Who's Who?
Meet the Village Campus Ministry staff and student leadership team:
Becca Seely
Campus pastor & Executive Director
Becca Seely (she/her) is the lead pastor and executive director of Village Campus Ministry. She was not raised in church and first began to explore questions of faith when she was in college. As a result, she is particularly passionate about working with young adults who are asking questions about God and what gives our lives meaning and purpose. Becca loves hearing people's stories, learning new things and discovering the unexpected ways God is working in the world around us. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, exploring the outdoors, hanging out with her wife and two young kids, and planning elaborate theme parties. Becca holds an MDiv from Yale Divinity School and a Certificate in Advanced Theological Studies from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. She is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Contact Becca.
Bethany Day
Campus minister
Bethany Day (she/her) serves as a campus minister with VCM, working primarily with our downtown and citywide programs. While living and going to school in Jerusalem, Bethany discovered her passion for exploring faith, spirituality, and meaning with young adults from diverse backgrounds and faith experiences. This led her to pursue a Master of Divinity at Union Theological Seminary with a concentration in interreligious engagement. In her free time, she likes playing cooperative board games, hiking, and cooking Mediterranean-inspired food to share with friends. In addition to her Master of Divinity, which she received in 2025, Bethany also holds a Master of Arts in Social Sciences from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a Bachelor of Arts from Westmont College. Contact Bethany.
Sally Rausch
Campus minister
Sally Rausch (she/her) serves as a campus minister with VCM. Originally from South Carolina, Sally traveled west to attend Washington University in St. Louis. After undergrad, she made her way to Nashville and into food justice work. While her commitment to justice was always spiritually and theologically rooted, her relationship with the Christian church was complicated. Yet, the small voice of God in her gut persisted and led her to pursue a Master's of Divinity - first at Boston University and then at Union Theological Seminary, where she recently graduated. Given this, Sally is particularly drawn to those who are struggling with or curious about their spirituality or relationship with Christianity. Sally is a lover of language, hand-written notes, good snacks, and exploring the magic of connection between each other. She is passionate about the work of liberation in our day to day lives. In her free time, she's likely outside - tending her shared community garden plot or sitting under a tree in a park hanging with friends. Sally is currently serving as the pastor for Youth and Campus Ministries at St. Paul and St. Andrew United Methodist Church.
Maya Kate Frueh
student leader - Downtown
Maya (she/her) is a student at Wagner College studying arts administration. Hailing from Boulder County, Colorado, she is a born and raised ELCA Lutheran. Her connection to her faith and her love of the arts came from a childhood spent at Sky Ranch Lutheran Camp, both as a camper and later as a counselor, camp guitarist, and High Ropes facilitator. It was there that she first found a safe, affirming church community. Upon moving to New York to pursue acting, she began attending Advent Lutheran Church and was introduced to Village Campus Ministry. She is happy to have found so many welcoming communities to explore her faith, and she hopes to continue fostering those same safe spaces for others. In the meantime, you may find her sword fighting in Central Park or running around the city dressed like a Ghostbuster.
ISA Zapata
student leader - Downtown
Isa Zapata (she/her) is a graduate student at the New School for Social Research studying politics. She is originally from Dallas, where she grew up in the United Methodist Church. After moving to NYC to pursue her ballet career, she found a spiritual home with Village Campus Ministry. Isa is passionate about the intersection of faith and social justice, as well as fostering environments of inclusivity and acceptance within the church. When she's not studying or in the ballet studio, you can find her reading or working on her latest needlepoint project!
Fia Martinez
student leader - Uptown & Downtown
Fia Martinez (she/her) is a student at The New School studying food science, with minors in psychology and writing. Originally from California, she grew up Baptist and now identifies with the Presbyterian tradition. After moving to New York City, she found Village Campus Ministry while looking for a faith community that felt welcoming, thoughtful, and genuinely rooted in care for others.
At The New School, Fia is involved in student leadership, athletics, campus programming, and seemingly anything else she can fit into her calendar. She is especially passionate about disability advocacy, inclusive communities, and creating spaces where people feel known and supported. She hopes to carry that same spirit into her work with Village Campus Ministry. In the meantime, you can probably find her somewhere downtown with an iced drink, doing homework in a place she technically does not attend, or trying to convince everyone around her to join whatever activity she has planned next.
Althea Downing-Shearer
student leader - Uptown
Althea Downing-Sherer (she/her) is a sophomore at Barnard College studying English and religion. She is originally from Iowa City, Iowa where she was raised as a pastor’s kid in the United Church of Christ. This background sparked her interest in the important role faith communities play in making social change, and she spent this past summer researching liberal Christian responses to rising levels of white Christian nationalism and changing public perceptions of Christianity in the United States as a Laidlaw Scholar. In her free time, Althea loves taking ballet classes and writing. She invites anyone searching for an open-minded and inclusive environment for complex conversations about scripture to stop by a Monday night dinner uptown!
Ava Horton
student leader - Uptown
Ava Horton (she/her) is a junior at Columbia College studying Sustainable Development. Upon moving to NYC for college, she began attending St. Paul and St. Andrews United Methodist Church, and found Village Campus Ministry through the bulletin. With encouragement from Ekama, she began attending Monday night gatherings and hasn’t stopped since. She finds Village to be a welcoming space for open and honest conversations about the meaning of Christ in the contemporary world, and encourages anyone reading this to stop by sometime to enjoy some fabulous food and conversation! Outside of school, Ava enjoys getting outside (PNW born and raised), singing, writing, and calling friends and family while walking in the park.
VCM's Board of directors
As a non-profit organization, Village Campus Ministry is governed by a board of directors. We are grateful for the leadership and service of our board:
The Rev. William Kroeze, President
The Rev. Chris Shelton, Treasurer
The Rev. Jon Rodriguez, Secretary
Ms. Eliana Brown
The Rev. Alyssa Kaplan
The Rev. Lea Matthews
Mr. Matthew Prest