Staff Anniversaries - July 2024
It would be impossible to overstate how valuable our staff is in pursuing our mission to serve Knoxville’s urban youth. Whether staff members are directly involved with youth through discipleship, coaching, tutoring, etc. or are a part of the support staff that equips them, each member has God-given talents and passion that make our organization fruitful. It is our desire to celebrate them and, in the process, let you get to know them a little better. So, stop by our blog each month to see the latest anniversaries and get to know the folks who are the hands and feet of our work in knoxville’s city neighborhoods!
Christina Best - 5 years
Christina Best
Before coming to Emerald Youth, Christina was a public-school educator for eight years. She felt a deep calling from the Lord to be an educator. In college, Christina became passionate about working with students with disabilities. Her passion led her to take additional courses to receive her Special Education endorsement. With her degree and endorsement, she spent five out of her eight years as a special education teacher at Title 1 schools. As the Lord moved in her life, she was called away from the public-school system and into Emerald Youth Foundation. Originally applying for a different position, Emerald directed her towards another that they felt best fit her qualifications and passions. Tears filled her eyes while reading the job description and Christina said, “It was as if God wrote the job description just for me.” She feels the opportunity to help hundreds of students grow in their learning journey is a gift that God has entrusted to her and something she does not take for granted. For Christina, the most memorable moments are celebrating youth for their growth. Many young people Emerald serves believe they are not good at learning. Christina gets to be a small part to help them grow in their confidence in ability to learn, but also their confidence in who they are in Christ.
Isaiah Gilmore
Isaiah Gilmore -1 year
Isaiah graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and began to pray that God would open the door to a place he could make an impact with young people daily. He held tightly to the promises found in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things.” When God sent Isaiah to Emerald, he knew he was being sent to serve his community. Growing up in a low-income area himself, Isaiah feels deeply called to give back to his community and mentor young men in middle and high school who are in the daily struggle of being surrounded by the voices of the world. He wants them to know that they have a choice to be who God has called them to be. Isaiah spends his days doing two of his favorite things in life: spreading the gospel and promoting involvement in all sports that Emerald Youth offer. One of his favorite moments at Emerald was being the main speaker at Elementary Camp and sharing the gospel. Youth still to this day run up to Isaiah and say loudly, “You were the camp speaker and you spoke about choices!” Isaiah also loves Friday night Fulton football games.
Bethany Stair
Bethany Stair - 2 years
Bethany is originally from Orlando, Florida. She attended Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, where she studied Sports Management. After graduating, the Lord moved Bethany to Knoxville to begin working with the University of Tennessee Athletics Department. The Lord then moved Bethany to Emerald Youth Foundation. Bethany believes that God brought her to Emerald to use the talents and gifts God equipped her with to help grow Emerald for the youth they serve. On a personal level, Bethany believes God brought her to Emerald to strengthen her relationship with Him. He has intentionally surrounded her with other believers who encourage her each day in her walk to follow Him. Bethany’s most memorable moments happen each month during Emerald’s All Staff Gathering where staff have a time of worship, fellowship, and community. She specifically loves the Thanksgiving meal for November All Staff when all the staff gathers at one table and breaks bread as one family.
Kent Stanger
Kent Stanger - 17 years
Kent attributes his reason for joining Emerald Youth as simple. “For me, it is pretty simple why I came to Emerald. God brought me to Emerald Youth Foundation to do for others what has been done for me.” During his life, God used faithful and caring people to show Kent the love and joy that comes from knowing who Christ is. Now Kent sees a full circle picture God has masterfully created. He grew up in the neighborhoods and attended the schools that he now serves with his role at Emerald. The areas of camp, sport and youth development that impacted his life, he now serves and uses to impact lives of others. With so many memories, it is hard for Kent to just list one. However, the most memorable moments would be worshiping with other believers. He has been blessed to attend dozens of Emerald Youth camps and retreats that cultivate an environment for youth and staff to get away and focus on the Lord. He loves listening to young people sing out in worship, and he attributes his camp experiences to “happy places.” His other memorable time worshiping the Lord is with other Emerald staff at the monthly All Staff Gatherings.
Kevin Tucker
Kevin Tucker - 3 years
Kevin has a deep understanding of why the Lord brought him to Emerald. “I think the Lord brought me to Emerald to continue to reveal Himself to me, to expose areas of my heart that need to grow and to pour fuel on the fire He’s put in me to see city youth come alive in Christ using sports as the vehicle.” He believes the Lord has gifted him a burden for youth sports culture and to see restorative changes made at every sport’s level. Kevin loves his role at Emerald Youth because he daily has opportunities to think on, pray through and develop and implement ideas that will hopefully produce Kingdom fruit in the word of sport. A vivid and memorable moment for Kevin was serving through Emerald with Fulton’s Boys Basketball program in 2022. Kevin served team meals, shared devotions and his testimony, attended team camps across Tennessee and even went all the way to Murfreesboro to watch the Falcons win a State Championship! Kevin is deeply grateful the Lord gave him a burden for Emerald Youth and sports, while also giving him moments of joy and celebration.