Penn State Christian Grads - Meet the Leadership

We all have a story about how we became the people we are today, and how we came to Penn State. To help give you a chance to get to know us a little bit better, the members of our leadership team have shared their stories below.

NOTE: The photos and stories below are for the 2010-11 leadership team. This page is in the process of being updated for the 2011-12 leadership team. Please check back again soon.

	Meet... Tracy Conklin (President) Once upon a time... I was born into a Christian home in south Florida. I became a Christian at a very young age and grew up in the church. I attended a Christian school until I entered a public high school. Needless to say, I thought I knew what it meant to be a Christian. I was wrong. During my undergraduate studies at the University of Florida (Go Gators!) my faith was severely tested. I wrestled with questions like: Is the Bible true? Am I worthwhile? After experiencing a painful relationship I began to ask another question: Is God good? In the end I realized that despite my failures, God never failed me. I decided to enter graduate school... after I realized just how cool bugs were. I always liked playing outside and looking at leaves and dirt and insects under the magnifying glass. It didn’t take long for me to find my calling in entomology – it was clear to me that this is what God created me for. After completing my undergraduate and Master’s degrees in Entomology at Florida, I decided to go to Penn State to get my PhD. I’m currently having a serious love affair with honeybees. But... as exciting as my research is, I am constantly trying to scrape together the motivation to do the work. The old issue of self-esteem still plagues me as I look around at the other productive graduate students in my program. God is teaching me a lot about relationships too, allowing me to experience true Christian community and all of the challenges that come along with it.
	Meet... Adrienne Criss Once upon a time... I grew up in a Christian home in Maryland, where I attended public school. I majored in physics (minored in astronomy) at the University of Virginia. Having been a loner in high school, I sought out a Christian fellowship when I arrived at Virginia. However, I never really connected for various reasons and spent most of my time as a undergrad attending group meetings, but never developing many real friendships. My first two years at Penn State mainly followed this pattern: I would occasionally go to PSCG activities, but didn't know anyone there. This changed at the end of my second year of grad school, a very difficult year. I realized that going it all alone in my Christian walk wasn't the way it should be. At that point, I became much more active in PSCG, and haven't been the same since. I decided to enter graduate school... I was in high school. From a young age I enjoyed math and science. Even before I had taken a physics class I knew I wanted to major in physics and most likely also attend grad school in physics. The three physics classes I took in high school only confirmed my decision. When applying for grad schools, I looked particularly at relativity programs, and Penn State had one of the best. Once here, I started working on the Pierre Auger Observatory, an ultra-high energy cosmic ray experiment. While it has been hard and frustrating at times, there isn't anything else I would rather be doing now. But... I still struggle with the tendency to try and go it all alone. The balance between work, friends, and relaxing time alone is hard for me to find. However, I am thankful to be learning what it means to experience real Christian community.
	Meet... Robby Franklin Once upon a time... I grew up in a small coastal town in Virginia, where I lived until college and grad school. I was part of the church there and grew up in a nice, close-knit family, with a mom, a dad, a brother, and lots of wonderful pets! I did my undergrad at the College of William and Mary, majoring in psychology and history. I was involved in ministry stuff there with Intervarsity, and then came to Penn State, where I've been involved with PSCG for the last couple years. I decided to enter graduate school... I wanted to teach at the college level and liked research. I liked learning about people and the concept of emotion, so I turned that interest into a research project and eventually applied for grad school. I did a honors thesis in undergrad studying facial attractiveness and that's led me to study all sorts of interesting things about how we see faces. But... grad school doesn't have all the answers. It hardly has any, I've realized. All this work is useless without the love to apply it to others. I love learning about people and it's easy to let that love be an abstract, academic pursuit. But turning that pursuit into a passion, a hope that is really useful and meaningful and connecting to people has been very enjoyable. I like community and enjoy the fact that PSCG is good, solid community that is both fun and supportive.
	Meet... Sarah Kornfield Once upon a time... I was a little girl in a Christian family that moved every two years, so I grew up around the world. I loved reading and baking and jumping on trampolines and was forced to take tennis lessons against my will. My family moved to Dallas, TX when I started high school, and my parents and sister still live there. I majored in English at Wheaton College (in Chicago), and then did a Masters in Communication at Texas A&M University (Gig’em!). I still love reading, baking, and jumping on trampolines, but have abandoned all racquet-based sports. I decided to enter graduate school... When I realized a BA in English was fairly useless. I love school. So graduate school and I work together fairly nicely. I’m currently a second year PhD student in Communication Arts & Sciences with a graduate minor in Women’s Studies. I study TV. Specifically, gender relations and gender performances on TV shows such as Bones and The Mentalist, but have been known to do side projects on the classics (like I Dream of Jeannie) and Girlhood Entertainment (Buffy, Twilight, and Shojo Manga). But... Graduate school has also been a difficult time for me as I struggle to maintain faith in the midst of a purely intellectual field. I also struggle to reach a balance of theory and practice, academia and activism with my commitment to social and gendered equality. Graduate school is a mixed experience for me, but I have been refreshed and reenergized by the friendships and community in PSCG. Penn State Christian Grads is a meeting of minds as we intellectually and analytically interact, a meeting of hearts as we develop friendships, and a meeting of souls as we worship God together.
	Meet... Jared Lee (ex officio) Once upon a time... I grew up in a Christian home in Cumberland, Wisconsin's "Island City," and my Dad was a pastor for several years. I was homeschooled from 3rd through 8th grade, but attended a public high school. I went to undergrad at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, majoring in Physics, with most of my friends and roommates being either non-Christian or openly hostile to Christianity, and for awhile I mostly tried to go it alone in my Christian walk. Midway through my junior year at Gustavus, however, I reached a bit of a breaking point with how my life was going, and began seeking out Christian fellowship on campus. That "practice" served me very well when I studied abroad for a semester at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, where I found a solid Bible study group (Monash Christian Union) and really came alive in my faith. Now I'm at Penn State, found PSCG, and am also active in my church here in State College. I was president of PSCG from spring 2007 until this summer, when I stepped down after finding out that my advisor is moving to Colorado, and that therefore I'm moving to Colorado in November. I decided to enter graduate school... when I was in high school, believe it or not. I've been interested in weather since I was 5 years old, and once I chose to go to GAC for Physics, I knew I wanted to go to graduate school for Meteorology/Atmospheric Science. Penn State is one of the best schools in the world for Meteorology, and I felt like this was where God was leading me when I was doing my grad school search. But... while it's certainly encouraging to be around some fellow Christian grad students, it's tough to get many of my other friends interested in talking seriously about Christianity or spiritual things at all. I always hope that I'm not missing chances to witness to my friends or plant seeds, but it's hard to know sometimes when it's best to speak up and when it's best to keep quiet. I struggle with that, and pray that God changes the heart of my non-Christian friends.
	Meet... Dan Schmehl Once upon a time... I grew up in Lancaster, PA, and was raised in a Christian family. I attended Lancaster Christian School from 3rd-12th grade and began my undergraduate education at Messiah College in Grantham, PA, where I received my B.S. in Biology. I was surrounded by Christians all throughout my life to this point and it was a very comfortable place spiritually. It was easy for me to continue believing what my family taught me over the years, however despite asking Jesus to be my savior very early in my life, I truly learned what it meant to be a Christian during my junior year of my undergrad. At this time, I was diving deep into the world of biology and I truly was touched by God’s amazing creativity and love for creation. And if He cares this much for all of creation, how much more does He care for us who were created in His image! During this time, I also developed a deep desire and passion to teach others about His creation and the intricate beauty of everything around us! I decided to enter graduate school... the minute I decided to switch my undergraduate degree from Mechanical Engineering to Biology freshman year. However at this point, there was no reason to go to graduate school beyond the fact that I did not want to be a lab technician my whole life. Yet as school progressed and I learned more about God’s elaborate creation around every corner, there was no doubt that God was calling me to further my education in graduate school where I am pursuing a degree in entomology. I love living life on the edge- that is why I chose to study the amazing world of honeybees… What other animal can tell you the distance, direction, quantity, and quality of a food source through a dance in the dark?!? But... I never thought God would give me such a heart for my non-Christian classmates and labmates. I love the encouragement and fellowship with my numerous Christian friends in State College, however God has drawn me into amazing relationships with non-Christians that I am very grateful to have. I have no doubt that I was placed here at for a strategic purpose for showing God’s love to those around me, and I pray that this is my main focus while pursuing my PhD degree. I desire to show God’s love through the way I live my life despite my failures, and allow God to use these friendships and interactions to bring about conversations and transformations within people’s lives. My daily prayer is Jeremiah 29:11-13… If we seek God with all of our heart, God will use each and every one of us for great things.
	Meet... Kerrie Schmehl (part-time staff with Campus Crusade) Once upon a time... I lived in New England. It was great place to live. I could drive to the beach or the mountains. But New England is not exactly a haven for Christianity. As a child I had a certain amount of religious education but I never believed it. Fast forward to a few years out of college. I was just beginning my career and my future looked bright. I worked hard and I played hard. By the world’s standards I was very successful. But I wasn’t satisfied. The party scene did not bring me joy. Neither did the car or the sweet apartment on the harbor. My life lacked purpose and I knew it. Desperate for a change, I decided to apply to graduate school. But... I had no idea what God had in store for me. The move to Pennsylvania brought with it the challenges of graduate school, the end of another relationship, and this time I didn’t have my support network. My life was in shambles and I was completely alone. Though I wouldn’t have admitted it at the time I began to desperately seek God. I started going to church to fill the emptiness but it didn’t help. Then one day a classmate asked if I would like to go to PSCG Bible study. With much hesitation I decided to go. It was there that I first learned what it meant to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. After several months of attending Bible studies, I realized that I believed. I believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins and that God desired a relationship with me. From then on God began to transform my life. The growing process has not always been easy and I am in constant need of God’s grace but my life has a purpose and direction now. I decided to enter ministry when... I went on vacation by myself. God can do amazing things when you break from your routine and allow him to work in your heart. Armed with some books and no agenda I set off for Vermont one summer. It was there that the Holy Spirit brought to my attention that I had no personal ministry. I had spent my early Christian years being fed by my church and community but thinking that I had very little to offer them. God impressed upon the importance of not only loving and encouraging my fellow Christians but also the need to reach out to those who are lost and hurting like I was.
	Meet... Ashley & Heather Holleman (Campus Crusade staff) We met in 1998 in grad school at the University of Michigan where Ashley was pursuing a Ph.D. in Chemistry and Heather was pursuing a Ph.D. in English Literature. We met through Michigan Christian Grads (MCGrads), the grad ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ at the University of Michigan. We became increasingly involved in MCGrads where we saw the Lord draw us to one another, powerfully transform our lives, and use us significantly in the lives of our peers. In June 2000 we married and Ashley left his grad program with a M.S. in Chemistry to be able to spend more time in ministry. While Heather continued her grad program, Ashley worked full time at Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and we both continued our involvement with MCGrads as Associate Staff (part-time volunteers) of Campus Crusade for Christ. Heather successfully completed her Ph.D. in December 2002, and in June 2003 we began ministering full time to grad students at the University of Michigan as staff members of Campus Crusade for Christ. In August 2007 we moved to State College, PA to direct Penn State Christian Grads (PSCG), the grad ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ at Penn State University. Originally, Ashley is from Fuquay-Varina, a small town in central North Carolina. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1996 and worked for a couple of years in research before entering grad school. In his spare time, Ashley enjoys building furniture, watching Carolina basketball (and sometimes Carolina football), and reading, especially historical non-fiction. If you can't find him on campus or at home, try Home Depot or Barnes and Noble. He has also been known to put together quite a few jigsaw puzzles. Originally, Heather is from Alexandria, Virginia, although her life as an Army kid brought her from her birth state of Kansas to California, Washington State and then to Virginia. At Penn State, Heather teaches writing courses in the English department. In her spare time, Heather is a poet, novelist, and expert in writing with flair. She is also our favorite "neighborhood organizer"! Ask her sometime about our fitness group and "100 Days-100 Miles". Her favorite pastimes are writing, reading, and watching American Idol. Her dream relaxation spot is on the dock over the Potomac River in the backyard of her childhood home. We have two children, Sarah and Kate. Sarah is a vivacious, funny, compassionate and curious 8 year old who loves to read, draw, write, and play Club Penguin on the computer. She is in 2nd Grade and loves school! Kate is an athletic 4 year old who loves to do anything physical and active. Kate loves to laugh and is quite the joker.