In honor of the new student orientation taking place this week and the first day of the fall semester just around the corner, we've put together this post to introduce you to a few members of this year's incoming class. From the goal of advancing a moral argument for the health equity of vulnerable populations to supporting marginalized practitioners of vernacular Buddhism, we hope you enjoy getting to know the backgrounds and dreams of a few of our newest classmates.

Food is important – it sustains life, it brings people together, and it tastes good! As a graduate student, however, finding the time to cook can sometimes be tough. In this post, the HDS Graduate Assistants share their food-related tips and tricks, from their go-to recipes to their favorite Harvard Square haunts.  

Jessica Young Chang (she/her) is a third-year MDiv student who is thrilled to be graduating this spring. She studies mystical experience in Hindu and Christian traditions and spiritual care in the reproductive justice landscape. Currently, Jess is exploring interfaith ministry in chaplaincy, and she is on the ordination track in the United Church of Christ, planning to complete a residency in clinical pastoral education after graduation. In late March 2022, we asked Jess to describe a week in her life as an HDS student. While no two students will have the same experience in graduate school, we hope this snapshot of how Jess balances her time will be a helpful illustration of graduate student life as you’re considering HDS.

Mandy Campbell is a first-year MTS student focusing on the History of Christianity. She is particularly interested in racial justice movements in American Christianity in the 19th and 20th centuries. She is from middle Tennessee and studied History and African American Studies as an undergraduate at the University of Memphis. In the first week of March, we asked Mandy to describe a week in her life as an HDS student. While no two students will have the same experience in graduate school, we hope this snapshot of how Mandy balances her time will be a helpful illustration of graduate student life as you’re considering HDS.  

Halfway through this inaugural year of the Master of Religion and Public Life (MRPL) degree program, we asked our MRPL students to share their experiences with the program so far. In this post, John Camardella reflects on this year, his decision to attend the MRPL program as an educator, and the professional development program that he is designing to help school leaders better understand religion in the public school context.  

Sakiko Isomichi is a third-year MDiv student at HDS and the parent of a fourteen-year-old child. In this article, Sakiko muses on what is has been like to complete her degree and explore her interest in materials and waste all with her son watching. She wonders what he might think of her academic and intellectual interests and speculates about his eventual reaction to her work as he gets older and they continue to grow together.

Halfway through this inaugural year of the Master of Religion and Public Life (MRPL) degree program, we asked our MRPL students to share their experiences with the program so far. In this post, Rev. Erica Williams shares with us her reflections on the MRPL Program, her work as an organizer and activist, and her project Set if Off Movement, which was founded by Rev. Erica to empower poor and working-class communities around the world. Stay tuned because we have more MRPL student features coming soon!  

George Vicente is a first year MDiv student and a new father! In this post, he reflects on what it has been like to be both a new graduate student at HDS and a new parent this year.  

Win is a second-year MTS student focusing on Buddhist Studies. He is originally from Myanmar and a first-generation college student in the United States. In this post he reflects on his journey to graduate study at HDS – from shaking off the effects of the censorship of the education system in Myanmar to finding a home in the Buddhist community here and paying forward the encouragement he received when applying to graduate school.  

Souman Elah is a second-year MTS student at HDS focusing on Islamic Studies. In this article he reflects on his first year at HDS, from finding a home in the Muslim community to studying classical and modern Islam to having late-night chats in his kitchen with his roommates. Towards the end of the article, he also shares some helpful advice for other international students considering applying to HDS.