Nazarene Youth International
Candidate Bios
Vice President (2 year term, Yes/No ballot)
My Name is Ryan Etterling. I am on staff at Cornerstone Nazarene in Wheelersburg, Ohio. I have attended Cornerstone for nearly 26 years 19 of which I have been the full time youth pastor.
There is no other occupation in the world as rewarding as youth ministry. I get to be a part of forming young men and women into the people that God created them to be. A people of love, compassion, and grace! And when I see all those come together as a disciple of Christ, there is such a joy in my heart!
I love SCO NYI for that reason! This district has led the way in discipling teens! I have had so many now adults tell me that if it not for NYI in their teen years, they may not have stuck with being part of a church! What a blessing!
I am a sports nut! I love them all, including Curling! Baseball is probably my favorite. I have coached high school baseball for 12 years now! Basketball and Golf are probably tied for second! I also love playing music. My two favorite instruments are drums and guitar!
College/Career Representative (1 year term, Electing 2)
Hello, my name is Elijah Litman. I am from Grove City, and I am currently a junior at MVNU. At my church, I volunteer on the media and production team as a camera operator. I also volunteer for our VBS program. One thing that I love about NYI is Bible Quizzing because I believe that it is a great way to learn more about scripture. In my free time I like to spend time with friends, read, and play video games.
Hello, I’m Emm Ballenger! I am from Newark, but am now attending Mount Vernon Nazarene University. I am studying Youth and family Ministry. I am on the sideline cheer team and am very involved on campus. I love serving at my home church and local church while at school. I serve with children and have a call to minister to them! NYI has been one of the best things in my life and introduced me to the people who have made the biggest impact in my spiritual life. I have served on the council for 3 years and I would love to represent this new community of young adults!
Hi! My name is Grace Maddux. I am from Lancaster but I attend Pickerington Church of the Nazarene. I am a college student at MVNU but when I am home, I am very active on our praise team. Something that I appreciate about NYI is how active they are in the life of the Church in that they are always working to make the youth’s experience as great as they can. It proves how much they love and care for the students and their journey in their faith. As an active college student, a lot of my time goes toward school, but I am active in our chapel band on campus and I am on MVNU’s Music & Ministry team. When I finally do get some downtime, I like to spend it with my friends!
I am from Circleville, Ohio, and I currently serve as the preteen director and the Children's Ministry Intern at Heritage Naz as well as the Upward Volleyball director. I love NYI because of the unique opportunity it brings for students in the Nazarene Church. For fun, I like to play basketball and grow in the sport I plan to pursue a career in, as well as train kids who want to get better in their skills.
Hi! I am from Grove City Naz and have served there for many many years anywhere from Nursery and Preschool to Preteens. I love NYI because it has hosted events that have changed my life, such as Teen Camps, BLAST, and NYC. Without those events, I do not think I would be the person that I am today. Some things I like to do for fun is play pickleball or golf with friends, or even puzzle in my dorm while watching a movie. I am currently a sophomore at Mount Vernon Nazarene University and am absolutely loving every minute there!
High School Representative (1 year term, Electing 2)
My name is Cadence Fullen, and I am a Freshman at Westfall High School. I live in the Orient area and attend Darby Creek Church of the Nazarene. I have attended this church my entire life and love our congregation with my whole heart. I am constantly looking for new ways to serve at Darby Creek. On Sunday’s, I change the slides during service. On occasions, I sing with our worship team and serve as the front door greeter. I have also participated in bible quizzing since the second grade. During my course of teen quizzing our team has attended the Finals two years in a row, I participated with the All-Star team and our team finished in the open platinum division at the MVNU Tri-State tournament this year. I also love working with children. This past summer I helped organize and run our vacation bible school. I volunteer my time to Darby Creek's love your neighbor activities. This past year we served Westfall schools by packing Westfall Cares food backpacks, passed out popsicles in our local communities and served Westfall teachers coffee and cookies on teacher appreciation day. I also help pack crisis care kits that our district sends to areas that have experienced a disaster.
In my spare time I also participate in school activities such as cross country and track. This year I joined the musical program, and we are performing the show The Addams Family. I enjoy competing in speech contests and recently received 2nd place in the Circleville Rotary competition. To relax, I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, creating home movies and reading my Bible.
I would love to serve as your SCO NYI representative. I have many ideas for fun youth events. I have a passion for planning and organizing events such as Winter Retreat, Teen Summer Camp and BLAST. Also, you will be seeing me at NYC this year. One event I would like to help advertise to receive larger participation is the SCO teen bible quizzing program. This is a wonderful program that helps youth learn the word of God.
Hi! My name is Elaina Culp. I'm from Circleville, Ohio. My home church is Great City in Chillicothe, Ohio. However, I am a part of Heritage Nazarene's youth program. I'm one of the student leaders at Heritage, and I play drums for our worship team sometimes. Basketball is one of my biggest passions. I play for Circleville city schools, and I'm involved in AAU. I see basketball as an opportunity for me to witness to people by having genuine care and compassion for the teams we play. When it comes to NYI, I love what they stand for and what it's all about. This is an area I've been trying to grow in, so I'm really thankful to have this opportunity.
Hello, my name is Emma Hetzler! I’m from Pickerington, Ohio, and I am a member and volunteer at Pickerington Church of the Nazarene. I am a senior at Fairfield Christian Academy, and I love to serve in my home, school, church, and community.
This fall, I will be attending MVNU with a major in Biology Pre-Med. I am currently considering family medicine. However, I am open to wherever the Lord calls me to serve because my goal is to glorify and honor Him!
At church, I recently became a regular member of our Sunday morning worship team. I also serve on the tech team, the worship choir, and occasionally in the children’s ministry. I regularly attend youth group and youth praise band on Sundays and Bible study on Wednesdays. I love having the opportunity to mentor other students and serve wherever my church needs it. I have also been to many youth events like Winter Retreat, BLAST, Summer Retreat, the Explore conference, and NYC. I’ll be attending NYC in 2026, and I cannot wait to see what the Lord will do!
I served on the NYI council as a junior representative for 2 years, and I absolutely loved it! I’m a huge planner, and I love to feel involved in making important decisions for our youth as a district. I also love coming together with others to glorify Christ and tackle things with a Christian mindset. I love that NYI is able to work together and plan amazing events so that teens can grow in their faith and have an encounter with God.
Outside of church, I am very involved in my school. I am on the chapel band at my school, and I participate in Varsity cheer and golf. I am also involved in theatre, Euchre club, and Bible studies at my school. I am on the Principal’s Honor Roll and serve as president of four National Honor Societies. I also enjoy writing, journaling, and worshipping Jesus! My goal in everything I do is to honor Christ! I hope to be able to serve in mighty ways this year and grow in my faith.
I am Madi D’Ettorre and I attend M1Naz (Marietta First). I serve at my home church in a number of ways: I am heavily involved on our worship team, I have helped at VBS and other kids events, and I have helped at weekly meals to help feed people. I also help choose and lead devotionals online for my youth group. I love NYI because I believe there are not many things more special than worshipping the Lord alongside other teenagers. I love to see other people my age on fire and in love with Jesus. For fun, I enjoy singing/guitar, golfing, and hanging out with my friends, family, and youth group.
My name is Samuel Maddux. I’m a pastors kid from Pickerington Church of the Nazarene. I serve in my church doing things like drumming and singing in the Praise Team. I love NYI because of all the cool and fun experiences we have during the events they put together. I drum, sing, and I’m currently learning guitar. I also play soccer and basketball.
Middle School Representative (1 year term, Electing 2)
I grew up in California from the time I was 2 to the time I was about 8, then we moved here to Ohio and I have lived here since. I currently go to church at Newark Naz and serve in our children’s church. I work with the preschoolers and help out during second service if I am needed. I also help when I can on Wednesday nights and any events that I can. I love NYI because it involves people my age coming together as a community and having fun. I love that it allows me to find people my age to share an experience learning about God. I also love baking and cooking and I currently play softball for my school team. I also do Science Olympiad where we go as a middle school team and compete in a tournament and build devices or take tests.
Eli Zahler attends Whitehall Church of the Nazarene. He serves at Whitehall Naz by assisting with local events, children's church, and hospitality. He also enjoys serving as an aide to Children's Ministry during Camp Meeting. Eli loves that through NYI he can connect with other teens to learn about, serve, and worship God together! Eli's favorite NYI Events are BLAST, Teen Quizzing, and is really excited to attend NYC this year. He is in his third year of Teen Bible Quizzing and really enjoys the community and competition that it provides. In his spare time, Eli makes Disney board games, plays golf, plays percussion in the school marching band, and participates in local and school produced musicals.
I grew up not only as a pastor's kid, but a missionary kid. I was raised on the Texas/Mexico border before moving to West Virginia then to Circleville, OH.
I started serving my home church by volunteering in the children's program with the 3 to 5 year olds. I also love being able to read the Bible and being part of my accountability group within my small group.
I love to read and write! One day I hope to be a published author.
Hi my name is Kamryn Billiter I am a student at Wheelersburg middle school and I am 14 years old. I play volleyball and I run track. I am a very adventurous, courageous, and outgoing person. I am all about trying new stuff and not being afraid to take risks. I love discovering and exploring new things. With God leading my path I am excited to see where he will lead me in the future spreading love and compassion along the way. In the church I serve in many ways. I help in the nursery and whenever there is an opportunity to serve I take it. I love meeting new people and sharing God’s word with them. I am so excited to see where this adventure is going to lead me.
I was born in Washington and I have lived in Ohio for most of my life. I serve by doing worship slides and I help setup the chairs for events I also love to help out in any way i can. I love how welcoming and kind and helpful all the staff is everywhere I go. I read, play video games, ride my bike and hang out with family.
I'm from Marietta, Ohio. I serve in the sound booth at church by running lyrics, and I have helped at our weekly meals. I love making new friends at NYI events. I like playing tennis for fun.
My name is Trenton Shelton I’m from Pickerington Ohio I am a part of the ray naz praise team and I volunteer for other projects there I also help serve in the pick naz youth group. I love youth group trips such as blast ,Nyeep, winter retreat ,and teen camp and I’m going to N.Y.C I love the environment they bring , how easy it is to make friends there , how much of a judge free area it brings and the ways I am able to learn about GOD for fun I like to build, craft, play video games , play with my dogs , help , and a whole lot more.
