Staff
- Matt Schulte, Executive Director
- Cory Jurgens, Middle School Coordinator
- Nathan Kroll, New Ministry Development
- Chelsea Marine, Leadership Development Coordinator
- Bryan Marine, High School Director
Meet Our Entire Team
Shelby Burns was born and raised in the capitol city of Lincoln, Nebraska. She attended Campus Life while she was in high school at Northeast and is now an intern at Lincoln High. One of her goals while in college is to visit every Starbucks within a 750 mile radius. Her favorite drink is a Grande, whip, low fat, de-caf, double shot, vanilla / strawberry with the grounds floating in the bottom of the cup.
ShelbyB@lincolnyfc.org
Stephanie Coler is a veteran staff member of Lincoln Area Youth for Christ. She went to Campus Life when she was in high school and then came on staff not too long after she graduated. Steph has held many positions in our office; she is the Accounts Manager currently and a volunteer for Lefler and Irving Middle Schools. Steph married Brett Coler in 2011. She is a wiz with numbers, frequently answering every math question any staff member could ever have. Steph also has a heart for working with middle school girls. She is known as the “small group queen” around the office because she usually has at least 3-4 small groups of girls going at one time. She is dedicated to the ministry of YFC and loves being a part of the lives of teenagers, as well as using the gifts God has given her behind the scenes.
StephC@lincolnyfc.org
Eldon Dietrich is a Lincoln native and joined the Lincoln Youth for Christ staff in January 2012. He is the Director of Juvenile Justice Mission, an outreach program targeting youth in the local youth detention center. Eldon has been volunteering at the detention center for many years. He has a heart to see young people facing incarceration find hope and transformation in the message of Jesus Christ. Eldon is married to Mary, they have four children, and 3 grandchildren. In his spare time Eldon enjoys golfing and go kart racing.
EldonD@lincolnyfc.org
Jason Gaare is an intern at Northeast High School. He moved to Lincoln for college from Omaha and is studying computer science and mathematics education. Jason has such an amazing heart for reaching teenagers with the message of Jesus. He loves walking through life with them and leading them through high school. Jason is also pursuing an acting career after his debut perfomance in About Schmidt where he played the role of extra #247. It was a dynamic, riveting performance.
JasonG@lincolnyfc.org
Jen Olive loves Middle School. Kinda crazy we know... but then again crazy might be a good word to describe Jen at times. She is constantly showing her students what it means to live with Jesus on a daily basis. Her heart for middle school students is inspiring. Jen likes to spend her spare time drinking coffee, taking long walks on the beach, and working on her Micheal Scott impersonation.
JenH@lincolnyfc.org
Jason Hawkins is the self-proclaimed trivia king of Lincoln, but more importantly is the director of Campus Life at Lincoln High. Jason has a real heart for high school students and can be found meeting with students throughout the week in and around Lincoln High. Jason and his wife Angie have 3 children; they are lovers of movies and the Kansas City Chiefs. Jason's biggest accomplishment in life however, came in 2011 when he became the champion of Quincy Trivia in Quincy, Illinios. A dream come true!JasonH@lincolnyfc.org
Cara Gille Hernandez is our Teen Parents guru. She has been working with pregnant and parenting teens here in lincoln for more than 7 years. She loves these girls and goes above and beyond for them every time. She received a Care Bear for her 9th birthday and carries it almost all the time.
Amber Huber is a Campus Life baby. She attended Campus Life as a student at Mickle Middle School and Northeast High School. Amber came to know Jesus personally at a Youth for Christ camp during high school. This past summer she interned with National YFCamp and is excited to bring all that she learned to the ministry in Lincoln. Amber will be a club director at East High School along with Nate O’Keefe. In her free time, she obsessively enjoys “One Tree Hill” and writes fan mail to James Lafferty on a daily basis.
AmberH@lincolnyfc.org
Cory Jurgens has been leading a Campus Life club since 2001. He is a veteran staff in youth ministry and loves middle school students. His passions in life are his dog, Yeager, his restored 1975 Camaro, hunting and helping students come to know Jesus. Cory says if he sits in his tree stand long enough, the entire world will walk by him. He is sitting there now.
CoryJ@lincolnyfc.org
Nathan Kroll has been with YFC since the beginning of time and has worked in every position possible. Nathan is the Director of Ministry Development and a Fund-raising Coordinator. He also serves our staff, pastoring and leading them through life. Most often, Nathan is referred to as “Nathan the Great” or “Grampus Life”. Nathan started his ministry career at Norris High School, and still talks to students he had then. He is also a part-time pastor at Christ's Place Church. Nathan and his wife, Sandi, have amazing hearts for ministry and love working with people.NateK@lincolnyfc.org
Cara Lacey and her family moved to Waverly in 2009. They felt called to live in the community to which they were ministering. Cara has a deep love and sense of compassion for the students of Waverly and can frequently been seen, cheering them on in the stands with purple, sparkly, or green streaks in her hair. Cara and her husband Chris have 3 children, all of whom attend Waverly and are involved in Campus Life.CaraL@lincolnyfc.org
Bryan Marine heralds from Omaha and formerly from California. He has been working with students in Campus Life for 10 years now. He is well known for his costumes, crazy games, and deep passion for Jesus Christ. When Bryan is not working with students and volunteers at Northeast and Southeast High Schools he also leads the Campus Life High School team. Bryan and his wife Chelsea, also a Campus Life staff member, love drinking coffee and traveling.
BryanM@lincolnyfc.org
Chelsea Marine came to know Christ as her Savior through Campus Life at Lincoln High. She has been serving on staff since her sophomore year of college. Chelsa recently took on a new role as the coordinator of Leadership Development -- yep! If you volunteer or want to join the team, she is the one to talk to. Chelsea has a passion for seeing people develop to reach their full potential. She is married to Bryan Marine, the Campus Life High School Director and loves all things that have to do with Owls.
ChelseaM@lincolnyfc.org
Brian McMahan graduated with his Business Administration degree from Wesleyan University, but he decided he was most interested in serving Jesus by working with kids. So Brian joined our Campus Life Middle School team! Brian is interning at Culler Middle School. Originally from Grand Island, he’s an all-around sports and outdoors guy. Brian most enjoys fishing with spinners. His gallery of mounted fish is open daily from 2-6 pm for public viewing.
BrianM@lincolnyfc.org
Jackie O’Keefe went to middle school and high school at Mickel and Northeast in Lincoln. She was high school sweethearts with Nate and met him through Campus Life. They were married in the summer of 2011 and started an internship the following fall at Northeast High School. Jackie loves sharing the love of Christ with students and want to support students the way they were supported in high school. Jackie loves to collect Pokemon cards and have an entire room in their apartment dedicated to them.
JackieO@lincolnyfc.org
Nate O’Keefe is a graduate of Northeast High and Mickle Middle Schools where he current reaches out to students with his wife Jackie. Nate is currently taking Physics 221, wish him good luck or offere some study advice next time you see him. Nate is the only known SCUBA diver to have studied penquins on each continent.
NateO@LincolnYFC.org
Laura Ottley is on the middle school team and works at Mickle and Irving Middle School alongside her husband, full-time staff member, Trey Ottley. Laura also joined the Communications team this year. Laura is from Holdrege, Nebraska and graduated from University of Nebraska, Lincoln with a teaching degree. She has a deep love for teenagers and wants them to know the love of Christ. Laura and Trey are dedicated to being positive Christian role models in the lives of teenagers. Laura has memorized the entire “V” book of the Encyclopedia Britannica, enjoys bike riding, and running.
LauraO@lincolnyfc.org
Ian Opfer hails from the good, ol town of Holdrege, Nebraska. He continues the Opfer legacy of working with Campus Life during his college years. Ian participated in the Alumni Leadership program. This year he will intern at Lux Middle School. He can grow an impressive beard. He is a basketball hero. He once rescued a ran over baby opossum from the Funk-Odessa road, nursed it back to health, and set it free to enjoy the rest of its days in the Funk Lagoon.
IanO@lincolnyfc.org
Trey Ottley is a former East Spartan letter-winner in wrestling and football, and was Homecoming King. Trey hails from the great state of Wyoming and also lived in Alliance, Nebraska. He was involved in East Campus Life throughout most of his high school career. Trey and his wife Laura love working with middle and high school students. They believe God has called them to walk along side teenagers as they make their way through adolescence. Trey and Laura have a lifelong dream of competing as a couple in curling in the Winter Olympics. They spend most of the winter perfecting their polishing skills.
TreyO@lincolnyfc.org
Seth Roepke was a Campus Life student while he was in high school. He graduated from Lincoln High in 2011. Seth was very active in Campus Life; he came to know Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior through a Campus Life small group and meeting weekly with his leader. Seth is an intern and on the team launching North Star High School Campus Life. He is very excited to minister to other teens with the life-changing message of Jesus. Seth has a huge collection of lawn ornaments, and works on his needlepoint skills in his spare time.
SethR@lincolnyfc.org
Matt Schulte and his wife Kristin moved to Lincoln from Chicago in 2011 to serve as the Executive Director of Lincoln Campus Life. He has grown up knowing and believing in the mission of Youth for Christ. He has a passion for pointing teenagers to Christ and desires to see ministry flourish in every high school and middle school in the Lincoln area. Matt loves spending time with his wife and children, reading, and studying Parakeets.
MattS@lincolnyfc.org
Julie Strode joined our Teen Parents staff in June of 2012. She loves the opportunity to share how God can make a difference in the lives of young mothers and their families. Julie brings good experience to the ministry, having been married to Terry for 34 years and having two children and six grandchildren. Julie loves being outside and working with horses. She competes in barrel racing events and rodeos. Her true speciality, though, is performing as National Finals Rodeo lead clown.
Jenny Tran is a Lincoln native. She also came up through the ranks of Campus Life, faithfully attending club at Lincoln High during high school, participating in the Alumni Leadership program, and now interning at Lincoln High. Jenny enjoys the deliciousness that is Noodles & Company and aspires to be the reigning champion of all noodle-eating contests.
JennyT@lincolnyfc.org
Tim Welling has been on staff with Lincoln Campus Life since 2000 . He has served at many different schools, however felt called, with his wife, Darci to move to Ashland and serve students and families there. Tim has a passion for displaying the love of Jesus to students, especially those with very difficult life circumstances. Before coming on staff with Campus Life, Tim dreamed of becoming starting pitcher for the Minnesota Twins. He settled for being their biggest fan.TimW@lincolnyfc.org
Pat Williams holds the title of “Lifetime Achievement in YFC”. She has been secretary to 4 out of the 5 Lincoln Campus Life Executive Directors. Pat is a pillar of stability at the office. She is currently serving as the Office Manager. Outside of Campus Life, Pat loves spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren! She is a lover of all things green and loves creating new Indian food dishes and making sushi to share with the staff.PatW@lincolnyfc.org