WSCF-US Student Leadership Team

2026-2027 Student Leadership Team

Meet the Student Leadership Team of WSCF-US! This group of young, active, and visionary ecumenical leaders guides the programming and action of the Christian student movement that WSCF-US is building.

Hannah Beard | Princeton Theological Seminary

Hello! My name is Hannah Beard, and I’m currently in my second year at Princeton Theological Seminary pursuing my Master of Divinity. I’m originally from Scottsdale, Arizona but spent part of my childhood on the Jersey Shore, so I’m grateful to be back on the East Coast for a few years. I graduated from Whitworth University in 2019 with a B.A. in Theology and after graduating, I worked as a Swahili interpreter and family liaison at a school for refugees and immigrants in Phoenix before becoming a full-time ESL teacher for 6th-8th grade students. I later joined Fugees Family, where I served as the Associate Director of Partnerships, building relationships with school districts and advocating for educational systems that support refugee and immigrant students. At Princeton, I’m involved with Seminarians for Peace and Justice, Seminarians for a Free Palestine, and Churches for Middle East Peace. I am excited to be a part of the WSCF-US Student Leadership Team because of its commitment to reconciliation, justice, and faith-led peacemaking. In my free time I enjoy hot yoga, playing with my adorable puppy, and watching all things reality TV!

Jordan Burton | Stoneleigh Foundation Emerging Leader Fellow

Jordan Burton is a preacher, writer, and theologian whose work explores the intersections of Black religion, critical theory, and public life. Drawing from experiences in grassroots ministry, food justice work, and community engagement, he reflects on how faith, memory, and spirit shape Black life and collective liberation. His interests include Black religious thought, the Black Radical Tradition, trauma and communal healing, and the role of theology in responding to social and political crisis. Jordan currently serves as an Emerging Leader Fellow at the Kingsessing Heals Community Resilience Center, where he is developing a culturally responsive evaluation framework for the organization’s Community Resilience Model to assess mental wellness and healing outcomes in Southwest Philadelphia. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Biblical and Theological Studies from Wheaton College and a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Nathan Carbajal | Christians for a Free Palestine

Nathan Carbajal grew up in the Jehovah's Witness tradition but currently calls the Episcopal Church his spiritual home. He is a solidarity circle facilitator for Christians for a Free Palestine. Since college, Nathan has been organizing in a variety of movements and currently co-creates via youth organizing with an environmental justice non-profit in the Los Angeles area.

Althea Downing-Sherer | Barnard College

Hi! My name is Althea Downing-Sherer and I attend Barnard College in New York, where I study English and religion. This is my first year working with WSCF-US. Outside of school, I am a student leader for Village Campus Ministry. I have also done research on progressive Christian responses to rising levels of white Christian nationalism as a Laidlaw Scholar. I am looking forward to exploring my faith and finding ways to put my beliefs into action with WSCF.

Jac Essing | Yale Divinity School

Howdy! I’m Jac (she/they pronouns). Having grown up in Iowa, I moved to western Massachusetts for what was originally going to be a 10-month term as an Episcopal Service Corps (ESC) member. Instead, I stayed for 10 years in which I served 2 terms with ESC, finished my bachelors degree, served 2 terms of service with AmeriCorps, worked as a supervisor and coordinator within those programs, and was ordained as an Episcopal Deacon. None of this was expected, and my faith deepened as I listened for and attempted to discern God’s call while relying on the love of those around me. I’m currently a joint-degree student, Master of Divinity at Yale Divinity School and Master of Social Work at University of Connecticut. I care deeply about working with individuals and communities to reflect on their values and faith, put them into practice, and seek to make live their vision of justice, mercy, kindness, and love. I look forward to doing that work with WSCF-US and hope you join us in whatever way you find meaningful and powerful!

Owen Hannon | Yale University

Owen Hannon is a senior at Yale University majoring in Religious Studies. Passionate about pastoral inclusivity and Catholic Social Teaching, he is committed to living out the radical love of the Gospels—especially through outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics. He serves as a Peer Liaison in Yale's Chaplain's Office and co-leads the Yale Catholic Center's LGBTQ+ Ministry, where he also serves as a Lector, Eucharistic Minister, and member of the Undergraduate Council. He is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Undergraduate Journal of Religion, a student-led publication dedicated to rigorous academic inquiry into religion and its intersections with society, culture, and public life. He writes Gospel reflections and leads Advent and Lent prayer services for DignityUSA, the world's oldest Catholic LGBTQIA+ ministry organization, whose mission centers the full inclusion and affirmation of LGBTQIA+ people in the Catholic Church. His broader advocacy work includes organizing with Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut (CONECT), a broad-based interfaith coalition advancing faith-rooted campaigns for criminal legal reform, housing justice, and immigrant solidarity, and interning with the Interreligious Eco-Justice Network, a Connecticut-based organization developing theologically grounded climate justice messaging for faith communities across the region.
He conducted archival research on student pacifism movements at the WSCF-US archives at Yale Divinity School, presenting his findings virtually at the WSCF-US national conference in Atlanta in 2026.

Kaela Hawkins | Spelman College

Kaela Hawkins is a recent Summa Cum Laude graduate of Spelman College with a BA in International Studies and a minor in Anthropology. She graduated with highest departmental distinction and honors distinction in the Ethel Waddell Githii Honors Program. Throughout college, she served as a Sisters Chapel Assistant and a Title IX Violence Prevention and Intervention Peer Educator. Through her studies, she developed a deep appreciation and passion for archiving Black history, making history and education easily accessible, and writing Black stories into the American picture. Currently, she is taking a gap year to gain professional experience in archiving, library sciences, and museums before entering graduate school. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, cooking, taking long walks, and going to the movies.

Sheryl Immanuel | Malcolm X College

My name is Sheryl Immanuel. I currently live in Chicago with my parents, and it has been six years since we moved here from India. I am a student at Malcolm X College, part of the City Colleges of Chicago, pursuing an Associate in Science. My goal is to become a pediatrician. I am passionate about helping others, especially children, and I enjoy teaching in Sunday school. I also love hearing stories, painting, dancing, and doing henna (Mehndi). Additionally, I have a deep love for traveling, and I hope that the opportunity I received through WSCF will allow me to connect with more people and learn how Christianity unites us.

Steffan Johnson | Presbyterian Young Adult Volunteer

I am Steffan Johnson. I’m 26 from South Carolina and this is my second year working alongside WSCF-US. I am working on my D.Min from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary alum and work with the Young Adult Volunteer program. I am looking forward to working with my peers at a chance to influence the world around us.

Sarah Jones | Yale Divinity School

Sarah Jones, a movement organizer and seminarian, comes from a strong tradition of Black Radical Feminist traditions. Born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana, she developed a social and political analysis early by witnessing the work of her parents: her dad was a part of the UAW, and her mom was a domestic worker. It was through moments of seeing deep labor that she learned the values of solidarity and saw the Gospel come to life through the strong resistance of oppressed communities.

She completed a degree in Africana Studies and Political Economy at Tulane University, where she organized with the Students Organizing Against Racism and was a Newcomb Scholar. She considers New Orleans home because the community and movement elders invested in her formation and showed that organizing required struggle, but also care and love.

Throughout the years, she has been involved in political advocacy and cultural organizing for reproductive and climate justice initiatives. But she found her movement home with the Southeast Dignity Not Detention Coalition and Louisiana Advocates Against Immigrants in Detention, where she has been involved in organizing for ICE detention abolition in the Deep South. Working with advocates and movement lawyers, she has organized with people inside of detention and facing deportation, building detention visitation programs, and was a co-organizer for the #ShutdownWinnCampaign. It was through this work that she became even more grounded in her faith and was introduced to the Episcopal Church. She is now a confirmed Episcopalian and has a strong affinity for her home parish, the Historic Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church in New Orleans.

Sarah is a second-year Master of Divinity student at Yale Divinity School. She is the Vice President for Yale Black Seminarians, a hospitality minister at Berkeley Divinity School, and sacristan for Marquand Chapel. After seminary, she hopes to bring her spiritual formation to the frontlines by supporting movement organizers in finding their faith and connection to spirit to sustain them in this fight for liberation.

Matt Markay | Princeton Theological Seminary

My name is Matt Markay (he/him). I was born and raised in Northern New Jersey, the son of two pastors in different denominations. Currently, I am living in Washington D.C. where I received my undergraduate degree from American University, studying sociology. In my professional life, I am the Project Coordinator for the National Council of Churches, an ecumenical organization that has a deep history of faith-based advocacy. In the fall I'll begin my MDiv at Princeton Theological Seminary. In my free time I enjoy cooking good food, spending time with the people I love, and exploring the outdoors! I am looking forward to growing in my faith and deepening connections with fellow young Christians!

Mhambi Musonda | Howard University

Mhambi B. Musonda is a dedicated student leader, writer, and advocate situated in the Washington, D.C. area. His work is deeply rooted in exploring the intersections of faith, justice, and public life. Mhambi's spiritual formation began in the pews of the Emory United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C., under the pastoral leadership of Rev. Dr. Joseph W. Daniels, Jr. At Emory, Rev. Daniels and the Emory congregation inculcated Mhambi with the belief that Christians have a spiritual responsibility to seek out the social, spiritual, and civic well-being of our communities.
Mhambi earned an Associate's degree in International Affairs from Montgomery College in Rockville, MD, and is currently an incoming third-year student at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he is pursuing a double major in Political Science and English. He has been involved in student leadership, community organizing, and civic engagement initiatives focused on equity, dialogue, and social transformation.
Mhambi brings to the World Student Christian Federation–US a commitment to ecumenical fellowship, global solidarity, and amplifying the voices of young Christians working toward justice and peace on campus and beyond, rooted in the principles of the beloved community that Christ has called us to undertake.

Angel Nalubega | Princeton Theological Seminary

I’m Angel Nalubega, an experienced community organizer, popular educator and aspiring historian/liberation theologian. I attended Antioch College, graduating with a BA in History with a focus on critical race and ethnicity studies. At Antioch, I learned a lot about asking critical questions and immersing myself in relationships with marginalized and oppressed people. While at Antioch, I was involved in the campus newspaper and the campus prison library. After college, I worked as a social studies teacher in North Philadelphia for several years. I have a passion for education and the transformative work of critical pedagogy as modeled by Paulo Freire and bell hooks. Currently, I am finishing my seminary studies at Princeton Theological Seminary, where I will graduate in May with a dual degree: Master of Divinity and Master of Christian Education and Formation. At PTS, I have been a moderator of Seminarians for Peace and Justice and GSAS. I’m concerned about the role of the church the task of repentance and reconciliation, especially when it comes to white supremacy and capitalism. In my free time, I enjoy receiving the Eucharist, reading romance novels, cooking, leading chants at protests, and spending time watching too many TV shows with my friends.

Madeleine So | PC(USA) Young Adult Volunteer Program

I'm Madeleine So, a recent graduate from University of California, San Diego. In college, I studied political science, global health, and history. Now, I'm the Young Adult Volunteer at the Presbyterian Ministry to the United Nations. I'm excited to see God at work, especially through WSCF!

Minverva Villafuerte | Hamline University

Hi, My name is Minerva Villafuerte. I’m from Robbinsdale Minnesota and I am a student at Hamline University in St.Paul Minnesota. I am pursuing a degree in Forensic Biology and Spanish. I love music and I am a part of the Hamline Choir. I can’t wait to get more connected through WSCF!