Marty Frey teaches Microsoft Office and Keyboarding at the Promise Program. His previous work in the chemical dependency field includes working with homeless men and women and with chronic alcoholics and drug addicts. He currently teaches alcohol and drug education classes for the court system. Marty has degrees in law enforcement, chemical dependency counseling, and organizational studies. He is completing a master’s degree in human services and adult education from Capella University.

Ruth Harris teaches Business English for the Promise Program. Prior to this, she has been the director for and instructor in two different ESL programs at private colleges in Iowa. She also has been a Christian bookstore manager, short-term missionary in Taiwan and Japan, and a residence hall director at Crown College. She is a graduate of Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a master’s in English.

Joy McElroy teaches the Personal and Professional Development courses and the Internship Job Search seminars at the Promise Program. Prior to teaching, Joy worked at Deluxe Corporation for 11 years in management and corporate call center projects. She received her undergraduate degree from Gustavus Adolphus College, graduating with an economics major and communications minor. She received her Master of Arts in Human Resources from the University of Minnesota.

Thuy-Thanh Tran, also known as “Titi” to many of her students and friends, started teaching for the Promise Program in September of 2004. Titi was born into a large extended family in Vietnam and came to the United States in 1984. She attended the University of Minnesota and received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and English as a Second Language. Titi received her Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of St. Thomas. Titi teaches Office Procedures and Advanced Office Procedures at Promise.

Carol Wickstrom is a career development professional who has spent many years working with individuals in transition. For the past 18 years she has served as Director of the Promise Program. Carol has a Bachelor of Arts in Speech & Theatre and English from Hamline University and a Master of Arts in Human Development from St. Mary’s University. Her career journey has included many years in higher education and business. With her interest in international education, she has lived, worked, and studied in Europe and Japan. She was named 1995 Woman of the Year by the St. Paul Chapter of American Business Women’s Association. In 2001, she received the Servant of the Year award from Crown College.