Professional staff

Paula ('18) strives to embody the mission of the Agape Center in everything she does. Her educational background is in peace and conflict studies and restorative justice, trauma and resilience in educational environments. The transformative experiences she had as a student leader with the Agape Center influenced her decision to pursue international work through the English Language Institute where she facilitated experiential learning opportunities and taught English in Vietnam, Lebanon, Hong Kong and Cambodia. Shortly after completing undergrad at Messiah, Paula served as an Emergency Response Assistant for Lebanon and Syria with Mennonite Central Committee working to provide humanitarian assistance, peacebuilding, and trauma healing in response to the Syrian Crisis. From there, Paula joined Journey's End Refugee Services in Buffalo, NY as the Gainful Employment Training Program Manager. Paula is passionate about engaging with and learning from other cultures and is thrilled to be able to incorporate the many lessons she's learned throughout her own local and global service into her role supporting students and the broader community alike to engage more deeply with one another!

Shardé holds her M.A. in Media Studies from the Pennsylvania State University and a B.A. in Communication from Bluefield University. While an undergraduate, she participated in a two-year, service-learning program (Bonner Scholars), where she connected deeply with the pedagogical model. Her professional experience has included teaching in the department of Communication; working in full-time ministry; and overseeing service-learning programs at several Universities. Shardé is excited to come alongside students at Messiah who are looking to connect their faith and academics with service. She is passionate about helping students discover their unique, God-given gifts (1 Peter 4:10) and vocational calling; and equipping students to contribute positively to the common good.

Contact Shardé if you would like to become involved with a Local Outreach Team or serve on an Alternative Break trip. Shardé also seeks to support faculty pursuing service-learning courses and students who choose to fulfill their ELI requirement through non-credit bearing SL experiences.

Kate ('24) holds an educational background in Human Development and Family Science. She began her journey at the Agapé Center as Office Assistant, dedicating two years to supporting its mission, outreach leaders, and staff before transitioning into the role as Administrative Assistant. During her time at Messiah, Kate demonstrated her commitment to community engagement by serving as the Social Outreach Coordinator for Messiah's Council on Family Relations. She initiated conversations aimed at enhancing family life within the university and beyond. She volunteered with the Agapé Center at Bethesda Hotspot and participated in a cross-cultural course in Zambia, Africa, where she immersed herself in different forms of learning and community engagement. Throughout her experiences, Kate's passion for service and engaging with individuals remained unwavering. Now, in her role at the Agapé Center, Kate is excited to continue her journey of service, supporting both staff and students alike.

Jess Carroll is the graduate assistant for service trips at Agape, coordinating domestic and international service opportunities for students. She attended Geneva College, where she graduated in 2021 with a bachelor's in writing, and minors in TESOL and missions. While at Geneva, Jess had the privilege of serving as an ESL tutor which eventually took her to Ukraine, where she taught English to middle and high school students for a summer. In the years since graduation, she's filled roles in proposal writing, content marketing, and public relations, including serving with the International Justice Mission's Philippines Office to End the Sexual Exploitation of Children as a brand, media, and communications intern. Jess loves service-- from ESL to storm cleanup to summer camps-- and is passionate about helping students use their God-given talents and interests to faithfully serve the people around them. When not in the office, you'll probably find Jess trekking through a state park, wandering around a library, or planning her next adventure.