About Our Team

Christina Zawerucha, Managing Director, Director of Educational and Creative Programs

Christina Zawerucha is a teacher, farmer, and social entrepreneur who specializes in developing sustainability literacy programs in an international context. Focused on working with immigrant populations and English Language Learners, Christina has developed participatory curricula with public, non-profit, and higher education institutions in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Pennsylvania, Ecuador, Ukraine, and now Virginia. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, the documentary film “I Learn America,” and Al Jazeera America. Christina currently facilitates workshops at Crow Forest Farm and works as an ESL instructor at the Virginia Tech Language and Culture Institute in Blacksburg, VA.

Junior Beauvais, Permaculture Instructor, Director of Haiti Project

Junior Beauvais is from Fondwa, Haiti, a small community village in the western department of the country. He is currently studying agriculture at Virginia Polytechnic and State University. In addition to being certified in permaculture design, Junior has worked with several NGOs including Nurses For Nurses International (NFNI), Haiti Health Initiative (HHI) and Fund of Peasants of Fondwa (FPF), Heifer international and Sante Konbit Fondwa (Fondwa). Above all, Junior is a caring, Christian person and passionate about volunteering for his community.

 

Maureen McGonagle, Farm Manager & Director of Self-Care Programs

Maureen McGonagle grew up in Arlington, VA, and moved to Blacksburg, VA in 2007 to attend Virginia Tech. Blacksburg has since become her home, falling in love with the irreplaceable beauty of these mountains and strong sense of community. Her interest in yoga was first cultivated during her time in India, where she spent three weeks living at a yoga ashram in Rishikesh. Upon graduating from college, Maureen decided to continue on this path and embarked on a 200-hour, 15 month Hatha Yoga Teacher Training with Anna Pittman at The Breathing Space. This program proved to be one of the most transformative periods of her life, and provided her with the tools and wisdom to begin to access and explore deep inner contentment, awareness, and divinity through the practices of the eight-limbs of yoga. Maureen has since embarked on a Level II, 300-hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training Certification, also with Anna Pittman at The Breathing Space. She has been teaching at In Balance Yoga since May 2012.