Staff
Director
Dr. Kristin Joos is the Director for the Young Entrepreneurs for Leadership & Sustainability High School Summer Program at UF. In 2005 she brought Social Entrepreneurship to UF and created the Innovative Sustainability & Social Impact Initiative in the Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Kristin is a UF graduate, earning her bachelors degree in Psychology with minors in Sociology, Religion, and Women's & Gender Studies. In 2003 she graduated with a Ph.D. in Sociology & a graduate certificate from the Center for Women's Studies and Gender Research. Her research interests center around youth, social entrepreneurship, civic engagement, community service and creating positive social change. Kristin is passionate about teaching students to use the skills & strategies of business to create innovative & sustainable solutions to social, environmental, and economic problems locally and around the world. From 2003-2006 she served as the Coordinator of Admissions & Student Activities for the Honors Program at UF; she is now a Lecturer, teaching courses in Sociology and Social Entrepreneurship.
Instructors
ENT4934 - Exploring Entrepreneurship - Professor Bill Rossi
SYG2010 - Social Problems & Solutions- Dr. Kristin Joos
2012 Staff
Biographies and other information regarding 2012 Staff will be posted in May 2012.
2011 Staff
Program Assistants:
Anna Belen Petersen graduated with Honors from UF in December of 2009, majoring in Sociology and minoring
in Written & Oral Communications. During her time as an undergraduate Gator, Anna served as a Resident
Assistant in Jennings and Broward Halls, as an Undergraduate T.I. for SYG 2010-Social Problems, and as a
Conference Director on the Women's Leadership Council. She also took part in the AKD Sociology Honors
Society and UF's Pride Student Union. She proudly participated in the Florida LeaderShape Institute in 2008 and that same year, traveled to Nepal as a grant recipient in the University Scholars Program to conduct qualitative
research. She has also volunteered her time with Project Nepal (Kathmandu City, Nepal) and with the Harvest
of Hope Foundation. Anna has studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain and has enjoyed spending her summers on
the Senior Barn staff at YMCA's Camp Echo in Fremont, Michigan. Born in Argentina, Anna is fluent in Spanish
and is proficient in Portuguese and French. As of this May, Anna will take the steps to become a certified Doula
and this fall, Anna aspires to learn and grow as an aspiring student midwife at the Florida School of Traditional
Midwifery right here in Gainesville. Fascinated by the pregnancy and birth processes, she hopes to work in the
name of empowering women and helping them reconnect with themselves through the power of their choice for
a happy, healthy, natural birth. Anna is a graduate of Cypress Bay High School in Weston, Florida.
Ashley Gunn is a 2008 graduate of the University of Florida where she majored in English in Organizational
Leadership in NonProfits. While a student at UF she was involved in Florida Alternative Breaks, ServeFest,
Gatorship 2008, Gator Humanics, Change the World at UF and Museum University Student Educators. She
also taught English through the English Language Institute, interned at the Children Miracle's Network and
served as a volunteer at Camp Boggy Creek. In 2008, she attended Clinton Global Initiative University under
a proposal to help build the first public library in Rwanda. After graduating Ashley served as an AmeriCorps
member with LIFT-Philadelphia. In her position she managed a community resource center while recruiting,
training and managing a staff of over 40 college students. Ashley recently moved back to Florida to be near her
family and friends but will be setting off on another adventure soon. She was recently accepted to the University
of Vermont's Higher Education and Student Affairs program starting in Fall 2011. Ashley is from Sunrise, Florida
and attended Piper High School and The College Academy @ BCC.
Residence Assistants
Amanda Monaco is a UF senior majoring in Political Science with minors in Sustainability Studies, Latin American
Studies, and Anthropology. While at UF, she was very active in humanitarian clubs such as UF Campus Kitchen
and Recurso, and she created an umbrella organization to coordinate all of these organizations’ wonderful
efforts. She is passionate about creating innovative solutions to global poverty, political marginalization, social
inequality, and environmental degradation. To become more of an active agent of change, she will be going to
Georgetown Law School in the Fall to specialize in international human rights law and environmental justice.
Amanda was born in Gainesville and went to Eastside High School.
Austin Shaw is a 4th year Political Science and English major from Pensacola, Fl. In addition to his double major,
Austin is pursuing a minor in Geography and certificates in Meteorology and International Relations. He has
been involved in a variety of organizations on campus including the American Meteorological Society, club
tennis and other intramural sports, and the Florida Cicerones where he serves as an executive board member.
As a Cicerone, Austin enjoys serving as an official campus tour guide for prospective students as well as serving
as a representative of UF’s Student Alumni Association. Austin graduated from Booker T. Washington High
School in Pensacola, Florida.
Activities Assistants
Virgil Mathis will be graduating for the University of Florida in the Fall of 2011 with a double major in Religion
and Sustainability. He is involved in many different community events and organizations and has had various
internships with: The Alachua County Office of Sustainability, the UF Office of Sustainability, and Florida Organic Growers. Virgil is currently the Chief Greening Officer at Grooveshark and is the Marketing Director for Cinema
Verde: Gainesville's Environmental Film & Arts Festival. Virgil is on the UF Sustainable Transportation Work
Group Board and the Alachua County Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Board. He plans to pursue a career in politics
to make our world a better and more sustainable place to live. Virgil graduated from Palatka High School in
Palatka, Florida.
Lara Miller will graduate from UF in May as a Masters graduate student majoring in Environmental Education.
She also completed her undergraduate degree at UF in Natural Resource Conservation with minors in
Environmental Studies and Sustainability. Lara is an intern with the Office of Sustainability at UF where she is
working on the development of a green office certification program. She is also serving as the assistant lacrosse
coach for the varsity girls’ team at Gainesville High School. Lara has studied abroad in Costa Rica and Mexico
and has traveled to Ecuador, Honduras, and throughout Europe. She plans to pursue a career in the non-formal
education sector with a focus on the environment and sustainability. Lara is excited to be involved with YELS
this summer and is looking forward to the experience. She is a graduate of Jupiter High School in Jupiter, FL.
Teaching Assistants
Stefanie ‘Stevie’ Uribe will be graduating from UF in April with a degree in Business Administration and minors in Spanish
and Sustainability. She ran varsity track at UF, studied abroad twice, and volunteered with Children Beyond
our Borders in Colombia in 2008. During her UF years, she interned with Royal Caribbean Cruises in the
Environmental Department and at ECS Solar, a local solar energy company. She graduated from Oak Hall
School in Gainesville, Florida.
Kelley Godfrey is a third year honors student majoring in Economics with minors in English and Spanish. She
went through the YELS Program during its first year and has been involved with the program almost every year
since. Kelley has graduated from the Florida Leadership Academy and during her first year at UF was named the
Warrington Freshman of the Year. Currently, she serves as a Warrington Diplomat and works at UF's Center for
Entrepreneurship and Innovation. She is also involved as a Teaching Assistant for Exploring Entrepreneurship,
one of the most popular business electives for undergraduate students at UF. Kelley is a graduate of the
International Baccalaureate Program at Bartow High School in Bartow, Florida.
Volunteers
Erin Rauch is a third year student in the Journalism department, pursuing a dual major in Agricultural Communication and Leadership with a minor in Sustainability Studies. Erin serves as a historian for the University of Florida chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, a student group dedicated to promoting and upholding ethical behavior and the free practice of journalism. She is a volunteer with Community Weatherization Coalition, a community coalition dedicated to improving energy efficiency and weatherization of homes in need throughout Alachua County. As a volunteer she performs comprehensive energy audits on homes to increase efficiency and lower utility consumption. She works with publisher, Trish Riley, on GoGreenNation.org, a business dedicated to the growth of sustainable business and communities. She helps promote environmental awareness by updating the website with news and activities. Erin plans to pursue a graduate degree in Agricultural Education in hopes of working as an educator, teaching the importance of organic agriculture through seed germination, gardening, harvesting and analyzing data. Erin graduated from Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Cameron Biggs is a recently graduated pre-Veterinary Biology major out of West Palm Beach, Florida. As a Florida Cicerone, he enjoyed providing tours to UF visitors and acting as a campus ambassador. He was also heavily involved in UF intramurals, bringing home several coveted shirts. In pursuit of his career goals, Cameron has worked abroad in Jamaica as a bottlenose dolphin training and veterinary assistant and as an intern zookeeper at the Palm Beach Zoo. He also has worked many summers at his Mom's small-animal practice in Wellington Florida. When he's not socializing or playing with animals, Cameron loves to play sports (especially beach volleyball and soccer), surf, eat, read, and listen to music. He plans to enter UF Vet School in a year after working and gaining more veterinary experience. Cameron is a graduate of Wellington High School, class of 2007.
Randi Hall is heading into her second year as an Honors student double majoring in Economics and Sociology. She holds a position on the executive board for After School Gators and acts as a site coordinator for all ASG mentors at Joseph Williams Elementary School. Randi is also a member of Honors Ambassadors, the official representatives of the UF Honors Program. Randi graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Lauren Squires is in her fourth year at UF and will be graduating April 30th with a Sociology Bachelor's. She will be receiving a minor in Music Performance. She attended Horace Mann Academy in Rockledge, Florida along with Satellite High School in Melbourne, Florida.
Nakechia Gay is a Business Administration major with a minor in Anthropology. She has served as a Treasurer for Project MASCOT at University of Florida and ultimately wants a career in the nonprofit sector. Nakechia graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Sarah Elbadri
Tara Young is a second year women's studies student, with the intention of beginning a career in humanitarian work. She is most involved with Pride Student Union. She co-directed Pride's first Pride History Weeks, and is a co-director for UF's yearly Pride Awareness Month. She interned with Breakthrough Collaborative Miami over the summer of 2008. She also had a volunteer nursing position with Shands Cancer Hospital, and is most interested in working with children and young people. She is very excited to be part of YELS this year!
2010 Staff
Program Assistants:
Melissa Miller will graduate from UF in May as an Honors student majoring in Sociology and double minoring in Business and Sustainability Studies. She is involved in various leadership and service organizations on campus, including Florida Alternative Breaks, Gator Non-Profit Professionals, and UF Study Abroad Peer Advisors. She is also an intern with the UF Office of Sustainability. Melissa has studied abroad in Paris, France, at the University of Florida's Paris Research Center and has attended the Oikos Winter School in Germany for Sustainability in Economics and Management and attended the Clinton Global Initiative University in Miami this April. She plans to pursue a career path working to influence new sustainable policies in the social and business sectors to help build a healthier, environmentally aware society. In 2008 she worked as a Program Assistant for the 3rd Annual YELS Summer Program and is excited to be a part of this summer's experience. Melissa is a graduate of Brandon High School in Brandon, FL.
Anna Belen Petersen graduated with Honors from UF in December of 2009, majoring in Sociology and minoring in Written & Oral Communications. During her time as an undergraduate Gator, Anna served as a Resident Assistant in Jennings and Broward Halls, as an Undergraduate T.I. for SYG 2010-Social Problems, and as a Conference Director on the Women's Leadership Council. She also took part in the AKD Sociology Honors Society and UF's Pride Student Union. She proudly participated in the Florida LeaderShape Institute in 2008 and that same year, traveled to Nepal as a grant recipient in the University Scholars Program to conduct qualitative research. She has also volunteered her time with Project Nepal (Kathmandu City, Nepal) and with the Harvest of Hope Foundation. Anna has studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain and has enjoyed spending her summers on the Senior Barn staff at YMCA's Camp Echo in Fremont, Michigan. Born in Argentina, Anna is fluent in Spanish and is proficient in Portuguese and French. Anna aspires to learn and grow as a Peace Corps Volunteer in 2011 and to continue to work in the name of empowering women, youth, and marginalized peoples and revolutionizing the educational infrastructure in America. Anna is a graduate of Cypress Bay High School in Weston, FL.
RAs for Girls:
Katie Heroux is a fourth year Honors student, majoring in Finance and pursuing a minor in Sustainability. She has been involved with various leadership and service organizations on campus, including Gators for Sustainable campus, Navigators, The Student Honors Organization, and Friends for Life. She is passionate about her academic interests and has pursued extracurricular activities that have allowed her to continue her education experientially such as being a site-leader for Florida Alternative Breaks, the Donor Relations Chair and Kitchen Manager for The Campus Kitchens Project, an intern in the Finance Department at the Harn Museum and an intern with the UF Office of Sustainability. She has also studied abroad at the Paris Research center in France with the University of Florida's Honors in Paris program and attended an international economic and sustainability conference in Witten Germany. Upon graduation in December, Katie hopes to work for a socially responsible enterprise such as Tom's Shoes or to promote sustainability in the corporate finance world. Katie graduated a varsity athlete from Oviedo High School, and has used these skills to empower young students for two summers through sports camps. In 2009 she worked as an RA with our 3rd Annual YELC Summer Program and she is excited to have the opportunity to inspire and encourage students to become active citizens in their community again this summer.
Kelly McGovern graduated from the University of Florida in May 2010 majoring in Finance and minoring in Art History. During her time at UF she worked for RecSports as an Operations Associate, was a finance intern at the Harn Museum of Art, and swam with the Club Alligator Swim Team. She also volunteered with organizations such as the Ronald McDonald House of Gainesville and Friends for Life as a Hospital Correspondent. Last summer she worked at a camp in New Hampshire as a camp counselor and lifeguard. She recently returned from travels in Paris & London. After taking a year off to travel and volunteer abroad, Kelly plans to attend graduate school to pursue a masterʼs degree in International Relations. Kelly is a graduate of Oviedo High School in Oviedo, Florida.
RA for Guys:
Christian Moreno is a 2nd year student majoring in Marketing from Jacksonville, FL, pursuing a minor in Entrepreneurship. He is involved in numerous leadership and service organizations in the University of Florida community, including: The Florida Cicerones/SAA: the official student ambassadors of the University of Florida, Gators of Tomorrow: 25 freshmen at the University of Florida who seek to make great accomplishments both on campus and in the community during their college career, Florida Alternative Breaks: he participated on the migrant workers trip to Immokalee and learned more about the everyday struggle of migrant workers. Apart from academics, Christian graduated with Varsity letters in Soccer and Cross Country and has continued his passion for sports through intramurals in college. Christian has worked as a Museum of Science and History summer camp counselor for the past two years and is excited to work with the YELS program. He graduated from Paxton School of Advanced Studies in Jacksonville, FL.
Activities Assistants
Nick Greenhood is a fifth year student in the Horticulture department, pursuing a specialization in Organic Crop Production, and more recently a minor in Sustainability Studies. Nick is heavily involved in all things food at UF and in Gainesville. He was on the founding executive committee of the Organic and Sustainable Agriculture Club, and has been its president since 2009. He has also served as an intern and employee of QCS, a local organic certification agency which is a subsidiary of Florida Organic Growers, a non-profit that represents the interests of alternative agriculture in Florida. In the summer of 2009 he traveled to Madrid, Spain, with a group of scholars from UF's IFAS program to study the state of organic certification, ecological certification, and other alternative agricultural methods in the European Union. He has also served as a summer season intern at Farm Girl Farm, an experimental community-supported ecofeminist farm and market garden in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Most recently, Nick and his partner have begun the process of founding a chapter of Slow Food on Campus at UF to serve both UF's student body and the greater Alachua County community. Nick graduated from the IB Program at Eastside High School in Gainesville.
Matt Tringali graduated this past semester with a degree in finance. During his time at UF he was a member of the Florida Leadership Academy, where he served as a Peer Mentor as well as on the Advisory Board. Additionally, he served as Director of Campus Relations and President of the Warrington Diplomats, the official ambassadors to the Warrington College of Business Administration. This past spring break Matt participated in a FAB disaster recovery trip to Houma, Louisiana. Matt graduated from Lecanto High School as a varsity tennis and soccer player, and will use the skills he's accumulated throughout his four years here to start his own social venture.
Teaching Assistants
Katie Anderson is going into her third year at UF, majoring in Event Management. She is involved in several organizations on campus, including leadership positions in the Leisure Education and Parks Students organization. She is currently interning at the University of Florida's College of Medicine at the Alumni Affairs department. Katie participated in the YELC program during its first year in 2007, before graduating from Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She served as an Alumni Ambassador for YELC in 2008.
Kelly Mejia is a third year student majoring in Sociology and English with a minor in Urban Regional Planning. She is a member of Phi Mu sorority where she is House Manager and Philanthropy Chair, on campus she is involved with Extreme Dance Company, TriGators, and Dance Marathon. Kelly participated in the YELS Program during its first year, in 2007, before graduating from the William H. Turner Technical Arts High School and served as an Alumni Ambassador for YELS in 2008.
2009 Staff
Melissa Miller - Program Assistant
Samantha Baer - Program Assistant
Katie Anderson - RA for Girls
Antony Fowler - RA for Guys
Kelley Godfrey - TA for Exploring Entrepreneurship and Activities Assistant
Camila Pazos - TA for Social Problems & Solutions
2008 Staff
Vanessa Douyon - Program Assistant
Samantha Baer - RA for Girls
Jared Hoffman - RA for Guys
Savanna Trent - TA for Social Problems & Solutions
2007 Staff
Vanessa Frisby - Program Assistant
Samantha Baer - RA for Girls
Abi Lokesh - RA for Guys
Hiranya Derasari - TA for Social Problems & Solutions and Activities Assistant
