Getting to Know Us in 200 Words or Less
Steven:
I am a 2006 graduate of the University of Southern California. After graduating, I joined Teach for America, an organization dedicated to closing the achievement gap in public education. I teach 11th and 12th grade English at Forrest City High School in Arkansas. It is a pretty big change of pace from the bustle and lights of Los Angeles, but I really enjoy teaching my students. In fact, after this bike trip, I plan on returning for a third year.
Besides the obvious charitable reasons for going on this trip, I think there is a part of me that still has an unfulfilled desire to travel to a foreign land and do something good. Last year, I was a finalist in the New York Times “Win a Trip with Nick Kristof” contest, but I did not get the opportunity to go on the trip. When Billy contacted me and asked if I wanted to join him on his bike trip, I immediately got excited because rather than just tourism, we were going to also raise money and awareness to a cause I was pretty unfamiliar with. I am really glad to have an opportunity to raise money for charity while doing something I would have never considered doing on my own.
Craig:
As an attorney, I have served on a number of boards of directors and am presently a member of the Red Thread Charities advisory board. I am a 1984 graduate of the University of Illinois and I received my law degree from the University of Minnesota in 1987. I have practiced law since 1987, but now I spend most of my time on volunteer work. My wife, Kathy Bjornson, and I have two children adopted from China.
I am joining the trip across China this summer because I really believe in the work of our organization and I want to help continue funding its activities. China is going through incredible changes right now and I am hoping that our work will highlight the need to help China’s orphaned children. Additionally, like I said before, I have two daughters who were from Chinese orphanages and I hope to give something back. And of course, I enjoy Chinese cuisine.
Billy:
I graduated from the University of Southern California in 2007. In my free time I enjoy reading non-fiction books about China, participating in various forms of individual sports, and watching television from time to time. My peak participatory years in front of the “tube” have made me “legally blind” and apparently a “menace on the road” without “corrective eyewear.” I will be returning to USC in the fall of 2008 to start medical school.
I went on a trip with Red Thread Charities to China in the fall of 2007. To fully detail all of my experiences to you would require days of writing. So instead of trying to be all encompassing, I am only going to briefly mention one thing that sticks out in my mind: the need for trained professionals in rural China. The fact that many parents from the community waited over half a day just so that their special needs child could be seen by one of our team’s medical personnel speaks volumes. And the fact that our physicians, nurses, therapists, and specialists were all determined to stay until every last child was examined is a testament to their compassion. I really hope that this trip will not only prove to be a significant source of funding for Red Thread Charities, but that it will also raise the general public’s awareness to the plight of special needs children throughout the world.
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