Staff

Ashley Vail – Area Coordinator

As Area Coordinator, Ashley oversees various mission sites and serves as the point of contact for youth leaders who are interested in getting involved with Next Step. Ashley graduated from Marquette University in 2009 with a passion to lead students in the direction of Christ and serve as a role model during what is often called the most difficult years of an adolescent’s life. She is also passionate about fighting social injustices and was blessed with the opportunity to serve in South Africa during her time at Marquette. After graduation, Ashley felt called to ministry but spent some time in cities around the country working with students and overall, identifying the nature of that call. She thrives when working directly with a diverse range of people and finds satisfaction in the constantly changing environment of mission ministry. When Ashley is not on a trip or at the office, she can be found reading and people watching in a coffee shop or engaged in a conversation about biblical themes in Shakespeare.

Beth Heneghan – Outreach Advisor

Beth Heneghan joined Next Step Ministries in 2009. Inspired by an all-powerful God who changed her life on a mission trip, Beth is passionate about giving students the opportunity to have a relationship with Christ. Before joining Next Step Ministries Beth trained as a professional ballet dancer with the Madison Ballet Company. While she enjoyed her love for dance and aspired to pursue a long time career in performing , she also felt strongly about dedicating her life to missions. After many years of ballet study, she left the dance world to dedicate her time to student mission trips. Beth is currently working towards a bachelor's degree in Social Welfare from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Today, she serves as the Next Step Outreach Advisor, keeping connected with the many students who have taken the Next Step in their faith. She feels blessed to be a part of a team that shares her passion for Christ and can't wait to see more lives changed by the Gospel. After graduating, she plans to continue in her career with mission and is excited to see where Christ will lead her.

Alison Praisewater – Missions Coordinator

Alison Praisewater joined Next Step in the fall of 2011 after serving as a summer intern. She has always had a heart for youth camps and missions as they played a huge role in forming her faith. In 2008 she graduated from San Jose State University with a BA in Child and Adolescent Development and spent a year teaching first and second grade. But it didn’t take long for God to remind her of where her passions truly lied and she jumped back into the world of ministry. She served for two years as the Associate Youth Pastor of a vibrant church in South San Jose where she confirmed that her passion was to teach teenagers about God, not just with her words but with her actions, and her life as well. Alison understands how youth missions have the possibility to turn a student’s life upside down in the best ways possible and wants more than anything for students to have a life changing experience every time.