Jared’s first choir experience was with the Park View Mennonite Church children’s choir from 2nd to 5th grade. He then sang in the Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir for one year, then his voice changed and the soprano notes just weren’t there anymore. Luckily by the time he attended EMHS, most of the awkward cracks were gone and he enjoyed singing again with the Touring Choir for two years. While attending EMU he sang with the Chamber Singers one year and got to travel to Cuba for a week with Ysaye Maria Barnwell from Sweet Honey in the Rock tagging along for the ride.

Jared grew up in Harrisonburg and went to college at Eastern Mennonite University, so to make up for being such a hometown boy he has traveled whenever possible for school, music and service. While at EMHS he spent 3 weeks in Costa Rica on a student exchange, and toured Italy for 3 weeks with the Touring Choir. The second semester of Junior year at EMU was spent traveling the Middle East, living with host families in Palestine and visiting biblical and historic sites throughout the region. After graduating from EMU he spent 3 months in Santiago de Atitlan, Guatemala volunteering at a hospital. While he was there a mudslide buried the hospital and a large community on the outskirts of town. He hopes to return to the area and participate in the rebuilding efforts.

On July 29th 2006 he married Traci Robyn Yoder, his long distance high school sweetheart. They met at the Mennonite Youth Convention in St. Louis when they were 16, and somehow managed to maintain a relationship 600 miles apart. She went to Bethany Christian School in Goshen, Indiana before attending Hesston College for two years, then transferring to EMU (where she also traveled to the Middle East).

Jared is the Stream Health Coordinator for the City of Harrisonburg and spends his work week applying for grants, coordinating volunteer clean up events along Blacks Run, and leading environmental education in the city schools. He plans to pursue a masters degree in environmental restoration, or something along those lines, but is quite content with life the way it is at the moment.

Jared and Traci recently bought a house, and have opened up two rooms for guests so Traci can have a taste of her dream of running a Bed and Breakfast. Their website is www.yodfus.blogspot.com

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