Meadville Lombard welcomed 16 new students (and one infant) into our Modified Residency Program in January. Cassandra Hartley came to orientation during the first week of January, bringing her baby who had been born only two weeks before--now that's a testament to conviction to a calling.

We're so excited to have these students here. All but one will be pursuing a Master of Divinity degree. Let us introduce them to you:

Christina Barnum-Martin from Houston Texas. Christina is a seventh generation Unitarian who grew up at Emerson Unitarian Church and is now a member of First Unitarian Universalist of Houston. Christina has run a family business, catering healthy foods to private schools, and has been active in YRUU, OWL, and many other local, district, and continental wide UU activities.

John Czachurski has been a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Hunstville, Alabama for 17 years. He is a software engineer and is active in his church as Co-Chair of the Worship Committee. He has also served as President, Treasurer, Chair of the Ministerial Search Committee and the Committee on Ministry at his church.

Rebecca Crystal, recently of Vermont, lives in Denison, Texas with her husband of 10 years, and her mother. She attends Community Unitarian Universalist Church in Plano, Texas, and has been a UU for about 20 years. She was raised Lutheran in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Currently she continues being employed in the field of social work providing therapy to a diverse population.

John Daken has been a member of the Washington Ethical Society for 9 years, serving the Society as Vice President of the Board of Trustees.  A psychiatrist, John has recently retired from the Pentagon, where he had been steering stress management policy for the Medical Officer of the Marine Corp.

Nicoline Guerrier is a life-long Unitarian Universalist who has been a member of the Unitarian Church of Montreal for 17 years.  She is currently the Lay Chaplain for the Unitarian Church of Montreal and a Social Worker for the Child and Family Team of CLSC St.-Laurent.

Cassandra Hartley comes to Meadville from the Unitarian Universalist Church of Farmington, Michigan.  There she has been a leader on many congregational committees. She currently works as a Government Relations Assistant at the University of Michigan.

Jan Hosey has been a Unitarian Universalist for 25 years and is currently a member of the UU Church of Huntsville, Alabama.  There she has volunteered as the Worship Committee Chair and the Inclusion/Accessibilities Committee chair. Jan is currently the Library Media Teacher for Whitesburg Elementary School and Technology Leader for Huntsville City Schools.

James Jaeger has been a member of the First Unitarian Society of Madison, Wisconsin for 15 years.  He has served as board president, vice president, church school teacher as well as many other volunteer church roles.  He practices elder law and is a partner in the law firm of Hill, Glowacki, Jaeger and Hughes, LLP. 

Brock Leach retired from PepsiCo last year, but continues to be on the PepsiCo Foundation Board and as well as on PepsiCo's Health and Wellness Advisory Board, which he created four years ago. Most of his time in the last year has been spent as President of the Board of the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate where they are mid-stream on an ambitious plan to ramp up from 15 homes per year to building 500 homes in the next five years.  Brock also serves on the board of Children First, a Head Start provider, and chairs the Ministerial Search Committee for his church.

Jeffrey Liebmann, has been a Unitarian Universalist for 20 years.  Assistant to the Provost, University of Pittsburgh.  He is currently a member of the First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he has volunteered as the High School RE Teacher and Youth Advisor, among other things. 

Tera Little has been a UU for more than 12 years and for the last four years has been a member of Neighborhood Church in Pasadena, California.  She is the Lifespan Religious Education Consultant for the Pacific Southwest District of the UUA.

Kathryn Tew Rickey, is currently at the Emerson UU Congregation in Marietta, Georgia where she serves as a board member.  She has also been a member at the People's Church of Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Horizon UU Church in Carrolton, Texas.  She works as a substitute teacher in Cobb County Schools.

Karen Stevenson has been a member of the Unitarian Church of Edmonton in Alberta, Canada for three years.  She is seeking Master of Arts, Religion and currently is employed as the Assistant Program Chair at NAIT, Computer Systems Technology. She is a Certified Music Practitioner in the Music for Healing and Transition Program.

Jan Taddeo is a fifth generation Unitarian Universalist. She is a member of the UU Congregation of Fairfax, Virginia, and has also been a member of the UU Congregation of Atlanta, and Emerson UU Congregation. She is currently the Coordinator of Youth Activities for the Joseph Priestley District of the UUA and Youth Ministry Coordinator for River Road Unitarian Church.

Kevin Tarsa, has been a Unitarian Universalist for 16 years.  He is the Minister of Music at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Grand Traverse, Michigan and has participated in providing and leading music at General Assemblies past.