julia kennedy, BSN, RN

Julia is a pediatric nurse at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville, TN. She was born in Kansas City, MO but moved as a young child and grew up in Phoenix, AZ. After graduating from college four years ago, Julia moved to Nashville to start her career. She has always had a heart to serve others and travel. Since 2012 she has served in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Africa. She is excited to continue her desire to travel around the world, help medically treat others, and spread the love of Jesus at the same time while serving alongside Upward Twist!

Mike bray, cpa

Mike is a Certified Public Accountant in Nashville, TN. After graduating from the University of Kentucky, he spent 5 years with the firm Ernst and Young and the past 36 years as the director of Financial Reporting for HCA and its affiliates. He is a husband of 36 years and father of three grown children and he and his wife are currently raising their 7 year old great niece. Mike currently services on the Finance Board of St. Henry Catholic Church and School, is a monthly volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House and serves as a Team Leader for HCAs Caring for the Community Program. In Mikes’ free time he enjoys playing, watching and talking about all sports, plus he loves to travel and has visited over 30 countries. Mike values the virtue of charity as one of the most important virtues that you should pass onto your children, friends and associates.

Sammy kookogey

Sammy resides in Knoxville, TN with her husband and 2 young children, Cameron and Natalie. Sammy works for Pilot Company as a Project Manager and in her free time enjoys gardening, spending time on the lake, and enjoying any type of outdoor adventure! Sammy went to Morency, Haiti with Cross Point Church in the Spring of 2018 and believes that everyone who has it on their heart should go and serve, whether that is down the street or across the globe!

bob forster

Bob is the owner and CEO of Star129 and Diamond Outlet, diamond businesses based out of Nashville, TN. Bob has lived in Nashville for 23 years with his wife and 3 grown children. Although he calls it home, Bob has traveled all over the world for work, adventure, or mission work. He is very passionate about suicide prevention which has lead him to become a Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network QPR Trainer. He has served on a handful of boards including Boy Scout Scoutmaster, Boy Scout Boards of Review for Eagle Candidates, Holy Family Council, Honduras Advisory Board, and is a Brown University Hall of Fame Member. Bob cares deeply about each individual who enters his life with is very apparent if you ever get the opportunity to meet him. Bob has a heart of gold and an incredibly contagious spirit!

morgan haney

Morgan was born and raised in the mountains of North Carolina and studied Statistics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While she was there, she became the president of Carolina Firsts--a student organization whose purpose is to provide support to first generation college students. She moved to Nashville 4 years ago and is completing the required classes needed to begin Pharmacy School next fall. In her free time, Morgan enjoys to travel, try new restaurants around town, and spend time with friends and family. Morgan is also very passionate about helping others and has a heart to serve those who are in need. In her home town of Canton, North Carolina, she co-founded a food pantry to feed needy families within her community and also started an annual art supply drive to supply the nearby Children’s Hospital.