Group Study Exchange - Teams

2007-2008, Outbound to District 2560 Japan

Team Leader
Dan Hill, The Rotary Club of Payson

Dan has served as a President of the Payson club and is the Payson club liaison to their Interact club. Dan is also D5510 RYLA chairman for 2007-8. Dan is the owner of Legacy Home Furnishings in Payson. He and his wonderful wife Rose are the proud parents of eight children. Dan will be a GSE asset for his Japanese language ability and enthusiasm for the Rotary Foundation and its programs.

Team Member
Michael Sherron, Sponsored by The Rotary Club of Tempe Rio Salado

I am a web development programmer for CWIE Holding, LLC in Tempe, AZ. I write web-based applications in a Linux environment. I also have familiarity working in a Windows environment. I also write, produce, and perform a technology-themed podcast once a week. In preparing for the weekly podcast, I spend several hours a day following technology news.

Team Member
Kenja Hassan, Sponsored by The Rotary Club of Chandler

Kenja has been employed at Arizona State University in University/Community Outreach for 7 years. Her past experiences include teaching English in Thailand for a year, working on the Navajo reservation and travel to Africa and New Zealand as a teen. Kenja holds a BS from Princeton and a Masters of Arts from ASU.

Her responsibilities at her job include: Developing relationships with community organizations and linking them to university faculty, staff and students for beneficial projects; developing/managing long- and short-term projects that meet specific community needs/requests overseeing student led initiatives; overseeing a program that brings young people to campus in preparation for their path to a college education; managing program budget.

Team Member
Dave Nilson, Sponsored by The Rotary Club of Mesa East

Dave works for Apollo Group, Inc. as a Systems Design Engineer. He conducts research of new technologies that run on or in conjunction with Microsoft Windows. He specializes in Active Directory and LDAP. The majority of his job is Server and server-side application based. Dave has studied Japanese culture for a number of years, is proficient in the language, and is a karate dojo. His most recent adventure was his 2007 run with the bulls in Spain.

Alternate Team Member
Kiana Sears

Kiana works as an education counselor for the Apollo Group. She helps guide students as they begin their college education and is responsible for retaining students in the program and to see that they are successful. She also works as a Realtor in the Gilbert area. In her hope to be part of the Team she is interested in learning about the university system and its recruitment process. As a realtor she hopes to learn how property is sold and leased in Japan. Her two daughters are anxious to follow the adventures of the GSE Team to expand their international knowledge.

Alternate Team Member
Jared Broderick

Jared works at Arizona State University as a Technology Analyst, Associate. He works with the faculty and staff from several different fields, such as chemistry, marketing, and facilities management. He makes sure that all of their technology needs are met. Aside from work at ASU, he also has a small technology consulting business that focuses on meeting the technological needs of small and medium sized businesses. In that business he also can setup and troubleshoot networks and PCs/Macs, and create websites. In his spare time Jared enjoys playing games of all different kinds, singing (with a bass voice that carries well), watching movies is, writing/telling stories, and spending time with friends and family.

Team Member
Claudia Provencio, Sponsored by The Rotary Club of Phoenix Arcadia

Claudia is a photographer and journalist working in the greater Phoenix area. In her work with the Catholic Sun she traveled to South America to document the role of Catholicism there and hopes to do some of the same in Japan. She has studied Latin dance for a number of years and is curious to learn about the Geisha and their form of dance.

2006-2007, Outbound to District 4250 Central America

Team Leader
Maria Brandenburg, Rotary Club of Phoenix El Puente
Financial Services

My name is Maria Teresa Brandenburg. I live in Phoenix, Arizona with my two teenage daughters Alexia and Anissa. For the past fifteen years I have been working in the same profession selling financial services and securities. Some of my favorite pastimes are running in marathons, listening to and dancing to all types of music, reading, and traveling to learn about new places. I also enjoy volunteering my time in the community and working on various projects with my Rotary Club, the Club of Phoenix El Puente. This year I am the club community service chairman. I am also involved in a group called The Sojourner Center, a shelter for families escaping from domestic violence. I am also president elect for my club and will serve in 2007-2008.

Team Member
Anielka Contreras, sponsored by Rotary Club of Mesa West
Advertising Sales

I am Anielka Contreras. Since I was six years old I lived in Nevada, but I was born in Nicaragua. I am the eldest child of three in my family. I have a brother Leonel Antonio and a sister Elizabeth. When I am not working or doing some volunteer work I enjoy taking a little time for myself. I enjoy reading both biographies and classic literature. I also practice Feldenkrais a form of relaxation that is a way of working with the awareness of one's body to improve movement and enhance human functioning. Being in the fresh air is a pleasure for me; I love taking trips to explore new places, taking a nice walk or going for a bicycle ride. I am fascinated with the idea of traveling to new places and want to do this as often as I possibly can. When I am feeling creative I enjoy designing jewelry, painting, and preparing children’s art projects. My nephew Giovanni who is 9 years old is constantly inspiring me as much as the many strong women in my family who have profoundly influenced me.

Team Member
Justin Randall, Sponsored by Rotary Club of Sun Lakes Crown
Corporate Trainer

My name is Justin Randall and I am 30 years old. I have two sisters, one older and one younger. They are both married, and my younger sister has a daughter. In 1997, I worked as a volunteer with a group called Hope for the World in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. During this time I worked with many people from church groups, from government organizations, and all sorts of other general volunteers. I spent twenty-two months living and working in Mexico. When I completed my work I returned to live with my family in Phoenix. I found work with a group that owned the University of Phoenix. I also completed my degree and graduated in November of 2003. I still work for the University, now in the Technology Department, but I am not a technician! In my free time I enjoy lifting weights, learning about new things, and traveling. I had the opportunity to travel to Europe last year and I loved it.

Team Member
Adolfo Maldonado, Sponsored by Rotary Club of Tempe South
Electrical Engineer - APS

My name is Adolfo Maldonado. I am 28 years old, I am married, and one day I will have children. I was born in Chihuahua, Mexico in a small pueblo called Gomez Farias. I have two sisters and two brothers. In 2003, my dream came true and I graduated with my Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering. I work as an engineer managing projects for APS a large Arizona electrical utility company. I love to read, spend time with my family, volunteer in the community, and write poetry. In the past few years I have volunteered my time for numerous community projects. My favorite project was visiting schools to speak with the students about the importance of obtaining a solid education and striving to seek a college degree.