HELM Leadership Fellows

The purpose of the Higher Education and Leadership Ministries is to nurture men and women, both lay and clergy, for transformational leadership in the church and the wider human community through the church's institutions of higher education. These students embody future leaders for our church and for society in general.

The 23 HELM Leadership Fellows in 2008-2009 are:

	Tom Calvert-Rosenberger Texas Christian University '12 Environmental Science First Christian Church Bloomington, Indiana		Sarah Cheon University of California-Berkeley ‘11 Political economics Sallims Christian Church Claremont, California
	Allison Enari Occidental College ‘10 Cognitive science First Christian Church Bloomington, Indiana		Jenny Faenza Georgetown University ‘11 Theology and government Central Christian Church Springfield, Tennessee
	Arrington Foster Texas Christian University '12 Theater United by Faith Christian Church Clinton, Maryland		Melissa Hall Barton College '12 Biology and mathematics First Christian Church Goldsboro, North Carolina
	Caroline Hamilton Texas Christian University '11 English and religion First Christian Church Lewisville, Texas		Kiersten Hawes Spelman College '12 Psychology Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church Horn Lake, Mississippi
	Katie Johnson Texas Christian University ‘10 Advertising and public relations Woodmont Christian Church Nashville, Tennessee		Charisse Knorr Chapman University '12 Undecided First Christian Church Maryville, Missouri
	Georgia Kuss Kenyon College ‘10 Psychology and studio art Allisonville Christian Church Indianapolis, Indiana		Esther Lee Texas Christian University '09 Fashion merchandising South Bay Korean Christian Church Torrance, Calif.
	Allie Lundblad Oberlin College '12 Religion First Christian Church Asheville, North Carolina		Alan Moore University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill '12 Political science St. Paul's Christian Church Spring Hope, North Carolina
	Laura O'Donnell Vanderbilt University '09 Elementary Education Zionsville Christian Church Zionsville, Indiana		Merillat Pittman Texas Christian University ‘10 Political science Forest Park Christian Church Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
	Jesse Stephenson Transylvania University ‘11 Undecided Central Christian Church Columbus, Ga.		Kristen Walling American University ‘10 Peace studies and international relations Euclid Avenue Christian Church Cleveland Heights, Ohio Petunia Christian Church Leadership Fellow
	Courtney Waters Rhodes College ‘11 International communications New Direction Christian Church Memphis, Tennessee		Kathryn Welch Transylvania University ‘10 Religious Studies Christian Temple Baltimore, Maryland
	Alexis Westerhausen Culver-Stockton College ‘11 Biology First Christian Church Virden, Illinois Sherman and Lora Hanson Memorial Fellow		David Weuste Texas Christian University '09 Music First Christian Church Guthrie, Okla.
	Felicia Wright Texas Christian University '09 E-business University Christian Church Missouri City, Texas
Three Leadership Fellows graduated in the spring of 2008:
	Jean Ellen Cowgill Dartmouth College '08 History Central Christian Church and Crestwood Christian Church Lexington, Kentucky		Chris Miller-McLemore Vanderbilt University '08 Anthropology and philosophy Woodmont Christian Church Nashville, Tenn.
	Kelly Rand Texas Christian University '08 Social Work and Religion Saint Andrew Christian Church Olathe, Kansas Richard Hamm Leadership Fellow

This year's fellows will receive a $2,000 scholarship for educational use. In addition, HELM undergraduate scholarship recipients will be required to participate in planning and leading campus ministry programs or similar activities. The campus chaplain, director of church relations, ecumenical campus minister or another appropriate official will oversee this participation. HELM fellows also will attend annual leadership conferences; the most recent conference, held in Kansas City, focused on doing ministry beyond the pulpit. (Read about the conference)

To be eligible for the fellowship, students were required to attend a regionally accredited American college or university, be a full-time student, participate in a Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) congregation, and express a commitment to serve the church as a clergy or lay leader and to participate in the leadership development activities required by the HELM Leadership Fellows Program.