Cristina Barba
Executive Director
Cristina oversees the planning and execution of Generation Life’s many and varied programs. She has been involved with Generation Life since 2001, when she was a student at Archbishop Carroll High School in Radnor, PA. As a student at Penn State—where she also served as president of Penn State Students for Life—Cristina helped Generation Life conduct conferences on campus, and she volunteered for Generation Life during her summers off from school. Upon graduation, Cristina joined Generation Life’s full-time staff, serving as Parish Outreach Coordinator, College Outreach Coordinator, Program Director before her promotion to Director in 2009.Cristina has a passion for working to build a culture of life—especially for working to protect the unborn, support and build up women, and spread the freeing message of chastity. She is the oldest of four children and loves traveling abroad, especially to Rome, where she lived for nine months. Cristina brings a contagious enthusiasm and a tremendous spirit of dedication to everything that she does.
E-Mail Cristina at: cbarba@generationlife.org
Amanda Morin
Assistant to the Director
Amanda grew up in Hopewell Junction, NY. She graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville in May 2011 with a double major in Theology and Catechetics. Amanda has a deep passion for promoting life and love. Since hearing a life-changing talk by Jason Evert in high school, she has been energized to take every possible step toward spreading this message. It is her goal to become the best version of herself through the plan that God has prepared for her in order that others may also become the best versions of themselves. She tells us: “My ultimate goal in life is do for others what the Lord has assigned me to do, that being, to imitate the name He has given me. Amanda means “worthy of Love.” And thus, this is why I exist: to make it known to all people that they too are “worthy of Love”!
E-Mail Amanda at: amorin@generationlife.org
Emily Ortiz
Director of Development
Emily is from Rochester Hills, MI and graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville with a degree in International Business and Spanish. Throughout high school and college, Emily developed a passion not only for the pro-life mission but also was introduced to the Theology of the Body and got involved in chastity outreach and education work. However, it was Emily’s love for travel that introduced her to Generation Life when she met the director, Christina Barba, at a retreat in Rome during her study abroad experience in 2010. After graduating, Emily returned to Europe to continue post-graduate study on the incorporation of Catholic values into international management and economic systems. While continuing this research, she realized her passion was to devote herself completely to the spread of the message of chastity and is excited to join the GenLife team where she feels that she will be able to combine her passion for the mission and her business background.
E-mail Emily at: eortiz@generationlife.org
Stephanie Santoleri
Office Manager
Stephanie currently lives in Chadds Ford, PA with her family; she is the only girl of five children. Stephanie attended St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia where she graduated in 2008 with a major in Biology and minor in Italian. She is an active board member for Family Life Educational Foundation, which helps promote pro-life and family values through various media. Stephanie is actively involved with the youth and five years ago, she became one of the youth ministers at her local parish’s youth group, SCOOP. She is still active with the youth group and enjoys taking the kids to various service events and retreats. Stephanie enjoys doing service within the local community and spending time with her friends and family. When time allows, Stephanie likes to listen to music, sketch and paint as a creative outlet.
E-mail Stephanie at: ssantoleri@generationlife.org
David Sao
Media and Communications Manager
David has extensive experience in many aspects of media. He has been involved with Generation Life since 2002, when he was a student at the Pennsylvania State University. As a student at Penn State, David was heavily involved with the Penn State Students for Life and Penn State Newman Catholic Student Association. While working with Penn State Students for Life, David became familiar with Generation Life and began volunteering with GenLife during his time off.David has a passion for spreading the truth about the Catholic faith and building the culture of life. He also has a love for media and graphic design. On his spare time David works on documentaries, photography and bookbinding. He is one of 4 children and loves going on mission trips around the world.
E-Mail David at: dsao@generationlife.org
Kyleen Roe
Philadelphia Director/Scheduler
Kyleen is the new Generation Life Director of Philadelphia. Kyleen became actively involved in the prolife movement about 3 years ago and began praying at the abortion mill in Philadelphia 2 years ago. She was exited to come on to do full time prolife and chastity work because she has seen the harmful affects of abortion, contraception and promiscuity on men and women and knows we can do better. Kyleen is very excited to be joining a team of dedicated young people in building a Culture of Life right here in Philadelphia.
E-mail Kyleen at: kroe@generationlife.org
Will Panagakos
Pro-Life/Chastity Educator
Will is from Winsted, Connecticut. He graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2010, where he studied Psychology and Theology. He served on several mission trips through Franciscan. During his time as a missionary in Jamaica, Will combated increases in broken homes and fatherless children by speaking in high schools about chastity and dignity. He is passionate about building a culture of young people with pure and honest hearts. Will believes in the immense potential of the human person to grow, and hopes to challenge and encourage others to live a richer life of virtue and principle during his year at Generation Life. Will is in his 2nd year with Generation Life.
E-Mail Will at: wpanagakos@generationlife.org
Stephanie Deutsch
Philadelphia Missionary
Stephanie Deutsch grew up in South Dakota and graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville in May, 2011, where she studied Theology and Humanities and Catholic Culture. She has been active in spreading the Gospel of Life through campus ministries, women’s prayer groups, and spending her summers traveling and speaking to young people. Stephanie is passionate about liberating our godless generation from the many lies being told about human dignity and sexuality. She feels personally convicted to tend to the consequent wounds of this injustice and so help restore her generation to a culture of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness.
E-Mail Stephanie at: sdeutsch@generationlife.org
DeVon Dunlap
Philadelphia Missionary
DeVon Dunlap is from the small town of Continental, OH. She is a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville with a double major in Catechetics and Theology. DeVon has a great love for the Theology of the Body and desires that this teaching be shared with all people, for it truly has the power to change the world by converting hearts! Through Franciscan University’s Missions of Peace program, DeVon traveled to the country of Belize with a team of missionaries. They taught in several high schools, spreading the message of God’s love and the beauty of living a chaste lifestyle. At the close of that trip, she knew that this mission must continue in the United States, and subsequently, God led her to GenLife. DeVon believes that her generation deserves to hear the Truth about life and love, and thus be equipped to combat the lies that are tossed their way. She is excited to be on the GenLife mission team and to speak on these matters that are so near and dear to her own heart.
E-Mail DeVon at: ddunlap@generationlife.org
Kate Capato
Philadelphia Missionary
Kate grew up in PA and is a graduate of Bishop Shanahan High school. She attended Palm Beach Atlantic University, located in West Palm Florida, to study studio art, psychology, and dance with the hopes of eventually going on to further studies in art or dance therapy. Graduating in 2010 as Most Outstanding Artist, with a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, Kate went on to gain further experience in the arts. At PBA, Katelyn was also heavily involved with mission work overseas. Furthermore, after graduating, she traveled to Mumbai India offering art therapy and teaching dance and art to girls and boys at an orphanage for two months. Because of Kate’s heavy involvement in the art culture and missions, she understands the dire need for purity of our bodies and an unveiling of our true worth. In the future, Kate seeks to combine the art forms and use them to spread the message of purity and human dignity internationally. She looks forward to not only sharing her gifts with Generation Life but to also grow in knowledge about full time ministry and the messages of our sexual worth.
E-Mail Kate at: kcapato@generationlife.org
Lamar Edwards
Philadelphia Missionary
Lamar is a southern boy hailing from New Orleans, La. He grew up going to Catholic school but didn’t have an appreciation for his faith until late in his high school career. After experiencing interior conversion, he felt a call to continue learning about his faith even after high school. Lamar graduated in December of 2011 from Our Lady of Holy Cross College in New Orleans, La with a major in Theology and a minor in Philosophy. He has spent the past 3 years as a youth minister working with high school students in the New Orleans metro area and is currently a student at the Theology of the Body Institute in Quarryville, Pa, seeking certification. Lamar is excited to dive into ministry with Generation Life to help young people become the men and women God is calling them to be. In his spare time, Lamar loves to play the guitar and piano, swing dance, and play racquetball (but not at the same time).
E-Mail Lamar at: ledwards@generationlife.org
Emmanuel Peña
New York Team Leader
Emmanuel Peña was born and raised in Corona, NY. His parents emigrated to the United States in the 70’s from the Dominican Republic. Emmanuel is the youngest of twelve children. He became an uncle at the age of five and currently has twenty nieces and nephews and counting. In the fall of 2002, Emmanuel began his college studies at York College, Jamaica, NY; then he transferred to St. John’s University where he attained his B.A. in Philosophy in 2007. Emmanuel has served as a leader with Corazon Puro (Pure Heart), a bilingual group dedicated to promoting the Culture of Life by teaching chastity, Theology of the Body and the importance of every human life, mainly in the inner city of NY. His Dominican heritage is very much a part of him. He enjoys all kinds of music but mainly dancing to Merengue, Bachata (traditional Dominican music), and Salsa. He also enjoys watching “well worth it” movies, especially thriller, suspense, foreign, and comedy.
E-Mail Emmanuel at: epena@generationlife.org
Ellie Jenson
Ellie is from Minnetonka, Minnesota. She graduated from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN this past spring where she studied Psychology, Catholic Studies, and Music. She participated in campus outreach through St. Paul’s Outreach, and the Catholic Studies Leadership Interns program at St. Thomas. Throughout the past four years, she has had a growing desire to be a missionary, particularly in our own country. She feels a calling to minister to the wounds of her generation, particularly those that come from a distorted view of the body and sexuality. She is excited to speak to high school students about their immense dignity and worth and to encourage them to live intentionally, seeking virtue and reflecting the beauty of their Creator.
E-Mail Ellie at: ejensen@generationlife.org
Catherine Palmer
Steven Edelson
Steven is from Ossining, NY. He graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2012 with Bachelor degrees in both Theology and Philosophy. After coming into college as a Psychology major, he soon realized that Theology and Philosophy were the subjects which instilled in him a true passion for study. In his sophomore year, he had the privilege of studying abroad and traveling through Europe. In his junior and senior years, he traveled to third world countries such as Jamaica and Honduras. Through these adventures, he developed a love for the human person, arriving at a true appreciation for man’s inherent dignity and worth displayed so beautifully through the richness of culture. He was able to see the richness of humanity grounded within man’s spirit; it was not a monetary wealth. Now having completed his undergraduate studies, Steven believes strongly that speaking to the youth about the sacredness of sex as well as the value of human life is intrinsic to helping men and women reach their heavenly destination after this life.
E-Mail Steven at: sedelson@generationlife.org
Horacio Gonzalez
Rebecca Hofmann
Travel Team Leader
Becca is from Stow, Massachusetts. She graduated from Merrimack College in 2007 with a degree in Sociology and French. For three years, she worked at the International School of Boston as an administrative assistant and taught English as a second language. While living in Boston she became active with a prayer group called Pure in Heart America, which gave Chastity and Pro-Life talks. Through giving these talks, she saw that the youth was getting lost in the negative influences of today’s society. She knew she couldn’t stand back and watch this happen. A passion was stirred within her to be a positive witness of promoting pure love and that God was calling her to take a more pro-active role. This past year she left her job and became a missionary with NET Ministries Ireland. She gave retreats to primary and secondary schools spreading to the message of beauty and truth of the Gospel to the youth of Ireland. She is excited to be with Generation Life this year as she continues to follow her passion.
E-Mail Rebecca at: rhofmann@generationlife.org
Stephanie Brown
Stephanie is from Baytown, Texas (just east of Houston) where she lived for most of her life with her Mom, Dad and younger sister. After graduating from a public high school, she attended a community college for two years and then transferred to the Franciscan University of Steubenville, where she graduated with a major in Catechetics and a minor in Theology. Ever since the 8th grade, she has always wanted and felt called to be a missionary! In 2011, Stephanie was in China on mission for two weeks teaching the Theology of the Body to orphaned children. The year before that she was in Jamaica for another mission trip. Over the past two years, she has also gone on missions to Chicago and to a small Indian reservation in North Dakota as well.
E-Mail Stephanie at: sbrown@generationlife.org
Jose Carrillo
Jose comes from a small town in San Diego, CA. There he spent the past couple of years at a community college in San Marcos, CA where he pursued his career in Criminal Justice as a Drug Enforcement Agent. Jose taught Theology of the Body for Teens to high school students in the small town of Escondido, CA. There he realized his true passion and love of the teachings of John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. In 2011, he was able to attend his first course at the TOB Institute taught by Christopher West in Quarryville, PA. When he attended the second course in 2012, he was introduced to Generation Life and decided to join the mission that he feels so passionate about. Jose is the youngest on the team and is excited and honored to be sharing the beautiful messages of the chastity and pro-Life with other young people. He thanks God every day for the opportunity to be part of this team and prays for the Culture of Life!
E-Mail Jose at: jcarrillo@generationlife.org
Melissa St. Ledger
Melissa is a graduate of Franciscan University, where she studied Theology and Psychology. She is from Annapolis, Maryland and loves every outdoor activity from fishing at the lake in Maine to skiing in the Austrian Alps. Since Melissa was a little girl, she has always had a heart for young children. After attending her first March for Life in high school, she has unceasingly sought out the truth and beauty of the world. Finding this truth in the message of authentic Life and Love, Melissa is thrilled to spend this year fully devoted to Pro-Life and chastity ministry.
E-Mail Melissa at: mstledger@generationlife.org
Kevin Kast
Kevin was born and raised in Roseburg, Oregon. He spent the past five years studying filmmaking at John Paul the Great Catholic University in San Diego, first receiving his Bachelor of Science in Media Communications in 2010, and then finishing up his MBA in Film Producing in 2012. Passionate about the power of stories, Kevin’s primary pursuit has been the art of film and storytelling. He believes that one day, “beauty will save the world,” and strives to bring beauty, truth, and goodness to all the art he creates. This is all, of course, motivated by a devotion and love for the teachings of the Catholic Church, and Kevin is excited to spend a year spreading the message of the beauty of chastity.
E-Mail Kevin at: kkast@generationlife.org