That time of year has come again and Voices of Youth is preparing to go on tour. The adult, college, and youth staff arrived today at the Blacksburg UMC Christian Life Center in order to prepare for our Orientation that begins tomorrow. Here is a bit about each staff member so you can get to know them a little bit better...
Rachel Hundley (VOY Coordinator) - What a blessing it is to be in ministry with brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world through Voices of Youth! Voices has always been an important part of my life, and I'm honored to be serving in this way. This is my 5th year with Voices (including 2 years as a youth), and I appreciate and welcome the opportunities and challenges each tour has presented. I work at Otterbein United Methodist Church in Harrisonburg, VA as the Coordinator of Church Ministries. I also work part time at the Harrisonburg and Rockingham Thermal Shelter during the cold months of the year.
Jordan Markwood (Team Leader and Director) - I am excited to be starting my 8th tour with the Voices of Youth. This is the first year that a former member will direct the choir and I'm honored to have that privilege. I will work extremely hard to make sure that each member of the group has the best experience possible and that we awaken each person we meet to God's mission. During the rest of the year I teach chorus at Stone Hill Middle School in Ashburn, VA. I am also the Worship Arts Coordinator at Round Hill UMC in Winchester and direct the Shenandoah Valley Chorus, a Sweet Adeline International choir.
Jennifer Dixon (Group Building/Youth Liaison) - Hi everyone!! I am so excited to be a part of Voices of Youth again this year. I was fortunate enough to travel with VOY 09 to Mississippi as a member of the Adult Staff and will always treasure my time with the amazing youth that are a part of this great mission. This will be my 3rd summer with voices and 2nd as staff. I was a youth member of Voices 1996 and traveled throughout the state of VA and I am excited to make that trip again for the 25th Anniversary. In my "real life", I am a Doctor of Physical Therapy and work with patients recovering from stroke, spinal cord injury, and brain injury in both Outpatient and Hospital settings in Virginia Beach. It's hard work, but I love it! I'm so excited to get to meet and work with all of the amazing youth that will be traveling with VOY this summer and can't wait until June!
Katie Baird (Programming Coordinator) - Hi everyone, I joined VOY primarily because I live with Rachel Hundley. I am a graduate student at James Madison University and am working on my master’s degree in school and clinical mental health counseling. I love working with teenagers and am excited to spend a significant portion of my summer traveling and volunteering with Voices of Youth.
Jeremy Hopkins (College Staff) - I am the son of Janet and Edward Hopkins. My mother is a chemist and my father is a Methodist minister. I have lived the past 17 years of my life in Charlottesville, VA. I played soccer for Charlottesville high school. I play the piano and the drums, aside from singing. I currently am a freshman at High Point University in High Point, NC, as a sport management and strategic communication double major. I am the president of my christian fraternity, Delta Iota Alpha, and the photography editor for the school's newspaper. I enjoy cooking and knitting. This is my second year on voices, first as staff.
Katie Lape (College Staff) - Hey everyone! I am about to be a sophomore at East Carolina University as a music education major. This will be my fourth year on Voices of Youth and my second year on staff. Every year is always a different and an amazing adventure. The people you meet and the experiences you have on this trip will stay with you forever. Before my first year on voices, I couldn’t tell you how scared and shy I was. But by the end of the first day, I could almost tell you everyone’s name and was fueled and ready for the trip ahead of me. Voices of Youth is a great way to reach out to others through mission and through song. This is definitely a humbling and rewarding experience that everyone can get something out of if they put trust in themselves and in God. I can’t wait until we can get started on our journey with our goal…to awake the United Methodist Church to mission.
Mollie Donihe (Youth Staff) - Hi everyone, I’m Mollie. I’m a rising junior in high school, I dance and I play violin. This will be my second year on Voices and I can’t wait to get going! I was very shy at first last year but settled in quickly and made some GREAT friends. Voices of Youth is such an amazing experience and it really gave me a deeper understanding for mission work. Most of all, it helped me understand how important it is to do God’s work! The whole trip is eye opening and exciting; there’s never a dull moment. Going on this trip has inspired me to become more involved with mission. Last year, I came home newly revived and ready to spread God’s love and I’m looking forward to another similarly inspiring experience this year!
Sara McNeil (Youth Staff) - I'm 17 and going to be a senior next year at Phoebus high school in Hampton, VA. This is my second year with VOY and I know it will be the best! I haven't really pin pointed what I want to focus on in college but right now I'm leaning heavily towards education. I really want to travel when I get out of school, which will probably heavily influence my career choice. I love to read and listen to music, and of course, sing!
