(Third Lay Deputy)This will be my first General Convention as a Deputy, but I have attended General Convention three other times in a couple different capacities. I attended via the Young Adult Festival (YAF) in 2009 and 2012, and I attended as a visitor and volunteer in 2015. My trip to the Young Adult Festival in 2009 was actually my college graduation present.

(First Lay Alternate)I volunteered at GC1985 (when Edmund Browning was elected Presiding Bishop). Represented the Executive Council Committee on Science, Technology, and Faith and volunteered at GC006 (when Katharine Jefferts Schori was elected) and at GC2009. Served as Lay Deputy at GC2015 (joyfully voting to confirm Michael Curry as Presiding Bishop), and will serve as First Alternate Lay Deputy at GC2018.GC2015 was very exciting.

(Third Clergy Alternate)This will be my fourth General Convention as an alternate since 1997, making me possibly the senior alternate at General Convention. One of the advantages of being an alternate is I can float around to different committee hearings rather than being tied down to a single panel. At the last General Convention, in Salt Lake City, I primarily focused on proposals concerning faith formation and seminary education, and offered testimony as a trustee of the Church School of...