CENTER for STUDENT MISSIONS

Alycia Gallegos

Alycia grew up in Rodeo, CA, which is a small town in the Bay Area. She currently lives in Redding, CA, where she is a senior at Simpson University. She is a Liberal Studies major and will be graduating in the fall of 2009 and continues on to her credentialing. Alycia has been on several mission trips including Mexicali, Mississippi, New Orleans, Jamaica, and NYC (with CSM). She has worked with a high school youth group for the past 3 summers in their volleyball league and as a counselor at summer camp. While at school Alycia worked with a junior high youth group. Her hobbies include playing volleyball, bowling, singing, and taking pictures. She also enjoy doing funny voices (she actually wanted to be a voice-over actor for a cartoon when she was younger). “With CSM, I want to grow more spiritually and to experience something outside of my comfort zone. I want to express God’s love to people who don’t feel love. I would love for the groups who come to work to leave with more insight to what God is doing in the city and to possibly continue ministry once they are home.”

Shannon Keenan

Shannon is orignially from Wilmington, DE. She will be graduating in December with majors in Biblical & Religious Studies and Youth Ministries. She has been on a mission trip to a Native American reservation in Mohawk, a college spring break service trip to Lurgan, Northern Ireland, spent 10 months with the AmeriCorps program and Fall 2008 in Uganda (E.Africa) through a study abroad semester. Shannon was also a CSM Philadelphia 2007 summer intern. She is involved with the music ministry team at Messiah College and at her home church. She interned for large church last summer doing youth programming in Vienna, VA. Shannon is interested in crocheting, road trips, cooking, exploring new places and meeting new people. Something unique is that she wants to visit all 7 continents by age 40. “CSM has given me the experience of opening my eyes to my neighbors who need to know God’s love through his people. The service and relationships built there have changed my life…I’m going to NYC this summer to give me an even more in–depth perspective on the many forgotten people of one of the most populated cities in the U.S.”

Jessica Lewis

More info coming soon!

Brandon Merrill

Brandon Merrill comes from a small town in the northern part of Missouri called Chillicothe. He is currently a senior at Missouri Western State University and will graduate in May 2010 with a Batchelor’s degree in Marketing. After he graduates he plans on going back to school to become a physical therapist, despite the fact he will be in school until he is 30. He has always enjoyed working with people while sharing God’s love and is excited for the opportunity to do both with Center for Student Missions. He hopes to share the good news with the people of New York City as well as show students the potential they have to share God’s love.

Monica Nervaiz

Monica was born and raised in Sacramento, CA. She is currently a Junior at Hope International University majoring in Inter-Cultural Studies. Monica has been on two mission trips to Mexico focusing on physical labor and Childrens Vacation Bible School She has also been on a Choir Tour Mission Trip to Korea. Monica has been very involved in her home church’s Youth group through leading worship, being on the leadership team, speaking, and leading special events. While at school, she is involved in a ministry that makes sack lunches and goes out to downtown Santa Ana to deliver them to the homeless and then spends time loving on them while building relationships. Monica’s interests include public performances such as singing, acting, and dancing, social events, meeting new people, and spending time with family and friends. Monica served with CSM as a city host this past spring and is excited to continue serving this summer! “My prayer is to simply love anyone and everyone I meet, and that through loving them, I may be serving them. I am spending this summer with CSM-NY because it is a city and culture that I have never experienced before and I am excited to see what God will open my eyes to!”

Jessica Pulley

Jessica is from Masontown, PA. She recently graduated from Waynesburg University, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Science/Political Science. She has been on a series of mission trips with Waynesburg University. Jessica has attended the John M. Perkins Foundation in Jackson, MS twice; Ken Johnson Ministries in Indianapolis, IN; and CSM in both New York City and Philadelphia. She has been the site coordinator of an after school program in Waynesburg for 3 and a half years. At Waynesburg University, she is active in community service and participates in a variety of service working with youth and the elderly. She enjoys listening to music, dancing and socializing with friends and family. “In working with CSM, I hope to continue in developing as a servant leader. I want to share in the love of Christ and serve in community around the city.”

Todd Redden

Todd is really excited about working with CSM this summer. Originally, he’s from Syracuse, NY however he has been living in the small town of Brockport attending a university at The College at Brockport for the past four years. He is currently a senior and plans to graduate with a degree in recreation management and communications this December. In the past, Todd has gone on numerous mission trips, ranging all the way from spending time doing street ministry in Jamaica and building a church in Mexico to working with Operation Blessing for hurricane Katrina relief in LA and MS. More recently, he’s been involved in a campus ministry called Campus Ambassadors at his college, which has given him the chance to participate in various ministry opportunities all over the Eastern US. One of those opportunities included working with CSM in Philadelphia this past January, which opened up his eyes to what God is doing in the inner city and has excited him to be personally involved with CSM this summer. All throughout college he has been involved with his campus ministry and has lots of experience working among his peers organizing outreach events and activities. A few of his interests include music, dancing, drumming, and the pretty much anything outdoors. Todd loves meeting new people and experiencing new things. “I look forward to what God has in store for me through CSM and I’m excited to pursue a closer relationship with Him while working in the streets of NYC. I believe that God has a divine plan and great things in store for the people of NYC and I am proud to have the opportunity to be a part of that plan.”

C.J. Watson

CJ is from Meridian, ID and is currently a sophomore at the College of Idaho with a double major in Religion and History and a minor in Education. For the past 4 years CJ has worked in Tijuana, Mexico during Spring Break building houses. He has done urban ministry in Seattle during his senior year of high school. CJ’s ministry include 4 years of leading praise music for various groups and 2 years of leading college students in bible studies. He has also been a Teen Coordinator at the Boys and Girls Club of Ada County, working with teenage students, ages 12-18 doing various programming, team building, and fundraising jobs. Frisbee golf is a favorite game of CJ’s, especially when spring first hits. He also enjoys getting a few friends together and walking around downtown Boise, Idaho, and playing guitar when he has time. CJ’s goal in working with CSM students this summer is to provide them with the skills to serve in their community with confidence and with a heart of God. “I am spending the summer in New York to humble myself to serve others. 1 John 4:7 says, ‘Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.’ I want to love other people and to know more of God like that verse says. Continuing with that verse, 1 John 4:12 says, ‘No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.’ As a body of believers, if we serve people in the community, then God will be in that place. I am excited for this opportunity and I pray CSM students become motivated from this experience to reach out into their own community.”