National Fellows in Leadership, Class of 2008

Fellows Profiles

Danny Crouch is currently a legislative aid for Congressman Mike Pence of Indiana. He has deep respect for Mr. Pence, a fourth term Member that describes himself as a Christian, a Conservative, and a Republican--in that order! While Danny has strong ties to the Midwest state, he hails originally from a small city on a plateau in Nigeria. He was born and raised in Jos, Nigeria and comes from three generations of missionaries in the popular West African country. Danny's childhood and heritage in Nigeria have given him a deep love for the people, and a hope to be a part of God's work in developing Nigeria's potential. Danny graduated from Bethel Collge in Indiana with a degree in History and Economics. He is proud to live with a group of committed Christian friends in the Jonathan House here on Capitol Hill. Through the Fellows program he hopes to learn more about servant leadership and speaking Truth into todays vibrant culture. He loves to play soccer, or football as he calls it, and eat at local restaurants.

Meredith Duncan works as an Administrative Assistant at the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities. She moved to D.C. in May of 2006 after falling in love with the energy of the city. Meredith received her B.A. in English and Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She enjoys living on Capitol Hill and takes regular advantage of the cultural events that DC offers. Traveling, listening to live music, writing, reading, and dabbling with a paintbrush are some of her favorite activities.

Kathryn Goetz, a 2004 graduate of Hope College, is an executive assistant at Park Avenue Equity Partners. Upon graduation, she received a Fulbright Scholarship to Germany, where she lived and taught for two years. Before moving to DC this past spring, she taught German at a middle school in her hometown outside Philadelphia.

Caryn Grimstead is a Management and Program Analyst in the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Communications and Outreach. She is a 2007 graduate of Indiana State University where she received a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Administration. Caryn also holds an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Trinity International University in Deerfield, IL and a B.A. in Psychology from Taylor University in Upland, IN. After earning her master's degree and prior to joining the federal government, Caryn served in various capacities within the department of student development at her alma mater, Taylor University. Her doctoral research addresses the development of traditional-aged college students and recent graduates who are social justice activists for Africa. Caryn is a resident of northern Virginia where she attends The Falls Church.

Anna Lohrmann is the Sr. Manager of Planning and Develoment for prestige hair care company located outside of Baltimore, MD. She graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration and an Economics concentration from Towson University in 2002 and worked for a small business development center and financial planning firm before entering the personal care industry. She is also an artist who is passionate about the intersection of faith and creativity. Her desire through this program is to pursue leadership development specifically through growth in business as well as unity of purpose in both her faith and career.

Carla Messenger is a licensed clinical psychologist in Virginia. She works in a group private practice in Fairfax, and specializes in the treatment of children and families. She also has a part-time appointment at The George Washington University, where she teaches and supervises graduate students in training. She received her Ph. D. from George Washington University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Children's National Medical Center. She is also interested in education and health policy as they relate to children with special needs and she hopes to one day establish a comprehensive pediatric clinic for children with disabilities who are economically disadvantaged. She earned a master's degree from the College of William and Mary and a bachelor's degree in psychology from West Virginia University. She grew up in Morgantown, WV and still loves the mountains, being outdoors, and spending time with friends and family.

Jason Oraker is an attorney in the Washington, D.C., office of Sidley Austin, LLP, where he has spent the last three years working on civil, criminal and constitutional issues—including the representation of Fortune 100 companies in various white-collar civil investigations and enforcement actions brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Jason graduated in 2000 from Williams College—where he earned a B.A. in psychology, helped lead the Christian Fellowship and competed on the varsity swim team—and in 2003 from Yale Law School—where he earned a J.D., helped lead the Christian Fellowship and dabbled in a cappella singing, sports writing and broadcasting. Before moving to the Washington, D.C., area, Jason worked for a year in Columbus, Ohio, as a law clerk for a federal appeals-court judge. Since coming to the D.C. area, Jason has enjoyed exploring many of the region’s fine running and bicycling trails and participating in several triathlons. Jason regularly attends Grace (D.C.) Presbyterian Church, where he is active in a small group Bible study and on the church music team.

Nathan Ricke is a project manager with World Vision's HIV/AIDS and Health grant acquisition and management team in Washington, D.C., where he assists in the development of proposals and the management of US government grants addressing a wide range of public health issues. He studied history and philosophy at Taylor University.

Christine Tadros works at the U.S. Department of State. Upon arrival to Washington DC, Christine worked on human rights issues, advocating for religious minorities in the Arab world. She remains engaged in Mid-East issues, particularly as they pertain to religious freedoms and democratic development. She recently graduated with a Masters in International Politics and a Law degree from American University.

Henry Tran is a post-doctoral fellow in a psychology laboratory at George Mason University. He is involved in a research study that evaluates the impact of early childhood education programs on the school readiness of preschool children. Henry received his B.S. in Psychology from the University of Washington and Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Temple University. As a fairly new Christian, he joined the fellows program to explore ways of integrating professional practices and Christian faith.