CENTER for STUDENT MISSIONS

Jessica Brandt

Jessica is from McFarland, California, and a sophomore at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas. She’s a History Education major. Jessica has been on a mission trip to Guatemala and have been to CSM Houston and LA. Every week she gets to tutor and hang out with junior highers through WyldLife. She enjoys cooking, going on walks, and playing sports. Most of all, she enjoys talking to people and laughing lots. “I am spending my summer in Chicago because God has put this amazing and unique city on my heart and I know that I will have to trust in Him every minute as I learn how to live in this new place. I am coming to CSM because the organization is about loving, serving, and caring about people which is exactly what I love to do and what I feel that God has made everyone to do.”

Wesley Chan

Wesley grew up in Rochester, NY. He is a rising sophomore at Washington University in St. Louis, majoring in Mechanical Engineering and minoring in Architecture. Wesley has served with CSM NY the summer before his junior year of high school and last summer he went to Ecuador for two weeks to work with the youth there. He has also done a few work camps in his home city of Rochester where they worked together with youth from churches all over the city. Wesley was heavily involved with his church youth group throughout high school. After going off to college, he started and help to lead PAGE12 – an informal meeting of mostly Christian freshman to talk about different aspects of their walk with God, and pray with each other.He enjoys almost any sport, especially soccer and tennis, and used to play the violin. “I have always enjoyed working with the youth and all their energy and enthusiasm, and urban ministry is always a great eye–opener. Even for myself, I feel that there is a lot to learn by immersing myself in a city and its problems and glories for a summer.”

Shalyn Copas

Shalyn grew up in southeast Missouri. She has taken the past two years off school to work in a classroom with kids who have emotional and behavioral disorders. Shalyn has been working with the church youth group for about three years, as well. They are truly two of the coolest jobs in the world! She has been on a few mission trips, conferences, mystery trips, etc., each one teaching very different lessons but the universal theme is a desire to travel and work with urban ministry. She plans to eventually finish school with a degree in counseling and/or compassion ministry. In her free time Shalyn likes to read really good books, drink really good coffee and watch really good movies! “The thing that excites me the most about working with CSM is the fact that I get to come alongside groups for their week of service. I get to watch them form new opinions and question previous ‘norms.’”

Elise Ewing

More info coming soon!

Andrea Huntzicker

Andrea is from Winfield, IL, She is a Senior at North Park University, double majoring in Communications and Youth Ministry. She could not be more excited about working with CSM and students from around the US this summer. This will be her first experience with this particular organization, but she has done some work with missions and youth ministries before. Over the years, Andrea has been on three trips the Bolivia to work in orphanages and tutor little ninos. She has also led a high school missions trip to Canada with Willow Creek Church and the Salvation Army. More recently, she lived in Bolivia for two months continuing to build friendships with International Orphanage Union and spend time with the beautiful Children of the country. Each day she realizes how much she learned about people, culture, and her faith from those two short months. Before that Andrea was a small group leader for high school girls at Willow Creek for three years and enjoyed that very much. “I cannot wait to see what God has in store for me, and the groups that will be coming to work with CSM this summer!”

Camilyn Jahn

Cami grew up in Nampa, ID. She will be a senior at Olivet Nazarene University (Bourbonnais, IL) next year. She is majoring in Inter–cultural Studies with a minor in Sociology and intends to be involved in inner–city or overseas ministry after graduation. In junior high she went to LA and Seattle through CSM. Both of which she fully enjoyed, as they taught her to see people through God’s eyes. Cami has also gone on mission trips to Mexico, Taiwan and Panama. She loves coffee, music, books, adventures, and trying new things. “I am so excited to be a part of CSM’s ministry here in Chicago. I look forward to meeting each group and helping instill a passion for Christ–like service in each student that attends!”

Chrissy Jonassaint

Chrissy is from Malden, MA (just north Boston). She just finished her sophomore year at Gordon College in Wenham, MA where she is an early childhood education and psychology double major. She has been on a mission trip to the inner–city of Washington D.C. Chrissy spent the last two summers working at a summer day camp. She was the Resident Advisor on her floor where she led weekly floor fellowship, organized events, developed relationships with the ladies on the floor and connected with the other residents in her building. Chrissy loves getting to know people and hanging out with her friends. She loves being from Boston and watching the Patriots, Red Sox and Celtics. She enjoys working out and playing various sports for fun. “I have a heart for the city and want to help others develop a heart for serving and loving others in need. I have never been to Chicago, but so excited to share God’s love and joy with this great city.”

Laura–Allen Kerlin

Laura–Allen is originally from Mandeville, LA, a suburb of New Orleans. She is a rising senior at Clemson University in South Carolina, where she is a double major in Communication Studies and History. During her time at Clemson, she has been on two mission trips to the Bahamas and worked on the island of Eleuthera. In addition, Laura–Allen has done mission work in New Orleans post–Katrina and volunteered with CSM Chicago while she was in high school. During the school year, she works with kindergarten–5th graders at her church, and also helps a little bit with the youth group. In addition, Laura–Allen will be on staff at the Clemson Wesley Foundation starting in the fall. In her free time, Laura–Allen loves watching Clemson sports, playing frisbee, swing dancing, contra dancing, and cooking. “I am so excited about working in Chicago this summer. I love working with students and spending time loving on people. I think that one of the most powerful things I can do as a follower of Christ is to spend time with people, share with them, and listen to their story, and I cannot wait to do that with the people I meet through CSM.”

Aaron LaMonica

Aaron is from Phoenix, AZ and attends Anderson University in Indiana. He is currently a sophomore in the Christian Ministries program at AU. Aaron has been on many mission trips to Jamaica, Atlanta, Utah, and Mexico. He has served with CSM in Los Angeles and Washington D.C. for weeklong trips and this is his second summer in Chicago with CSM.
Aaron was highly involved with his youth group all throughout high school and was a small group leader for a group of middle school boys. He loves playing and listening to music and sports, especially baseball. One thing that is kind of strange is that Aaron is from Phoenix but absolutely enjoys the winter months in the Midwest. “I am coming back to Chicago because I love urban ministry and seeing youth do the work of God.”

LaTarvia Moore

LaTarvia is from the infamous Houston, TX. She attends Prairie View A&M University which is about an hour away from Houston. In the upcoming semester she will be a junior starting her clinicals for nursing school. LaTarvia has had experience with middle and high school kids being a part of different mentor groups that her former high school offers to the alumni. She is also a member of Prairie View’s freshmen mentor program, where she helps transition freshmen students to college life. Her bigest hobby is marching band where she plays the trumpet and sometimes the baritone. “I truly have a passion for people and while working with CSM I just hope to gain new friends, to experience new things, and mostly to build a better relationship between me and Christ.”

Benjamin Roberts

Benjamin, a native of Huntingdon, TN, is a senior Economics major at Lambuth University in Jackson, TN. At Lambuth, Benjamin serves as Student Government President and President of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. During high school Benjamin participated in a VIM mission trip to Muskogee, OK and served in leadership positions with the Memphis Conference Youth Council of the United Methodist Church. He has volunteer experience with such not-for-profits as: the American Heart Association, the Regional Interfaith Association, the STAR Center, the Boys and Girls Club, the Salvation Army, the Madison County Humane Society, and Habitat for Humanity. Benjamin has been a volunteer counselor at Lakeshore Methodist Assembly, a youth summer camp in western Tennessee, and he has served as a middle school small group leader for the First United Methodist Church in Jackson, TN. He enjoys reading non-fiction, watching movies, and loves anything and everything about sports. Benjamin is excited to experience God’s unconditional Love and share God’s Grace with CSM and the wonderful city of Chicago.

Brooke Roskam

Brooke was born and raised in Estes Park, CO, but has spent the past two years in Chicago working on an Urban Ministry degree from Moody Bible Institute. On campus, she is actively involved in the Big Brother Big Sister program of Cabrini Green. She loves the city and exploring new places. This summer will be the fourth year that she has been working with CSM. Her first two years with CSM were week long trips in San Francisco with her youth group and last summer she was able to work with CSM San Francisco again as a city host. “I had a life changing summer in San Francisco last year and hope that God can use me this summer to impact the youth, people in the ministries and other staff members for His glory. I am excited to learn, be stretched and grow!”

Dale Van Deraa

Dale is originally from Mesa, AZ, but his whole family is from Chicago. For the past nine years he has been living in Indiana. He moved there originally to work as head counselor at a Christian inner–city camp, and did that for three years. After that time, he served as a youth pastor in Frankton, IN. For the past few years he has worked “secular jobs” and has had the privilege to help out a youth group in Indianapolis. Dale also had the chance to travel with that youth group to Japan the last two summers. He recently was able to travel to Guatemala to work with a friend who is in ministry there. He is glad to find a job that incorporates more of his heart for the inner–city and youth, which is why he is with CSM. Besides attempting to follow Jesus Christ more and live simply, Dale enjoys riding his bike and photography. He hopes “to give a face to those in need in our own backyard and around the world while sharing the reconciling power and salvation of Jesus Christ’s shed blood for us.”

Josh Workman

More info coming soon!