Brad Wilcox grew up in Provo, Utah, except for childhood years spent in Ethiopia, Africa.  As a young man, he served a mission for the Church in Chile.  Brad earned a Ph.D. from the University of Wyoming and is now an associate professor in the department of Teacher Education at BYU.  Brad and his wife, Debi, lived at one time in New Zealand, where Brad directed a Study Abroad program for Brigham Young University.  They recently lived in Santiago, Chile, where Brad served as president of the Chile Santiago East Mission from 2003-2006; he currently serves as a member of the Sunday School general board. Brad and Debi are the parents of four children and reside in Provo, Utah.

John Bytheway is a bestselling author, favorite speaker, and part-time instructor at Brigham Young University.  His many titles include Heroes: Lessons from the Book of Mormon; Standards Night Live; Isaiah for Airheads; A Crash Course in Teenage Survival; and his most recent book, Behind Every Good Man.  He has also created numerous talks on CD, many of which are combined in The John Bytheway Collection, Vols. 1 and 2.  John served a mission to the Philippines and holds a master’s degree in Religious Education.  He and his wife, Kimberly, have six children. (2nd session only)

Laurel Christensen served a mission to Riverside, California, before graduating from Brigham Young University.  She has spent most of her career at Deseret Book Company where she worked for several years as the director of entertainment, producing shows like The Forgotten Carols and managing music groups like Jericho Road.  She is currently the general manager for the Time Out for Women division and spends many of her weekends on the road producing Time Out events.  Laurel recently completed a Master’s program in communications management and wonders what is around the next corner.  She loves working with teenage girls and enjoys making sure they are well-educated about the world of Jane Austen.

Chad Hymas' life changed instantaneously when, at age 27, an accident left him a quadriplegic.  Since that time Chad has been recognized by the state of Utah as the Superior Civilian of the Year.   He is the president of his own communications company and an internet marketing company.  As a member of the National Speakers Association Chad travels as many as 150,000 miles a year speaking to hundreds of professional and civic organizations such as Wells Fargo, Blue Cross Blue Shield, AT&T, Rainbird, IHC, American Express, Prudential Life, Vast FX, Zion Securities, and others.

 Chad is married and he and his wife are the proud parents of four children.  They currently reside in Rush Valley, Utah on a 200-acre wildlife preserve.  Chad is a world-class wheelchair athlete enjoying basketball, wheelchair rugby, hang-gliding, and snow skiing.   In July 2003 Chad set a World Record by wheeling a personal marathon of over 500 miles from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas.  Chad is also the author of the regionally best-selling book Soaring to New Heights.  His life and testimony are inspiring. Chad has been a favorite for many past Retreat for Girls participants.  (1st session only)

Cherie Call was born and raised in Mesa, Arizona.  She's been writing songs and performing since her early teens.  Her very first song was written as a Personal Progress goal for the LDS church's young women's program.  She graduated from BYU with a B.A. in Music, and has recorded seven albums of her original songs.  Her latest, "Grace", was just released in October.  Cherie's music has been included on several Especially For Youth albums and on many compilation CD's and local film soundtracks.  Cherie has performed at Nashville's famous Bluebird Cafe, and she's been a finalist in the prestigious Kerrville Newfolk songwriting competition.  Cherie has traveled all over the United States as a performer and inspirational speaker.  She lives in Utah County with her husband and two daughters.

John Hilton III was born in San Francisco and grew up in Seattle.  When he was in high school he played tennis, snowboarded, was in drama, and worked as a lifeguard.  He served a mission in Denver, and got a Bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University.  Along the way he met his wife Lani and they have five children.  They have lived in Boise, Boston, Mexico and Miami.  Currently, they live in Utah.  John has a Masters degree from Harvard and is working on a Ph.D in Education.  He has also written several books with Deseret Book.  Two lesser-known facts about John are that (1) he is trying to learn Chinese and (2) in high school he won a pizza eating contest, eating 22 pieces of pizza. 

Anthony Sweat is a full-time religious educator and a speaker at EFY and Education Week conferences.  He is the co-author of the bestselling book Why? Powerful Answers and Practical Reasons for Living LDS Standards and the author of I’m Not Perfect. Can I Still Go to Heaven?, published by Deseret Book.  He and his wife Cindy are the parents of five children.

Jenny Phillips is a recording artist and songwriter whose music has been performed around the world in more than thirty nations and has brought the spirit of change and testimony to countless lives.  In addition to singing and speaking at over 1,000 performances, Jenny has also released 5 best-selling albums for the youth of the church.  Her music has been translated into 16 different languages.  Jenny is the mother of four children.

Carmen Rasmusen is an accomplished musician who has performed in public since the age of ten.  She is a prolific song writer, composing both music and lyrics which highlight her very unique voice.  And at the age of seventeen, Carmen achieved instant fame and notoriety when she became a finalist on Fox's 2003 "American Idol".  Since “Idol”, Carmen has released a country album (“Nothin’ Like the Summer”) and has appeared on numerous talk shows including Today, Good Morning America, David Letterman, Entertainment Tonight, Inside Edition, FOX news, MSNBC and many others.  Carmen recently wrote and released a book entitled "Staying in Tune" geared toward young girls where she talks about her experiences on American Idol and how her faith and values helped keep her grounded.  Carmen is married to Brad Herbert and is mom to son Boston.

Katie Smith is one of the founders and the director of Retreat for Girls.  She is a multi-talented woman with a great love for all youth, especially young women.  She was involved in student leadership at Utah State University and after graduation taught high school and even had a short stint teaching at USU.  Katie and her husband, Jeremy, live in Idaho and she is the mother of two beautiful daughters and a handsome son.  In addition to keeping busy with her children and Retreat for Girls, she teaches piano, helps with costuming local theater productions, and is the PTO President at the elementary school. Katie has been a speaker at BYU Women's Conference and enjoys opportunities to speak with various youth groups.

Emily Freeman took her first creative writing class in High School and has loved writing ever since. She finds great joy from studying the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Her deep love of the scriptures comes from a desire to find their application in our every day life. Emily is the author of The Ten Virgins, 21 Days Closer to Christ and The Promise of Enough. She has had the privilege of speaking to groups of women and young women for almost 20 years.

There is nothing Emily enjoys more for breakfast than a bowl of vanilla ice cream, raspberries, and chocolate chips.Other favorites include camping, gardening, and finding a quiet moment to settle into a good book. Emily and her husband, Greg, live in Lehi, Utah, with their four children.

 *These listed presenters are committed to attending this event; however, Time Out for Women and Retreat for Girls cannot guarantee that illness or other emergencies will not interfere with this schedule. No refunds or exchanges. We appreciate your understanding.