Recently, Young Life’s national board conducted several surveys to find out what makes a great ministry. It should come as no surprise that the number one factor that separates great ministries from the rest is a great base of committed volunteers. At Private School Young Life (PSYL) and Wyldlife (PSWL), we have 11 fantastic volunteer leaders, in addition to our amazing Cabinet and parent volunteers. But who are these committed, faith-filled individuals who sacrifice their time and energy to spend time with our teens? Dawn’s article will focus on the Cabinet, our parent committee who helps steer our mission. My article will give you a quick glimpse into the 11 amazing volunteers who make up our PSYL and PSWL ministry teams. I hope you enjoy the chance to get to know our spectacular leaders a little bit better!
Meet our Leaders (in alphabetical order)
Name: Laura Brown
Age: 28
Hometown: Bloomington, MN
Occupation: Merchandising + Operations Manager at RedStamp.com
How long have you been with PSYL: Seven months
How did you get involved with PSYL: My friend Katie Pretzel (current PSYL leader) asked if my husband and I would be interested in leading last fall and we said yes!
Why PSYL? We were both looking for some way to get involved with youth ministry and this ministry just felt right. I was involved in Young Life all throughout high school so I knew the impact my old leaders had on me and I wanted to do the same for these kids. Young Life is such a great organization that teaches kids so much about life and faith. I am honored to be a part of a great community of kids, parents and leaders.
What is your favorite holiday? Christmas. Love everything about it - the lights, the Christmas carols, the cookie exchanges, the family get togethers and sending Christmas cards.
What is your favorite color? Sky blue
What are you passionate about? Sending birthday cards. With e-mail, facebook, texting, it's easy to just wish someone a happy birthday in one of those ways but I try hard to send out birthday cards because everyone enjoys getting snail mail once in a while!
Name: Tim Brown
Age: 28
Hometown: Bloomington, MN
Occupation: Retail Manager with Target
How long have you been with PSYL: Just over six months
How did you get involved with PSYL: For the past couple of years, my wife and I have talked about getting involved in some sort of ministry with kids. Out of the blue, Katie Pretzel, another leader, sent us an e-mail and asked us to consider YL. We came to a leaders meeting, and from there we decided to try it out!
Why YL? My wife, Laura, was in YL all through high school, and she always spoke about what an amazing time she had and what a positive influence they were, even today. I’ve had great role models too, and I’d like to give back in the same way.
What is your favorite holiday? Christmas, by far. As busy as my life gets, it is a great time to slow down and be with family and friends. I also love to give presents and see how happy it makes people.
What is your favorite band? I love everything from Sinatra to country-western. I listen to jazz, anything. I love music!
What animal best fits your personality? I’ve heard giraffe before because I’m so tall. I’m a calm person and giraffes don’t seem very violent either. I’ll go with giraffe!
Name: Dahlia Brue
Age: 22
Hometown: Mt. Bethel, PA
Occupation: Event Coordinator
How long have you been with PSYL: Since the fall of 2009
How did you get involved with YL: Jess Nash was involved with YL throughout college and would tell me about it. When I moved to St. Paul and wanted to get involved I talked to her about it and thought it would be a good fit!
Why YL? In Mt. Bethel, PA we didn't have Young Life so I had never heard of it before coming to MN. I really appreciated how Young Life approached getting teens excited about the Gospel and focused on building a relationship with them. I think that really shows the PSYL teens how important they are to us and Young Life does a great job making that a priority.
What is your best joke? Q: What time is it when an elephant sits on your fence? A: Time to get a new fence!
What is your favorite color? White! It’s a color to me!
What goes on your sandwich? TUNA! I try not to eat it around other people because most people don't like it. But a toasted English muffin with butter, tuna with a ton of mayo and bread and butter pickles really does the trick!
Name: Nick Brue
Age: 25
Hometown: Fergus Falls, MN
Occupation: Graphic Designer
How long have you been with PSYL: Six months
How did you get involved with PSYL: Through a friend, Jess Nash (one of our current leaders)
Why YL? I love this ministry because we meet kids where they're at and we share God's love by building relationships and having fun!
Who is your favorite cereal mascot? Count Chocula
What is your favorite band? Coldplay
What goes on your sandwich? Hot peppers & mustard
Name: Lauren Buesgens
Age: 22
Hometown: Becker, MN
Occupation: Actuarial Science student at the University of St. Thomas
How long have you been with PSYL: Four years
How did you get involved with PSYL: A random string of connections brought me here. My HS track coach encouraged me to get involved in Young Life in college, I met another leader, Wesley Deiss, and I began to tag along with him to Wyldlife.
Why YL? A big reason for me is that, even though I wasn’t in Young Life in high school, I went to Castaway with my youth group, and it had a big impact on me. I wanted to give back to kids as a leader, just like the people I had in my life.
Who is your favorite cereal mascot? Lucky, the Lucky Charms mascot…but I think the cereal should just be a box of marshmallows, forget the oats!
What grosses you out? I really don’t like it when people chew with their mouths open. Yuck!
Who is (was) your favorite band? It used to be N’Sync. I was a fanatic; I went to five concerts, and even drove up to Fargo to see them. I had an entire wall of N’Sync posters.
Name: Wesley Deiss
Age: 22
Hometown: Tulsa, OK
Occupation: Chemical Engineering student at the U of M
How long have you been with PSYL: Almost four years now!
How did you get involved with PSYL: Andy Swanda was my youth pastor in high school and had me come check out club and see what I thought.
Why YL? I really agree with the vision that YL has for connecting kids to Christ. Sharing the gospel, letting kids respond. It’s a great ecumenical ministry with the right heart, and a great desire to save youth.
What is your best joke? I just heard a really good science joke the other day. An airplane is flying from Russia to Great Britain. One of the pilots looks out the right-hand window and says “Oh, look, Poland!” and then the plane crashes unexpectedly…Get it? (Editor’s note: Wesley is a Chemical Engineer, so this one might go over your head. He explained it to me for ten minutes, and I still didn’t get it…)
Tell me about your worst date? My second date with my current fiancé, Sharron, and we decided to take her parents’ car. Backing out of the driveway, I scraped the car against one of the yellow pylons, and left a huge mark. I felt horrible the rest of the date, like throwing up horrible.
What animal best fits your personality? A hawk and a puma combined.
Name: Matt Duer
Age: 24
Hometown: Andover, MN
Occupation: Retail Specialist at REI How long have you been with PSYL: A little less than two years
How did you get involved with PSYL: I was asked by a friend (Bjork Ostrom, a former leader) to come check out Young Life.
Why YL? I do Young Life because when I was in high school, I had people who invested in me, and it made all the difference in my life. I want to do the same for others, so that’s a big reason I’m involved.
What celebrity do you most look like? Matt Kearney (a popular musician) or Taylor Lautner (Jacob from the Twilight movies).
What is the most useless thing in your house? I live in a 1920s apartment, and there is a random, boarded-over, coal chute in my bathroom. My friends convinced me to open it up once, but it doesn’t connect to anything anymore.
What goes on your perfect sandwich? Two slices of toasted wheat bread with avocado, sliced turkey, tomato, sprouts, and a slice of Swiss cheese. No condiments – none.
Name: Andy Hunt
Age: 24
Hometown: Plymouth, MN
Occupation: Commercial Real Estate Broker/Advisor with UGL Equis
How long have you been with PSYL: Seven months
How did you get involved with PSYL: I was invited to become a leader by a student, Kevin Steinhafel. At the time I was coaching lacrosse at Breck, and he invited me to come meet with the leaders and think about getting involved.
Why YL? My favorite part about coaching isn’t the sport, it’s the impact I have on the kids’ lives. With Young Life I can impact their lives in an even greater way, by walking with them in their relationship with Christ.
What are you most proud of? My younger brother, Nathan Hunt (an ’08 Breck grad!). He’s my hero, I look up to him. He’s the coolest person I know, the hardest worker I know, and my best friend. I’m so proud of all that he’s accomplished at Breck and with lacrosse. I feel lucky to be in his life.
What is the most useless thing in your home? I have a multi-colored strobe light ball that I won from Dave and Busters that just sits on the shelf and grows dust. But maybe we’ll use it for club sometime…
What grosses you out? When people cough or sneeze in their hand. Please use the crook of your elbow!
What is your most embarrassing moment? I ran into a house on my bike when I was ten. My cousins tried to convince me to go off a jump on my bike, and when I landed, I missed the pedals, couldn’t stop and then ran smack into the side of a house. Ouch.
Name: Jessica Lynn NashAge: 23
Hometown: Rochester, MN
Occupation: Business Unit Coordinator, Target Corporation
How long have you been with PSYL: About a year and a half
How did you get involved with PSYL: I became involved in PSYL once I moved up to Minneapolis. I was connected with Andy Swanda, and he explained there was a need for new leaders.
Why YL? When I was growing up my Dad was the camp doctor at Castaway for two summers. I always have loved the organization since I was a little girl. I am fortunate to be able to give back all that YL was for me growing up. I hope that I can develop relationships with my PSYL friends that are as strong as the relationships I was fortunate to have and still have in my life!What is your favorite holiday? My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. Now that all three of my brothers are married, it is the one day out of the year that we ALL get to spend time together without feeling rushed.
What was your first car? My first car was a blue 1991 Honda Accord. This car was driven by all three of my brothers, so let's just say...it had A LOT of love! :)
Name: Katie Pretzel
How long have you been with PSYL: About a year and a half
How did you get involved with PSYL: I became involved in PSYL once I moved up to Minneapolis. I was connected with Andy Swanda, and he explained there was a need for new leaders.
Why YL? When I was growing up my Dad was the camp doctor at Castaway for two summers. I always have loved the organization since I was a little girl. I am fortunate to be able to give back all that YL was for me growing up. I hope that I can develop relationships with my PSYL friends that are as strong as the relationships I was fortunate to have and still have in my life!What is your favorite holiday? My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. Now that all three of my brothers are married, it is the one day out of the year that we ALL get to spend time together without feeling rushed.
What was your first car? My first car was a blue 1991 Honda Accord. This car was driven by all three of my brothers, so let's just say...it had A LOT of love! :)
Name: Katie Pretzel
Age: 25
Hometown: Plymouth, MN
Occupation: Recruiter for Target
How long have you been with PSYL: Four years
How did you get involved with PSYL: Ethan Otterlei (current cabinet member and former leader) recruited me.
Why YL? My passion is working with high school (and now middle school) kids. I love their passion and their hearts, and becoming a part of their world is an honor. What is your favorite color? Gold – one day I hope to be a Golden Girl.
What was your first car? A 1984 White Chevy Camero with a t-top and a red leather interior. So hot!
What are you passionate about? I’m passionate about life, Minneapolis and building community.
Name: Laura Wurdeman
Age: 21
Hometown: Burnsville, MN
Occupation: Bridal Sales Consultant at The Wedding Shop in St. Paul
How long have you been with PSYL: Just over a year
How did you get involved with PSYL: I was looking for a way to serve and give something to God after I got back from an internship New York – I was looking for a way to outwardly express my faith, and I met with Andy, tried out PSWL, and found out that I loved it.
Why YL? I don’t know if I chose Young Life – it’s kind of where God ended up putting me. I wasn’t looking for it, but God led me there, and now I love it!
Who is your favorite cereal mascot? Captain Crunch – I love everything that he represents.
What was your weirdest dream? I had a dream that I won a trip to Hawaii, and in my sleep, I began to pack my bag. As I walked out the door, I ran into a friend, who woke me up. In my sleep, I had packed a single flip flop, a plug-in fan and a pair of shorts.
Who is your favorite artist? Tara Donovan. She’s a sculptor, and she does these cool wall texture sculptures.
How long have you been with PSYL: Four years
How did you get involved with PSYL: Ethan Otterlei (current cabinet member and former leader) recruited me.
Why YL? My passion is working with high school (and now middle school) kids. I love their passion and their hearts, and becoming a part of their world is an honor. What is your favorite color? Gold – one day I hope to be a Golden Girl.
What was your first car? A 1984 White Chevy Camero with a t-top and a red leather interior. So hot!
What are you passionate about? I’m passionate about life, Minneapolis and building community.
Name: Laura Wurdeman
Age: 21
Hometown: Burnsville, MN
Occupation: Bridal Sales Consultant at The Wedding Shop in St. Paul
How long have you been with PSYL: Just over a year
How did you get involved with PSYL: I was looking for a way to serve and give something to God after I got back from an internship New York – I was looking for a way to outwardly express my faith, and I met with Andy, tried out PSWL, and found out that I loved it.
Why YL? I don’t know if I chose Young Life – it’s kind of where God ended up putting me. I wasn’t looking for it, but God led me there, and now I love it!
Who is your favorite cereal mascot? Captain Crunch – I love everything that he represents.
What was your weirdest dream? I had a dream that I won a trip to Hawaii, and in my sleep, I began to pack my bag. As I walked out the door, I ran into a friend, who woke me up. In my sleep, I had packed a single flip flop, a plug-in fan and a pair of shorts.
Who is your favorite artist? Tara Donovan. She’s a sculptor, and she does these cool wall texture sculptures.
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