Carolyn was born and raised in the Southwestern United States. With a background in Secondary Education, History, and Political Science, Carolyn has spent her life learning to love people and places. She quickly realized that she had a gift for connecting with others and now spends her time creating and allocating resources that will provide others with the tools they need to improve their circumstances. 

As a small business owner, Carolyn has spent thousands of hours participating in service organizations to benefit her community. These opportunities for service were fulfilled in multiple positions including her time as President of the Kiwanis Club, Advisor to the Preston High School Key Club, the March of Dimes Coordinator, a board member for Friends of the Library, and Director of the Preston Education Foundation. 

Her time directing the Education Foundation launched her work with LDS Charities where she worked as the Director of the Friendship Centre in Athens, Greece. It was here that she gained a passion for and understanding of working with refugees and other displaced persons. While in Greece, Carolyn was able to establish relationships with other charitable organizations, and it's also where she connected with Julia Tokatlidou while volunteering for the Youth 2 Youth Program with the American Community School of Athens. 

Since her initial work in Athens, Carolyn continues to divide her time between her family of eight children and sixteen grandchildren at home in the States, and Global Connect, this foundation that she started to help change the lives of both participants and volunteers from around the world.

Ms. Tokatlidou completed her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the School of Law and Economics at the Aristoteleion University of Thessaloniki in 1981. She continued her studies in Toronto, Canada, where she completed her Master of Arts in Economics and all but the thesis requirement for the Ph.D. program in Economics. In 2013 she received her M.B.A from the University of Indianapolis as well as her Certificate for International School Leadership.

Ms. Tokatlidou has been a member of the ACS Athens community since 2005. Initially, as an IB Economics faculty, then as Director of IB and AP programs, as Academy Vice-Principal, and currently the Dean of Academics. For more than a decade, Ms. Tokatlidou has worked along with the IB Diploma and AP Faculty in expanding and enhancing the IB and AP programs as well as the curriculum and professional development of faculty, making the IB Diploma program one of the most sought-after programs in Greece.

In 2019, she spearheaded the launch of ACS Athens Virtual, offering online courses. Ms. Tokatlidou led a team of educators and administrators to create a new curriculum while at the same time adapting the existing one. Currently in its third successful year, ACS Athens Virtual placed ACS Athens amongst the leading schools worldwide that incorporated and effectively applied technological developments in education that addressed different types of learners through an extended variety of courses. Further, ACS Athens Virtual helped create a framework for hybrid learning during the extended Covid-19 lockdowns of 2020 and 2021. 

Ms. Tokatlidou strongly believes in learning and citizenship development through service,  innovative projects, and personal growth through education. This led to the development and creation of the ACS Athens Youth to Youth Educational and Social Integration Program in collaboration with The HOME Project organization. The program addresses the social and educational needs of unaccompanied minors in Athens that fled to Greece due to the Syrian civil war through a student-to-student partnership learning model running since January 2017. The program now includes the Part-time Youth to Youth that runs on Saturdays and involves numerous student and faculty volunteers, and the full-time Youth to Youth program run through the Ed Shapiro Foundation scholarships.

As an educator, Julia strives for lifelong learning unconfined by physical proximity, global citizenship, effective risk-taking, and ethical decision-making. She has led various workshops and has published in numerous scientific journals.Ms. Tokatlidou was born and raised in Drama, Greece.

Kosmas Drakatos holds degrees in Archaeology and Classical Philology from the University of Athens. He spent a year studying abroad at the University of Milan through a student exchange program, and he holds a Master's degree in Classical Civilizations from the University College London, for which he received an Onassis scholarship.

He has been working as a teacher of philological subjects since his student years, and in recent years, he decided to work with vulnerable populations, specifically as a teacher/educator for unaccompanied minor refugees and migrants in hosting facilities.

He received significant recognition as a teacher and mentor when his students gained visibility through the Greek media and the Ministry of Migration and Asylum due to their academic performance and their admission to universities.

He continues to work as an educator, constantly seeking new opportunities and possibilities for these populations, as he believes that through education, true integration and change can occur in people's lives. 

Born in The Gambia, West Africa, Bakary migrated to Greece in 2022, marking the beginning of a challenging yet transformative chapter in his life. Through resilience and determination, he achieved English proficiency, earning certifications from both Michigan and Cambridge in 2022 and 2023.

Bakary became the first student to graduate from Global Connect, obtaining his American High School Certificate (GED) through the program. In 2023, he began his Bachelor’s degree in Business and Economics at the American College of Greece, made possible through the Education Unites Scholarship, generously funded by the U.S. Embassy in Athens. 

For Bakary, this is more than just an opportunity, it is a way to give back to the very organization that renewed his hopes by fully funding his GED acquisition, which ultimately paved the way for his university admission. As he puts it, “Global Connect took me from camp to campus by giving me the tools to get my GED.”

Beyond academics, Bakary is a dedicated youth leader and advocate, both on and off campus. He has represented young people across Europe, speaking at various EU and global institutions to champion the voices of the marginalized. He served as a Children's Rights Board Member and Ambassador for Defence for Children International and was part of the pioneering team of Young Justice Transformers under the Child Justice European Network.

Currently, Bakary serves as an Assistant Program Manager, driven by his desire to be part of the same cause that changed his life. Through his work, he empowers young people through education, ensuring they have the same opportunities that gave him hope.

Kelly Thornton has spent the last 25 years dedicated to community solutions, volunteerism, and educational advocacy. She started her career as a Foster Care Tracker for the State of Utah and moved to the YWCA to work with their Teen Outreach program. This program assists pregnant and new teen mothers with community resources and classes in healthy relationships and sustainable living. 

Kelly spent many years as a customer service agent and trainer with Delta Airlines. From 2009-2017, Kelly was a principal meeting planner, Director of Special Events and Trade Shows at Syncopate Meeting and Events. Between her sales experience with Delta and Trade shows, she has become an experienced fundraiser. She has participated in two humanitarian missions to Uganda that focus on education, clean water, and microloans.

As a member of the Foreign Service-State Department family, she has been fortunate to live overseas and all over the United States. During those years, she served on public and private school boards; and as a special education advocate for families in her community. For the past five years, Kelly has worked for the U.S. State Department in Athens, Greece, and Sydney, Australia. She worked as an administrative assistant and Community Network volunteer. In Greece, 

Kelly found her passion for service working with the refugee population and migration issues. Through her volunteer work within grassroots organizations and local NGOs, Kelly’s ethos in education is a cornerstone in creating better opportunities for migrant- asylum seekers. She recently went back to school at Arizona State University to earn a degree in Community Advocacy and Social Policies. 

She is currently serving as Vice President on the Board of Global Connections and as the GED advisor for our students’ success. As you can see, she is passionate about volunteerism, especially working with refugees.

Lynda Hamblin spent 30 years in public education, teaching English in junior high and high school. She received a BA in English Education at Utah State and a Master’s degree in the Theory and Practice of Writing also at Utah State University.

Since retiring in 2018, Lynda has found fulfillment in volunteering at the local elementary school teaching writing to 4th and 5th graders. An activity she loves.

Lynda raised her 5 children in Preston and now has 13 grandchildren who keep her busy. She has been with Global Connect from its inception, first as an advisor and more recently as the Tutor Coordinator.

Marilyn Johnson spent her early years on a wheat farm in Idaho. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English Education and moved to Los Angeles, California. She taught English at AGBU Marie Manoogian Armenian Day School.  Then at Los Angeles Unified School District, she held the positions of high school English Teacher,  Instructional Coach, and Coordinator of the Architecture, Filmmaking, and Graphic Design Magnet School. She earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from California  State University, Northridge.  She and her husband raised five children in Los Angeles.

After retiring, Marilyn and her husband moved to Logan, Utah, to be near grandchildren.  In Utah, she worked with Utah State University as a Student Teacher Supervisor and as a Distance Learning Instructor.  Recently she joined Global Connect Courses as an Instructor and as a Board Member. 

With a background in Human Development and Family Services, Emily is passionate about fostering growth and recognizing the potential in every individual. Emily works best when there are problems to solve and people to love. 

Most recently, Emily spent seven years in the technology industry, working in multiple roles across the business, and currently as Executive Support to the leadership team. She has a unique ability to recognize opportunities for improvement, enable individuals and teams, and increase effectiveness in every area. 

Emily is passionate about Global Connect and our mission to educate, empower, and foster hope. Her goal is to continue to identify and facilitate meaningful opportunities for partnership, engagement, and growth for the Global Connect organization. 

Brittany Adams is a Registered Nurse and holds a Master’s Degree in Health Education. She is also certified as a Holistic Health Coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. 

Brittany specializes in lowering inflammation, reducing toxic load, and preventing and reversing disease through lifestyle changes. She helps her clients set up healthy boundaries and establish new routines and habits to support their physical and emotional wellness. Brittany currently lives in the Pacific Northwest, USA with her family.

Jessica holds degrees in Interior Design as well as Professional and Technical Writing from Utah State University. 

She currently manages the Content Curation and Management team at MasterControl, a SaaS company located in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is passionate about identifying gaps and establishing processes to improve efficiency and create impactful changes within organizations.

Jessica keeps busy gardening, taking care of her animals, working on a flower farm, designing homes, and providing freelance writing services.