HNGR Faculty and Staff

Laurel Schone, M.A.

Student Support Coordinator

Laurel Schone has an M.A. in Clinical and Mental Health Counseling from Wheaton College and most recently worked as a counselor at a nonprofit counseling agency in Chicago. Laurel brings significant international experience to the position, having lived and worked in a global context for almost a decade, working with trafficked women in Nepal, and helping individuals and families navigate the ups and downs of cross-cultural adjustment. She has a passion for walking alongside people living and learning in international environments, and enjoys a good cup of coffee, being in the mountains, and seeing people thrive.

laurel.schone@wheaton.edu

Kelly Wilson, M.A.

Partnership and Placement Manager

Kelly grew up in the suburbs of Kansas City and studied Environmental Science and Spanish at Wheaton.  She participated in HNGR and completed her internship in 2015 with Fundación San Lucas in Nicaragua.  Kelly is incredibly thankful to be a part of the HNGR team, where she has the joy of maintaining the links with HNGR’s network of over 80 current partners and making connections with new organizations and faith communities that could host student interns. Through personalized discernment conversations, Kelly works to match students with internship placements that fit them well according to their field of study, personality, and passions, then support the logistics to make the placements a reality. She is honored to support students, accompany partners, and foster an environment that prioritizes doing justice and listening to marginalized people as the heralds of the Kingdom.

kelly.wilson@wheaton.edu

Laura Atkinson

Office Coordinator

grew up in Wheaton and graduated from Wheaton College in 1996 with a degree in Sociology. Her work experience includes a variety of “helping roles” ranging from Social Services at a nursing home; a teacher’s aid in preschool; a director of children’s ministry; and most recently before HNGR, working as Office Coordinator in the Athletics department on Wheaton’s campus. 

Laura and her husband Tim have lived in Wheaton since 1996 and have three children. Outside of school, the kids enjoy a variety of sports, friends and youth group. Laura is excited to be serving in the HNGR department where she can use her passion to help others. She enjoys developing relationships with the HNGR students as well as the many partners, faculty, parents, and others associated with the program. 

laura.atkinson@wheaton.edu

Nina Mantalaba

HNGR Communications Specialist

Nina Mantalaba was a HNGR intern in 2019, interning in Quezon City, Philippines. There, she learned about holistic transformation through storytelling and sharing art. She graduated from Wheaton in 2020 with a degree in Anthropology and Psychology.

Nina is passionate about listening to, learning from, and amplifying others’ voices. She enjoys conducting interviews and curating others’ stories into different pieces of media. She believes that by listening to others' stories, one can connect, empathize, and relate with others around the globe.

Other than a well-crafted interview, she enjoys connecting with students, visiting museums, and creating art with others.

nina.mantalaba@wheaton.edu