Youthlinc - Creating lifetime humanitarians

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STAFF

Judy Zone
Executive Director and Founder

Judy Zone has worked with youth all her life, as a secondary and college educator. Now as the Executive Director of the Youthlinc program, Judy still considers herself an educator -- but the topic she is teaching is service education. Judy’s undergraduate work is in English and Journalism from Boston University, and graduate work in (M.Ed. and ABD in a Ph.D. program in Education) from the University of Utah. She has used her background and experience in education to formulate the strategies that underlie the effectiveness of the Youthlinc program in creating lifetime humanitarians.

Judy also has experience in both print and television journalism, skills that have helped her promote Youthlinc.

Since 1999, the program’s inception, Youthlinc has been a consuming passion, purpose, and joy for Judy – rivaled only by her commitment to her husband, Dr. John Zone of the University of Utah Medical Center, and her daughter, Sara Conger, who was instrumental in developing the Youthlinc concept of bringing students to both local and international service.

Miriam Kramer
International Service and Development Director

Miriam has always had a passion for travel, whether that be working at a dude ranch in Teton National Park, with foster children in San Diego, or serving in the Peace Corps in Guatemala. She believes, “Traveling keeps adventure alive within us and gives us the perspective needed to appreciate our own cultures, traditions and relationships.”

At Salt Lake Community College, Miriam raised money for 9-11 victims, served on the Student Life and Leadership Board, as the service-learning representative, and as Student Body Vice President. She was also recognized as the Salt Lake Community College’s Humanitarian of the Year.

At the University of Utah, she worked as the Public Relations Director for the Lowell Bennion Center, working with clubs and planning campus-wide events, also graduating with the Service-Learning Scholar designation and a degree in International Relations.

Miriam has a Master’s in Human Development and Social Policy from the University of Utah. For her research, she focused on how service might be improved for the local refugee community, and how we might improve resettlement services. for these people. She believes that the empowerment of women is the key to sustainable community development, both locally and internationally.

Julia Wee
Local Service Director and Office Manager

The oldest of 6 children, Julia was born in southern California and raised in Sandy, Utah. She attended Juan Diego H.S. where she says her “personal joy in service began.” She volunteered as a summer camp counselor, the 2002 Olympics, and the Utah Food Bank.

While working on her degree in International Studies and Sociology at the University of Utah, Julia was employed by the Lied Boys and Girls Club of Greater Salt Lake. She interned at the International Refugee Committee and studied abroad in Oviedo, Spain. Her volunteer work included UNICEF RED, Student Orphan Aid Program, national Links to Literacy project. All of these experiences had a link between local and international service, so she says, they led naturally to Youthlinc.

Julia’s sister Olivia was a student on the 2009 Mexico team, and her stories of service led Julia to become a mentor on the 2010 Thailand team. Says Julia: “I was incredibly impressed by the passion and willingness to serve that came from everyone on that team. I am so lucky to be able to continue to work with Youthlinc and I am so thankful to have the opportunity to do what I love full time!