Kadie Becker is a 2008 graduate of Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa where she studied Spanish, Cultural Studies, and TESL. Kadie's first experience abroad was to Romania in 2006 when she participated in Northwestern's Summer of Service program and spent the summer playing and learning with children in the orphanage system in Rosiori de Vede. She returned again in the spring of 2007. Kadie spent her last semester of college studying abroad in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama where the people and experiences she encountered set her on a new path following graduation. Kadie believes in the power of cross-cultural learning and has a deep respect for the Romanian language and the people who speak it. Kadie joined the staff of New Horizons Foundation in June 2010 as their Off-Campus Program Administrator. She loves learning how to cook, listening to stories, riding in trains, and seeing how students grow and mature when they come to Lupeni to learn.

Alice McFarlane graduated from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois in 2000 with a B.A. in Christian Education, a minor in French and a certificate in Camp Leadership and Programming. She spent five years at HoneyRock (a camp owned by Wheaton College) in Northern Wisconsin. During that time she was a graduate student in the Advanced Wilderness Leadership Program, facilitated adventure challenge groups, hosted winter retreats, led wilderness trips in all seasons and worked in the office as the camp registrar. In 2006 she moved to Minocqua, WI to work as a facilitator for the Intercultural Leadership Initiative, Inc, a non-profit program working with youth to improve racial tensions in the Northwoods. Alice moved from her home state of Wisconsin to Romania in March 2010. Her main role will be as co-director for Viata during the summer and then to continue work on Viata related projects throughout the year. She will also be involved with the Northwestern and Gordon semester programs by helping to teach the Experiential Education course.

Lindsay Squires is a recent graduate of Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, earning a degree in Writing and Rhetoric and Cultural Studies. Originally from Nebraska, she was one of the first seven students to participate in the inaugural Romania Semester in 2007. After devoting an advanced writing project to creative non-fiction of her semester experience in Romania and her senior Honors Research to social capital and civil society in post-Communist Eastern Europe, Lindsay has returned to volunteer with the Foundation for at least a year. A writer and communicator who has a passion for youth development and life transformation, Lindsay will be working extensively with the IMPACT program, including creation of an IMPACT youth journal and involvement in clubs throughout the Jiu Valley. She will also be developing and teaching an English curriculum, teaching weekly ballet classes, fostering intra-IMPACT relationships, working on organizational structures, and supporting the Foundation staff.

Katie Van Gilder graduate in May 2007 from University of New Hampshire in Durham, New Hampshire. She is originally from West Chester, Pennsylvania. Having received her degree in Outdoor Education, Katie will be assisting with the Viata program 2007 as well as the experiential education aspect of the Northwestern semester in the fall. Katie worked two seasons with an adventure ministry in Washington state and has experience in rock climbing, ropes course and hiking.

Janelle Vandergrift and Daniel Heffner graduated from Calvin College in May 2006 and also got married. Daniel studied Sociology and Urban Studies and has been certified with WEA (Wilderness Education Association). He is from Grand Rapids, Michigan. While at New Horizons he will be assisting with building maintenance, organizing the Northwestern semester, and Viata. Janelle studied Sociology and French. She has experience in service-learning, working with youth and office management. At New Horizons she will be assisting with office management and organizing the Northwestern semester. They will both work with local IMPACT clubs.