Meet the Survival Team

The TeenPact Survival Team is from all over the country and have volunteered their time to help tell the story of what God is doing at Survival. The guys built the blog and are currently introducing it to the ladies – they will be on board as authors soon!

Austin Eldridge

Austin Eldridge lives in Hernando, MS and loves to play ultimate frisbee, hang out with friends, and generally stay outside alot, although he also likes to learn about computers. Austin is an avid sports fan, and especially loves college basketball. He also enjoys playing basketball himself, as well as watching college football. He plays guitar and keys, and hopes to one day begin recording his own songs and music.

Austin is an Eagle Scout and is very passionate about everything outdoors. He attended the inaugural Survival Northeast in 2010 and was completely hooked. He then had the privilege of staffing Survival Southeast in 2010 a few months later.

This is Austin’s second year to be involved with Survival, and it has greatly impacted his life. He is very grateful to Daniel Solid and Mark Drye for all the hard work and preperation they put into these events, and their passion for ministering to young men. He is very excited to be staffing with the program again this year, and looks forward to what God will do in his life, as well as in the lives of others.

 Jared Hooper

Jared Hooper is from the “Hospitality State” of Mississippi. He attended his first TeenPact class in 2007,  and has been hooked ever since. He has attended every MS state class since then, as a student and eventually as staff. Staffing the state classes the last two years has taught Jared that TeenPact is doing much more than just teaching students about politics – it is training a generation to make an impact on the world.

TeenPact Survival just happens to be one of Jared’s favorite alumni events, and he is thrilled to be able to serve. Survival has made a huge impact on his life by teaching him the meaning of true leadership from a Biblical perspective. Jared is very excited about Survival this year, and is looking forward to see what God is doing through the ministry.

Gene Hynson

Gene Hynson has been involved with TeenPact since 2006 and would not trade the experience for the world. Through every state class and alumni event, Gene has seen God work in miraculous ways in the lives of teens from across the nation.

Technology and innovation are two additional concepts that really get Gene excited. Through the past he has had the opportunity to practice web development for small, local companies. Currently, Gene is doing some larger web development for a non-profit organization, RememberOneAnother. Gene will be a high school senior in the fall of 2011, and can’t wait to see God’s plans for his future after graduation.

TeenPact Survival is one of the most encouraging and Christ-centered camps that Gene has attended. Survival Southeast 2010 impacted him with the incredible challenge of relying on Christ in all situations. Gene cannot wait to participate in the impact of Survival 2011.

Clay Gibson

Clay Gibson has been born and raised in South Georgia, where growing up, he spent most of his time in the great outdoors. Clay first became involved in TeenPact Survival in 2006, and since then he has attended again as a student, and is now a staffer.

Clay is passionate about filmmaking, with the ultimate goal of becoming a professional director, working toward reforming the culture for Christ. Clay is very excited about serving as a staffer, and can’t wait to see what God will do with Survival this year.

 

Faith James

Faith James has been involved with TeenPact since 2009, attending her TeenPact state class in both 2009 and 2010. Then, in the summer of 2010, she attended the very first Survival Northeast! This week-long experience of team challenges and spiritual application was right up her alley and helped her identify certain God – given gifts. This past year, Faith was given the opportunity to return to Survival Northeast 2011 as a staffer. Through staffing, she experienced God’s faithfulness as never before, and is looking forward to witnessing it again at Survival Southeast 2011.

Faith lives in Bowie, MD and enjoys playing sports, working out, spending time with her family, and serving others. She also enjoys getting to know God and learning how he created mankind to live. Faith would like to pursue a career in the health field, but is open to other directions in which God may lead her.

Faith is thankful to her previous staff team for their shining example of what it means to work with excellence as unto the Lord, and to Daniel Solid for his Godly leadership and faithful investment in the mission of Survival as a whole.

Daniel Solid

Daniel Solid loves applying truth, technology, and team building to real world problems. Called to teach the Bible, he uses an expositional approach that derives lesson points from a passage, instead of selecting points and attempting to prove them with the Bible. He consistently challenges students to be diligently creative with what God has given them right here, right now – especially in developing their understanding of the why (scripture, history, council) behind the what (thoughts, assumptions, actions.

When not teaching, Daniel works as a marketing technology consultant, showing small businesses and ministries how to increase revenue by more effectively reaching their audience online with their story. He holds a Bachelor’s in Business Marketing from the University of Georgia. Daniel lives in Commerce, GA and loves all kinds of outdoor activities including tennis, climbing and rapelling, obstacle courses, horseback riding, shooting, and ultimate frisbee.

Involved with TeenPact Survival since its inception in 1999, Daniel is grateful to Curtis Whatley, Survival’s founder, for mentoring him until he was asked to lead the program in 2006. As the director of the Survival program, Daniel is responsible for selecting and training Survival’s leadership, developing its curriculum, and communicating its mission.