah Pierce Is the co-parent of a girl kitten named Dave with her former USC housemate, Allison Riley. They live on Capitol Hill and Sarah works at The Gathering Place as a Children's Advocate and waits tables at Beau Jo's on Saturdays. She says, "I love both my jobs but am extremely busy...somehow I still manage to stay adorable."

Aaron Richards is here in Denver working and volunteers his expertise in teaching ESL. Aaron is currently looking into grad school in the near future.

Becky Rouse is still homeless…just kidding, she is house sitting for indefinite amount of time and can't wait to get a place she can call her own. The emptiness of life without community speaks to how she will shape the future. She is employed by her volunteer site, Namaste Hospice as a 3/4 time chaplain. She is happy to say she has found her calling.

Brent Schildt is living a life very similar to Heather Harold…and living with her. They were engaged early in 2008.

Chad Sweatt is immersing himself in Korean culture and learning the language while he's at it.

Allison Riley is studying social work at Metro Community College in Denver, and almost done with her first semester. She works for the Grand Hyatt at their Starbucks. She comes home at night to her roommate, and former USC volunteer, Sarah P.

Christina Zarza has recently returned to Denver and has worked with the Cross Community Coalition doing healthcare advocacy while she took the challenge by the horns and decided to attend medical school at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Go Zarza!

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The 2005-2006 Urban Servant Corps — Where are they now?

Stefan Awad—Is an Economics PhD student at University of Virginia, Charlottesville. He spends his days teaching and learning about numbers.

Sarah Balocca—Uses her friendly ways to take care of two adorable children. When she is not with los ninos she is searching for that perfect job…in the arts world (give her a heads up if you hear of anything!).

Thane Benson—Thane is living and working in Denver remodeling million dollar houses by day and working on his own (slightly less than million dollar) house at night. In his free time he's preparing for the revolution.

Linnea Bjorkman—She is adjusting to life out of a community in her beautiful studio apartment while working at Tattered Cover and House of Hope. She is also singing the St. Paul choir, enjoying coffee, music and learning Spanish in her spare time.

Renee Boeck—Renne is a Masters student at the University of Denver. She is studying Natural Disaster Psychology.

Karen Burton—is now working as a third grade teacher at a small bilingual school in Zamorano, Honduras.  The school has a mission of educating children from a variety of socioeconomic levels of Honduran society.  She is enjoying her time working in a diverse culture and taking advantage of travel opportunities and new learning experiences.

Marta Erickson—is here in Denver, living with a college friend and newly engaged! Congratulations.

Chad Grell—Chad is a student at the University of Denver’s Law School. He is currently buried in books and will someday make it out!

Amy Hanson—is working at the Jeffco Action Center as Development Coordinator and I am excited to begin working towards a nursing degree this winter. She lives with the amazing Karla Rengstorf.

Patty Heath— is working as a Patient Navigator at Stout Street Clinic in Denver. She is still thinking about grad school, getting an MSW, and of course, enjoying Colorado life.

Allison Lehrmann— has been working at the Houston ISD Outdoor Education Center in Texas.  She was not fond of the heat at first, but has now once again gotten use to it.  She loves teaching kids in an outdoor setting especially since she gets to wake up to a sunrise over the lake every morning!

Erik Lionberger—is a Job Coach at Urban Peak helping to develop an employability program where youth are encouraged to take an active role in achieving their life goals and dreams. Along with working at Urban Peak, he is doing some acting in the community and working to develop a youth theater. On the weekends, he’s with his big black fuzzy dog, Bapu, enjoying the Colorado Mountains.

Susan Martin—is currently enjoying life in New Mexico and spending time with her family.

Jeff Mootz—is attending the Forerunner School of Ministry at the International House of Prayer(not pancakes) missions base in Kansas City, MO.  He is also working at the City Mission for homeless families and living with seven guys at his own home.

Justin Nickel—is working towards his Masters of Divinity degree at Luther Seminary.  He is enjoying Minnesota's mild climate and unbelievable mountain scenery.

Katie Penninga—is living in San Diego, working as the Program Assistant at the Alzheimer's Association of San Diego County. In her spare time, she is training to become a crisis counselor so she can volunteer with a local organization that works with victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.

Karla Rengstorf—is living with Amy Hanson in Denver while working in Denver Public School, Interfaith Hospitality Network, weekend manager at the Ronald McDonald Hose, and sub at Focus Points.  Life is good :)!!!!

Becca Sager—is currently the Youth Director at Trinity Lutheran in Boulder.

Barbara Warner—is in DC completing another year of AmeriCorps with Notre Dame Mission Volunteers. I'm working at Mary House, transitional housing for homeless immigrant and refugee families that includes an afterschool program, food, clothing and furniture bank, ESL, and a mother’s support group.

Sara White— is currently with the Young Adults in Global Missions (ELCA) in Palawan, Philippines for the next year.

Sarah Wilczak—is currently living in Denver and working at Highline Academy Charter School teaching 7th and 8th grade Language Arts.

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