He that receiveth light, and continueth in God,
receiveth MORE LIGHT
JUNE 5TH–8TH
Registration Closes june 1st
Come have a blast at the 2023 WYR (Worldwide Youth Retreat)! This event is all about finally being together in-person and having the most uplifting fun of the summer! This year’s schedule includes two giant water activities, night games—like capture the flag and light up ultimate frisbee—, ropes course adventures, an improve comedy show, the variety show, the dance, stellar speakers, testimony meeting, and an exclusive performance by Steven Sharp Nelson from the Piano Guys!
**For youth turning 12—18 in 2023. Those turning 12 and 13 will enjoy a movie night instead of the dance.**
Jenet Erickson is a columnist on family issues for the Deseret News and a former assistant professor in the School of Family Life at BYU. Her research on the family has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Today Show. Jenet received B.S. and M.A. degrees from Brigham Young University, and a PhD in Family Social Science from the University of Minnesota. She attended American Heritage School throughout elementary school and is a granddaughter of the founders H. Verlan and Shirley Andersen. She and her husband Michael live in American Fork with their two children.
Steven Sharp Nelson is an award winning cellist who enjoys confusing everyone that wonders why a cellist is called a “piano guy.” He is the only cellist in history to play atop the Great Wall of China, in front of The Christ Redeemer Statue in Rio, and on the Death Star! He doesn’t take himself too seriously though and insists that no musician should. He draws his inspiration from a firm belief in a loving God, two incredible parents that have sacrificed so much for him, and most of all his amazing wife and four children. Of all the accolades and reviews ever hurled his way, the one he truly wishes to live up to was given by his 6-year-old daughter, Annie, one night after he finished reading her a bedtime story. She simply said, “You’re a good man, Daddy.”
Amy Oelrich is an extraordinary mentor, teacher, and coach. For over 20 years, she coached high school vocal performance and musical theater. When she wasn’t teaching students to reach high notes, she was helping young gymnasts jump to the high bar at USA Sports — a gymnastics gym where she was coach, manager, and eventually co-owner. She finds joy in using her abilities to lift, motivate, and love wherever she goes. She grew up in California where she raised her three amazing boys. These days, Amy teaches 6th grade and is the musical director at AHS in American Fork, Utah.
David Brown is a seminary teacher, an entrepreneur, and a humanitarian trip leader! He was among the first to go to Ukraine to help refugees after the war broke out and frequently travels to Guatemala to provide needed medical services. He loves spikeball, doing mind-blowing magic tricks, and going on spontaneous road trips. David is someone who makes friends and shares the restored gospel of Jesus Christ everywhere he goes!
Peter Knecht is from Indiana, but never made it back after marrying a Utah girl following his mission while attending BYU. He loves anything outdoors (hiking, biking, climbing, camping, exercising, gardening), so Utah has become the perfect place to raise a family of four boys and bookend princess. New business development is his professional passion, but new business development for a cause is what attracted him to American Heritage School in 2011. Since then, he’s been directing the school’s worldwide outreach to make the AHS experience more accessible and sustainable for families around the world. Nothing makes him happier than seeing students succeed on their journey to find and fulfill their divine mission—a unique outcome that he is blessed to witness daily in his role.
