Mary Catherine grew up in a small town in Southeast Missouri in the USA. She taught full-time in the Warrensburg, MO, public schools while earning a Ph.D. in Multicultural Education and Socio-anthropology from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. She taught, with her husband Richard, as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Sierra Leone. She has also taught in Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and India, where she was a teacher for English Language Learners at the American Embassy School. She is committed to service and volunteerism and has worked on various projects with children and adults worldwide. Mary Catherine is memorable for her warmth, empathy, and enthusiasm. Working with the monastics at SINI is a great privilege and dear to her heart.

Richard, like his wife Mary Catherine, grew up in rural Missouri. Joining the Peace Corps, he taught in a small village in Sierra Leone. After their service, Richard began a graduate program in Science Education at the University of Illinois. Over the years, Richard has become an avid observer and student of nature. He is fascinated with how children and adults think and learn. He collaborated to bring hands-on science activities to children in impoverished neighborhoods in Delhi. Richard especially enjoys combining science and service. Bringing science and nature to the monastics at SINI has been most rewarding. He cherishes the opportunity to integrate English and science learning together with his wife. He and Mary Catherine are ever grateful to learn about Buddhism and the Dharma. They are always pleased to promote the noble efforts of SINI.