Alumni Profiles: Where Are They Now?

Zipline catches up with three new members of Adventure Unlimited’s Board of Trustees – Amanda Weitman, Lisa Hambrick Graff and Lissa Murphy – and two new National Alumni Board members, Lisle Stigler and Nate Haase.

Amanda Weitman, Board of Trustees

Amanda Weitman

For the past several years, in addition to being a wealth advisor for Wells Fargo Private Bank helping wealthy clients and families plan, grow, protect and transition their financial wealth, Amanda completed her master’s degree in philanthropy from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University.  

She also acquired a passion for restorative justice and has been volunteering with the San Quentin News staff, helping them learn about philanthropy, values and fundraising. San Quentin News is written and produced by a group of men incarcerated at San Quentin State Penitentiary. Amanda has also been running a philanthropic book club for financial advisors, nonprofits, Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), estate planning attorneys and private foundations.

Amanda’s first introduction to the A/U Ranches was when her daughter attended as a third-grader and she volunteered as a bunkhouse parent. They did that for several years, and then Amanda became a mentor for her nephew in the DiscoveryBound National Leadership Council (NLC). Her daughter also participated in the NLC program several years later, and Amanda became a mentor for a second time for one of her Sunday School students.  

Amanda says, “What I love about Adventure Unlimited is how it is opening windows to God in such practical ways for children and teens. It prepares them for success as they head off to college and beyond.”

Lisa Hambrick Graff, Board of Trustees

Lisa Hambrick Graff

Lisa spent many happy years at CedarS Camps as a camper and a counselor. As a result, she always cherished the camps and the incredible value they provide. “Learning to demonstrate Christian Science with friends my age was foundational,” Lisa says. “One of my most significant Christian Science demonstrations was that of supply in landing my first job after college. After praying and following God’s guidance to be at camp where I was needed, I was literally hired from camp! After finishing my camp commitment, I started my new job immediately in what would turn out to be a career beyond my wildest dreams.”

Lisa’s career and background are in high tech with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical and computer engineering. She spent 28 years at Intel Corporation, with roles spanning engineering, business and management. She enjoyed a wide variety of roles, including microprocessor design, computer systems management, marketing and general management. Lisa was the vice president and general manager of several of Intel’s largest business units. She traveled extensively for work across the United States, Asia and Europe.  

She and her husband, Brad, decided to retire several years ago for the opportunity to spend more time on family, international adventure travel and working on their 37-acre forest property in Portland, Oregon. They both love animals and nature and have embraced the rural lifestyle with their family of chickens, ducks and cats.  

Lisa has had a passion for gardening for many years and recently ramped that up into a business – growing specialty flowering plants. “It’s a huge change from high tech, but I love that, and it has let me extend my love of science into a totally new direction – horticulture – plus grow my creative side.”

Lisa’s first involvement with Adventure Unlimited came several years ago, when she became a mentor in the DiscoveryBound National Leadership Council (NLC). “I tell anyone who will listen what an amazing program NLC is,” Lisa says. “I continue to be so impressed by the growth and grounding in Christian Science it provides high school kids at just the time in their life they need it so much.” Lisa was honored to be asked to be a larger part of Adventure Unlimited by serving as a trustee and looks forward to introducing her husband to the A/U Ranches very soon!

Lissa Murphy, Board of Trustees

Lissa Murphy

Lissa jokes that she’s been involved in every possible way with the A/U Ranches and DiscoveryBound. She started participating in A/U Chapters in the 1980s, when her parents were chapter advisors in the Northern Virginia area. Ski weekends at Crystal Lake’s tiny downhill mountain (complete with the ’57 Chevy’s engine pulling the T-bar) and the all-night New Year’s Eve parties were annual highlights, with lots of activities in between. She served on Teen Council and in the summers went to the A/U Ranches, where she always participated in the corral program. She became a counselor-in-training (CIT) at 16 and served two more years on staff.

On her study abroad to Scotland her junior year, she met her husband, Michael (he’s from Philly and was also studying abroad), finished her degree in physics and started a career in the satellite industry. She’s worked at the same company for 26 years, although it’s changed names a lot (now SAIC). Her specialty is technologies for tracking satellites. She chose wisely because she gets to work on the telescopes on Haleakala on Maui! 

Lissa has three boys, Owen, Luke and Peter. Owen graduated from the DiscoveryBound National Leadership Council (NLC) program in 2020 and has also been on the A/U Ranches staff for three years. Lissa joined her boys there serving as a bunkhouse mom for three summers, and was also an NLC mentor for teens in the classes of 2010 and 2018. She has been the DiscoveryBound advisor for the DC/Maryland/Virginia area for 20 years (hard to believe) and just joined the Board of Trustees in late 2020. 

“Obviously I believe pretty strongly in the Adventure Unlimited brand,” Lissa says. “The sense of love and fellowship, the wonderful activities, the gorgeous camps in Buena Vista, and the healings I experienced and witnessed while at the A/U Ranches and during DiscoveryBound activities, as well as the growth I see in my boys from their experiences there, solidify my continuing commitment to this amazing organization. I couldn’t be happier to now be on the Board and give back in yet another way. I love Adventure Unlimited!”

Lisle Stigler, National Alumni Board

Lisle Stigler

Spending time at the A/U Ranches and with her local A/U chapter meant a great deal to Lisle during her teen years. Three of her kids went to the A/U  Ranches, and her daughter met her husband at a young adult retreat at Round-Up Ranch eight years ago.

Lisle and her husband, Jim, live in Studio City, California, with nearly all of their six children and all four grandchildren living nearby. Lisle has been in education her whole career and recently stepped down after 10 years as head of school at Berkeley Hall, a Christian Science-based school. 

Currently Lisle works part-time as a consultant for Berkeley Hall, babysits one of her granddaughters two days a week and is active with church, her association board and now her beloved A/U Ranches and DiscoveryBound community. Any spare time she can find is spent studying, hiking, traveling and enjoying family and friends.

Nate Haase, National Alumni Board

Nate Haase

In years past, Nate had attended the A/U Ranches sporadically: summer 1970, summer 1973 and Men’s Mountain Weekend 2004. Since then, he has rediscovered this home-away-from-home through volunteering at the Spring Service Weekend (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021), Christmas Camp (2018, 2019), and an intermittent guest at the 2021 Family Camp in July. This has certainly renewed his desire to sustain this inspiring place for youthful Christian Scientists of all ages.

Nate is a native of Southern California from La Crescenta to Yorba Linda, where he currently lives. He is a lifelong Christian Scientist and presently a member of the Christian Science church in Yorba Linda. He and wife Sandy Haase, C.S., have been active in the Christian Science Institutional Committee (church services in Orange County jails) for more than 30 years.

Though still enjoying his career in electrical engineering (presently at The Boeing Company in Huntington Beach), he is grateful to be prioritizing his closet career in music, most notably as guitarist/vocalist with the Double Nickel Band – a vocal group including fellow NAB member Mark Strickland, wife Sandy, and longtime A/U Ranches staff member Allison Abdelnour. Nate’s visits to the A/U Ranches have typically ended up in the evening with Mark, Sandy and Allison jamming in Valerie Lodge.

Where are you now? Let us know! Email zipline@adventureunlimited.org.