2018-19
Chealsea
Hi! My name is Chealsea Williams Simpson. I am a recent graduate of the University of Mississippi, and I am passionate about being good to others. My life has been a journey filled with lessons I can pass on to the people that I serve. My college experience was a unique one that taught me so much about the world. During those years, I learned resilience, kindness, and patience. Los Angeles is a wonderland that I have waited years to move to and grow in, and I believe that my year of service will allow me to do that. My college studies concentrated mainly on problem solving which allowed me to develop cognitive thinking skills that I am sure will be useful anywhere I am placed. Although I tend to think logically, I do not let logic get in the way of my understanding of human emotions. I know that my logical thinking skills allow me to imagine practical solutions to serve others in their time of need. I also do not think so logically that I am essentially a walking robot that does not know how to have fun. I enjoy laughing and seeing the good in this precious gift called life.
My goals for this service year would be to serve others in the best way possible, to make life long memories, and to help spread bliss and fun to those that I serve. I am beyond grateful for this opportunity. To me, serving others can help you grow as a person which is an experience that you cannot buy. One rule that I personally like to live by is what you give to others is what you receive. For me to make this service year amazing, my plan is to give my best to see the best in others!
Rodell
Hello! My name is Rodell Jefferson, and I’m 21 from Detroit, Michigan. I graduated from Brown University with a degree in religious studies. My interest in religious studies has always involved social justice, and seeking out the secrets to community-building. Over time, this interest has also grown into a personal search for wisdom and meaning. I have opened up my scope to answering more spiritual questions about hope, despair, and humanity. My academic and career journey has been a journey of creating peace and joy within myself; now I hope to turn that energy outwards through love and compassion.
I am most interested in doing mental health work with overlooked communities. I intend to go to divinity school in Fall 2019 where I can learn how to practically apply all these ideas I have about love. I believe that issues of community and connection are intertwined with the hardships that people face on a daily basis. I hope to someday establish community spaces where people can share the full spectrum of their emotion:
When I’m not thinking about love and care, you can probably find me caught up in something music-related. I enjoy finding cheap concerts, setting the ~vibe~ with the perfect playlist, and even composing my own beats. I’m also fond of photography, and I hope to grow artistically over the course of this year. I'm currently trying to figure out how to incorporate more of my passions and spirituality in my artwork.
I'm never one to turn down a late-night conversation, or a pleasant walk outside. I'm sometimes on the quieter, more laidback side, but I look forward to building community and meaningful connections throughout this year of service in Los Angeles!
Em
Hi there! My name is Em Osback and I am from Bourbonnais, IL, a small town about an hour south of Chicago. I attended Kankakee Community College after high school and graduated with my Associate of Arts degree. I attended Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA for my final two years of undergrad. There, I majored in Environmental Studies, with an emphasis in Philosophy.
At SU, I vowed to get involved in as many things as I could. I was involved in the Community Food Action Team- a student-run organization that fights food insecurity by serving a free breakfast once a month and by collecting food for pantries in the area. I also worked for SU’s civic engagement office by serving as the Sustainability Service Coordinator. The team of students I worked with did a lot of cool projects that engaged students in environmental education and activism. I was also involved in SU’s environmental club and the gender and sexuality alliance.
At the start of my senior year, I was stressed about my plans- or lack thereof- for after graduation. I went to my school’s career development center, and after talking through my thoughts out loud, I realized that I have a lot of passion for service, community building, and working with others. I was given a list of over 40 nonprofit organizations and I researched and ranked all of them. EUIP was number 1! I loved everything about the program, from the intentional community to the close relationships with community partners to the testimonies of previous participants.
I’ve never been to LA, but I am so excited to go and start this journey. I can’t wait to meet everybody in the program, do meaningful work with a cool organization, and go on this amazing adventure!
Cynthia
My name is Cynthia Kamurigi. I was born in Kenya and raised in South Africa. I like to think of myself a citizen of the world. I am very passionate about travelling and I am always looking for opportunities to travel to new places and meet new people. I am a first generation college student and I am hoping to get a doctorate degree in the future. I love reading and watching documentaries. I have poor culinary skills but I love trying new dishes. I have been working on being less emotionally attached to objects and buying unnecessary items at thrift stores. I believe the best way to learn more about yourself is to get outside of your comfort zone. I am hoping this year serving in Los Angeles will be a year of restoration and progress.
Faith
Hello all, My name is Faith Moore and I am very excited to begin my year of service in LA! I'm 23 years old and I currently reside in Denton, TX. I graduated with my B.A. in Social Work from the University of North Texas in May of 2017. During my time at UNT and my placement as a site coordinator for a non profit, my love for service work grew. I am anticipating that love to grow even more during my time in LA. As for my interests, I enjoy exploring new places (and food), good conversation with friends and going to concerts!
Junmey
Hello, I’m Junmey Wang! I’m a city girl, born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - I studied Politics and Economics at Messiah College in quiet Central Pennsylvania. I’m a full-time foodie (unapologetically), Jill-of-all-trades, and a learner. I have a love for music, listening to and telling stories. My hope is that, whatever I do and wherever I go in life, I’ll be helping build bridges and relationship between Us and Others. The past few years have been a challenging and rewarding journey of learning to live in the in-betweenness of various cultural and social spaces - I’m excited for a new chapter in the journey serving, learning, and being in LA!
Jan
Hey y’all my name is Jan Yonan and I’m a native Californian who’s elated to be returning home after a brief stint in D.C. I am 22 and just graduated from The George Washington University with a Bachelor’s in Political Science. While I still find myself regularly engaging in debates on all things politics, those around know me more for my love of two things: movies and milkshakes. Please reference my ranking of every milkshake establishment in DC for further insight.
I’m excited to begin a year of service with Jubilee and delve into a variety of issues I’ve only viewed from afar. In college I was fortunate to do service locally, working in issues of homelessness and environmental stewardship through service trips. From there I developed passions that have only grown to this day, one particularly for combatting homelessness in our rapidly gentrifying cities. Going to high school near Los Angeles, I look forward to engaging in the city and turning former topics of debate into real, tangible work. If there ever was a time to dedicate oneself to bringing opportunities to others, I think this is it.
Always enjoying community, I’m eager to join the larger Jubilee cohort and begin our journey of reflection and maybe even movie marathons. I will always be recommending Star Wars as a starting point.
Kianna
Hello! I’m Kianna Taylor, a goofy, little lady from Houston, Texas. I graduated from Sam Houston State University with a major in English and minor in psychology. I am a bit of city girl, but I love outdoorsy type activities such as fishing, hiking, camping, zip lining, and canoeing. I was raised by my grandmother, an English school teacher who instilled in me a love for reading and jazz music.
During my time in college, I devoted myself to my job at Forest Glen Summer Camp, foster care initiatives, spoken word, and various mission trips (my favorite being to Honduras in the summer of 2018). In my down time, I enjoyed sword fighting with pool sticks, watching anime, coming up with bad puns, dancing, cooking, and having lengthy conversations about various social justice issues such as my thoughts on feminism, black lives matter, immigration, government role, philosophy, etc. I am not afraid to speak my mind. I also love art galleries and museums.
I have a heart for people, adventure, and service. Most of all, I have a passion for Jesus who became my Lord and Savior July 5, 2017 when I heard Him speak (I’m not crazy; I promise). He took this directionless, pagan girl and made her a Christian woman, full of dreams, vision, and hope. I now dream of becoming a professional counselor for youth and adolescents, so I will at some point return to school for a masters in either social work or psychology. In the meantime, I am so happy and excited I have the honor of being a part of EUIP. I can’t wait to meet and serve with my fellow corps members and whoever else I will meet in LA! I am fearless and determined to absorb everything God will teach me during my time here.
Naya
My name is Naya J Williams and I am from eastern North Carolina. I just recently turned 24 years old and also graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. I recieved my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Urban and Youth Communities. Career wise, I have focused on working with children in the community in a variety of settings. I am looking to grow professionally in that aspect as I plan to become a School Counselor. I am also looking to explore other career fields that allow me to channel my creative energy and personality. I love to write and come up with ideas. I look forward to relocating to Los Angeles and beginning a new journey and trying new things!
Lia
Hi there. My name is Lia Williams and I am thrilled to come to Los Angeles to grow my passions for spirituality and social justice! I grew up in beautiful northern Michigan and graduated with a B.A. in Psychology and Chinese from a small liberal arts school called Kalamazoo College. There, I had my awakening. As I met so many incredible people with diverse backgrounds in culture, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, and religion, my social reality was flipped on its head, but in the best way. I was disheartened by their experiences with oppression, yet emboldened by their strength. They prompted me to examine my beliefs and consider new perspectives. I now know that personal growth requires courage, and that true learning rarely occurs in the comfort zone. Becoming a better ally requires me to constantly educate myself, scrutinize my privilege/eliminate my biases, listen openly, and encourage others to do the same. In my career, I aim to work with communities to combat systemic social inequality. What brought me to apply for the Episcopal Urban Intern Program is knowing that in the end, my journey is less about me and more about supporting people suffering in the face of injustice. I look forward to meeting my fellow EUIs and sharing this amazing year together
Jennifer
Hi, name is Jennifer Grogan but I go by Jenny. I’ve spent the last few years traveling the United States gaining insight into small communities, agriculture and education. I graduated from Emory University a few years ago with a degree in Philosophy and Ethics and having completed the Kenneth J Cole Community Building and Social Change Fellowship. Throughout my college career and while traveling the US I developed a passion for youth engagement. I believe that through engagement children will be more successful, happier, and more likely to positively impact society. Serving with EUIP will provide me with tools and opportunities for actively exploring youth engagement while reflecting on my experiences and making new friends. Outside of work I enjoy listening to music, hiking, learning new skills (most recently guitar), writing and generally staying active. The opportunity to spend this year exploring and hopefully improving communities while in beautiful Los Angeles is exciting and I cannot wait to get started!
Rachel
Hi friends! My name is Rachel Lash, I’m 22 years old and from Brunswick, Ohio (which is about 20 miles south of Cleveland, looks like Lebron isn’t the only one moving from Cleveland to Los Angeles). I graduated from Cleveland State University in May of 2017 with a Bachelors of Arts degree in criminology and sociology. I absolutely loved university and was involved in the school’s auxiliary police program, FBI Student Academy, Alpha Kappa Delta, and Sigma Alpha Pi honor societies. I love any and all sports, and grew up playing softball, basketball, soccer, and got heavily involved with rugby during high school. I also enjoy lifting, swimming and hiking as well! I love to read and am a self-proclaimed Harry Potter nerd, (where my fellow Gryffindors at?!). I also like to garden, listen/play music, spend time with friends and family, and do adventurous outdoor activities. My friends and family will be the first to say that I’m sarcastic and will never miss an opportunity for a good pun. I’m extremely passionate about equality, and am so incredibly excited to be a part of the 2018/2019 JUIP/EUIP team and to meet, experience and learn from so many phenomenal people.
Vanessa
Hello! コニチワ¡Hola!
My name is Vanessa and I'm twenty-three years old. I'm a California native (specifically SoCal) and a recent graduate from California State University San Bernardino. I completed my bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and developed an interest in cultural anthropology and ethnography. A few things about myself are that I love writing, journaling, music, basically anything that involves art and expression. I’m open-minded and am always seeking new experiences. Also, I’m a dog lover. My goals are to pursue a Master of Social Welfare from either University California Berkeley or California State University San Bernardino. After graduating, I realized I wanted to explore different career opportunities, so I attended Mt. San Antonio Community College and had set out to pursue a Master of Physician Assistant but after taking chemistry, anatomy, and physiology, I realized that it wasn't for me. Don't get me wrong, the human body and mind are fascinating! But, I wanted to approach human wellness in a different way that focused on the environmental, cultural, and, in general, societal factors that could possibly impact the well-being of people. I decided to go back to my social science roots. I found that after taking several health and wellness courses along with my cultural anthropology courses, I had found an overlap of disciplines where my academic background and my passion for advancing social justice met. Those fields include public health, medical anthropology, and social welfare advocacy. I’m looking forward to this great opportunity with EUIP, and making memories with other young professionals, seeking to advance social equity and justice.
Siobhan
Hi, I’m Siobhan, a 24 year old from a small town in upstate New York. I graduated from Emory University in 2015 majoring in Political Science with a concentration in Community Building and Social Change which included a post-graduate fellowship.
After the fellowship I wanted to explore communities across the country to expand my perspective on what makes communities thrive and learn more about various challenges that communities face. I did this through WWOOFing (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms). I have lived at over 10 farms across the country and have spent the last year managing an educational animal farm outside of Phoenix Arizona.
I love people and learning about different cultures. I enjoy spending time outside especially surrounded by nature. I also like cooking, reading, art, hiking and live music. I am passionate about social justice and have been from a very young age. I am excited to have the opportunity to address social problems through community building with EUIP. I am looking forward to serving the LA community for the next year, meeting new people and learning as much as I can.