My name is Ryan Mullennex. I am from Elkins, West Virginia, and I am 23 years old. I am a recent graduate of Davis & Elkins College with a double major in environmental science and sustainability. I enjoy most genres of music, hiking, camping, intellectual conversation and experiencing what God has in store for me. Interest in this year of service began for me when I took a trip to Nicaragua as part of a college class. While we were there, we focused on many topics similar to the ideals of the YAV program. We explored issues such as poverty, social inequality, economic inequality and the effects of US foreign policy on the development of that beautiful nation.
Now, I hope to continue exploring these topics during my year of service in Tucson, Arizona. There I will be working with local community outreach and the Abundant Harvest Cooperative. While I am there I will get the unique opportunity to experience diverse cultures and explore their perspectives on the perplexing issues facing our country, and ultimately, our world today. I believe that to truly help this world one must seek God’s kingdom through servant leadership, which begins with a bottom-up approach, rather than from the top down. God has a special place in his heart for the less fortunate, not because God loves them more than anyone else, but because their suffering is often the result of corrupted systems we have willingly put in place.