What will be your next step after graduation?
Adjunct Faculty, Virginia Commonwealth University
Where will you be living?
Richmond, VA
In what ways has HES impacted your career and long-term professional goals?
The quality of education I received at Harvard deeply impacted my knowledge and understanding of my focused subject of religion and its role in cultures around the world. My research addressed the role of religious literacy in cross-cultural relationship building and collaborative problem solving, and a number of courses were directly related to this interest. Through the Extension School, I was able to major in Religion but build a program that addressed my particular interest as stated above, and included relevant and complementary classes offered through the Divinity School and the Kennedy School. I have benefited greatly from this experience in many ways, both professionally and personally.
What advice do you have for HES students now that you have graduated?
If you are considering this route for continuing education, I highly recommend you either just dive in and do it or at least begin by taking a course or two and seeing what the experience is like for you. Even though the coursework was challenging in positive ways, I was able to complete this degree while continuing to work and stay engaged with my family and broader life. The access to amazing professors, wonderful libraries, and intelligent classmates was such a gift, and one I now miss since finishing my degree.