While her friends moved on to paying jobs, Heather hopped a flight (or rather, 5) to PNG after graduating from Stanford in June. As an undergrad, she studied Anthropological Sciences and journalism. On Karkar, she taught Taleng Primary's two seventh grade classes English and science as well as countless inexplicably popular American folk songs. Now back on American soil, she's looking for a ticket back to the developing world, preferably with a salary attached, but in the mean time, she's stoked to be serving as Panango, as director and team leader this year.

Christa, Stanford '10, joined Adam on his intial trip to PNG, returning the following summer to lead nine other volunteers on Panango's 2008 trip. At Stanford, she studies Human Biology and is an active member of the Spoken Word Collective.

Nick, Stanford '08, joined Adam on Panango's initial trip in 2008, leading recruiting for 2008's trip upon his return.

In 1992, Adam founded Learning Enterprises, a development NGO that sends college students to teach English in 14 developing countries. Soon he developed a taste for starting educational organization and piloted Learning Foundation India, Scholars for Action, and Y-Fi (Youth Financial Literacy). In 2006, a meeting with Papua New Guinean Ambassador Evan Paki sparked the idea for Panango. Adam recruited three Stanford undergrads to join him in an initial reconnaissance trip to PNG in 2007, and Panango was born. Afforded flexibility by his day job as a Visiting Scholar at Stanford, he continues to help steer Panango's development with Papua New Guinea growing ever closer to his heart.

Twenty years old and six years out of his prime, Rick is currently a junior at Stanford University studying Mathematical and Computational Sciences. He has recently transformed his room into a Papua New Guinean relic and currently has plans to apply his spear fishing skills to the bottom dwelling fish of local lakes. He loves the outdoors, backpacking, tennis, hucking a disk around, and getting way too deep in philosophical discussions. He fell in love with Papua New Guinea and rejects modern conveniences...like civilization (thanks Onion Atlas for making my exchange so entertaining).