2014 American Youth Leadership Program – Paraguay Jennifer Ross (Mentor) Jennifer has tutored, mentored, and taught students of varying ages for the last 5 years. She is currently a bilingual (Spanish and English) teacher at J.J. Pickle Elementary, a dual language campus in Austin, Texas. She has also traveled extensively around Latin America, Europe and Asia. Jennifer even served as a supporting instructor and a mentor advising students on academic options and personal growth opportunities for North Korean refugees. As a mentor, she hopes to teach and also learn from her mentees by sharing a sense a passion for community involvement and empowering them through global awareness. Jennifer is also very interested in exploring bilingual education in Paraguay. “Traveling has the power to change you unlike anything else. It makes tangible the forces of tradition, ideology and culture that shape life” Stephen Richards (Mentor) Steve is from Salina, Kansas. His background is in donor development for non-profit organizations and in clinical and electrical engineering where he managed and taught patient-care technology in hospitals and clinics. Steve is also a Co-founder of the first Kansas site for Circles of Hope and President of its lead agency, Peace Connections. Steve and his family have hosted international students on at least seven different occasions! He has also mentored high school and college students and is a proud father of two adult children and two grandchildren. Additionally, Steve has vast international experience; he has traveled throughout Latin America and Europe in particular. Steve is interested in education, poverty, diversity, and health and enjoys photography. “It is my fundamental belief that living is life-long learning. This happens best in a mutual environment of trusted relationships. I expect to learn at least as much through participants' exploration as they may learn from me.”