Eric Roache
Founder, Chairman
Julie McNeal
Vice Chairwoman
Sarah Draughon
Founder, Chairman
Eric Roache received a B.A. in Economics from the University of Maryland College Park in 2003. After college, he worked a few jobs in retail and merchandising before moving on to internet marketing and website management. However, it was not until he found the practice of yoga in 2006 that his life began to move in a different direction. Within a year he became a 200-hour Yoga Alliance certified instructor and enjoyed a brief but successful stint as a yoga teacher in the popular Southern California yoga scene. This time as a dedicated student and teacher of yoga and yogic philosophy opened up his worldview dramatically and would alter the course of his life forever. In the summer of 2008, he parted with most of his possessions, packed what remained in a backpack, and headed off to experience the world through travel and service.
The next 3 years included long service-related stays in Nepal, India, Australia, and Thailand, as well as shorter stays in many other countries throughout Asia and Europe. He spent a month in Queensland, Australia doing environmental conservation work with Conservation Volunteers Australia, focusing on rain forest regeneration. He worked as an English teacher in a small village in Nepal for 4 months through the program Cultural Destination Nepal, where he got his first taste of the power of true cultural exchange by living with a host family. He lived 3 months in the Satyananda Yoga Ashram in Munger, India, doing seva, or service work, for the ashram from morning til night 6 and a half days a week doing everything from computer database management to plumbing. He spent 2 months in Chiang Mai, Thailand studying traditional Thai massage and earning his certification as TOEFL/TEFL teacher.
However, none of these specific individual service experiences can compare to the one-on-one bonds he formed with people from all over the world during those experiences and what it taught him about life and the world. And none more so than his bond with Himal, who inspired Eric to create ForWorld Thinking, and with whom he built the Joining Hands Nepal family orphan home in February of 2011, the inaugural partner of ForWorld Thinking. It was that time spent creating a thing of such beauty together, with no borders or cultural barriers, only love, that proved the importance and viability of his new mission in life. And thus, ForWorld Thinking was officially born.
Julie McNeal
Vice Chairwoman
Julie McNeal completed her BA of Science in Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1999 with certificates in Finance and Marketing. Since then she has worked with Radiant Systems, Inc (purchased by NCR Corporation in Aug 2011) for over 13 years in the United States and in Asia doing project, people, and client management. After several health challenges and surgeries in her late twenties, she found relief in nutrition and alternative medicine and began a paced career transition towards the practice of Integrative Manual Therapy. She also holds certification with Yoga Work’s 200-Hour Yoga teacher training and as a Nutritional Consultant with the Global College of Natural Medicine.
Julie has always been service minded, taking part in various service activities over the years including tutoring programs throughout school, the Habitat for Humanity, Little Voice Productions, and the Big Brother Big Sister Program of Colorado. Yet, it was after a transition year of travel that included a 4 month Yoga Program at the Satyananda Ashram in Bihar, India over the winter of 2008-2009, that Julie adopted the Satyananda tenet of Serve, Give, Love and knew international service would be part of her on-going path and purpose. When approached by, Eric Roache, about joining ForWorld Thinking, she knew an exciting opportunity was presenting itself. Julie believes strongly in ForWorld Thinking’s approach to service through empowering local talent and encouraging cross-cultural exchange.
Sarah Draughon
Treasurer
Carrie Johnson
Sarah Draughon’s experiences through life, and work, have been widely varied - the expanse of which are culminated towards the mission of ForWorld Thinking. Sarah’s experiences include work for a non-profit professional association, a non-profit mental health organization, insurance claims and adjustment, sales, computer repair and her current employer Best Buy where she is a manager. Sarah’s most life-changing self discovery has been during her tenure at Best Buy, where she has been afforded frequent leadership training, networking and travel opportunities. She has been responsible for up to $35 million in annual revenues and over 30 direct reports, the successive achievements of which have taught her the values of compassion, patience, and humility. ForWorld Thinking is a natural place for Sarah to expand an already extensive personal network and put it to work.
As an undergraduate Pharmacy student, Sarah has fought the common American struggle of trying to surpass her non-collegiate family without their financial assistance, and appreciates the relative disparity between first-world trials and the daily experience of third-world citizens. Additionally, through connections with Best Buy’s Women’s Leadership Forum (http://www.wolfatbestbuy.com) and their partner organizations, she has been made aware of the challenges women face in less developed countries when seeking careers, entrepreneurship, or even basic human rights. With partnerships forged via ForWorld Thinking, Sarah hopes to affect cultural change both in the US and abroad to impact women wanting more for themselves without the skills or means to accomplish their goals.
A practicing Buddhist, Sarah dedicates her life to assuaging the suffering of others. She believes through the compassionate action of a volunteer, all parties involved receive benefit. This truth flourished in the travels of long-time comrade Eric Roache, as she bore witness to his transformation through volunteerism as tourism. When Eric presented the seeds of ForWorld Thinking to Sarah in late 2010, she began brainstorming immediately. The cultural education of well-meaning American students and professionals gives her passion, and she intends to see it blossom in the efforts of ForWorld Thinking as they promote international volunteerism.
Carrie Johnson
Secretary
Carrie Johnson has contributed to several volunteer-orientated services that have reached and affected a diverse span of cultural and socio-economic populations. She has worked with Meals on Wheels in serving the geriatric population, children and youth in a YMCA sponsored Outdoor Wilderness Camp, served food to the homeless in Stanislaus County, and worked with “at-risk” youth in North Long Beach. Her dedication to community service fueled an interest to pursue an education and career that would reflect these values
Carrie received her BA in Human Development with a minor in Anthropology at California State University Long Beach. Upon receiving her undergraduate degree, she moved to San Diego, CA where she began working for the Del Mar Union School District. During her time of employment, Carrie was exposed to a myriad of cultures not otherwise experienced in previous work. Throughout her life, Carrie has performed and taught, youth of various ethnic backgrounds, traditional Filipino dances. Her effort to help promote a sense of cultural awareness and sensitivity has been a long-standing theme.
Carrie is currently enrolled in the graduate program at Mount St. Mary’s College where she is studying Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy. Her coursework lends itself to the nature of her work in the mental health field. Carrie has been working at an acute psychiatric hospital for more than 3 ½ years where she has gained copious experience working with individuals suffering from depression, anxiety, bipolar, schizophrenia, developmental delays, substance abuse, personality disorders, and a series of other mental disorders. Carrie’s commitment to the service industry continues to grow and expand. When provided with the opportunity to join ForWorld Thinking, Carrie was immediately compelled to partake in an organization that upholds her roots in cross-cultural integration and service.
