UM AmbassadorsNo one is better equipped to tell Candler’s story than the students who experience it every day. As Candler’s “UM Ambassadors,” a quartet of MDiv students will do just that this month, greeting prospective students and answering their questions, offering updates to alumni about their alma mater, and promoting the school with a smile at United Methodist Annual Conferences across the Southeastern Jurisdiction.

This year’s ambassadors come from around the country and their wide-ranging backgrounds include volunteer work, government, music, campus ministry and much more.

Meet the students who will be representing Candler this summer:

Timothy Hankins (far right) is a writer and musician who blended his artistry with ministry as a worship leader at Green Meadow United Methodist Church in Alcoa, Tenn., near Knoxville. He graduated with a degree in creative writing from the University of Evansville and worked as a journalist, freelance writer and consultant before entering Candler’s MDiv program in fall 2012.

Jeania Ree Moore (second from right) excelled as an undergraduate at Yale University and spent her first year at Candler doing the same, balancing academic pursuits with involvement in numerous programs. She completed her Contextual Education placement at Arrendale State Prison for Women, co-chaired two student worship planning teams, and found time to co-coordinate Project Warmth, a charity group that knits baby blankets for AIDS orphans in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Sara Relaford (second from left) is a Georgia native who just completed her first year of MDiv studies. She volunteers regularly at Embry Hills United Methodist Church, and has enjoyed roles as a youth family counselor and as nurture chief. A graduate of Georgia State University, Relaford worked for the Georgia House of Representatives for several years and chaired the General Assembly staff fund-raiser.

Ashley Rosser (far left) has led youth ministry in Minnesota and served as an associate campus minister in North Dakota. She is no stranger to prospective Candler students, having guided Emory campus tours and also promoted the school at a Fund for Theological Education event. A native of California, she graduated from Chapman University and majored in psychology.