What were your undergraduate major & institution?
Boston College Boston College, B.S. Management (concentrations: Marketing, Information Systems), double major in Theology.
What were you doing immediately before coming to CSTM?
I was in the first year of my MSW at the University of Toronto when I decided to transfer to the dual degree MA/MSW program at CSTM.
When did you first realize you wanted to pursue graduate studies in theology? How did you know?
I first experienced a nudge that I wanted to pursue graduate studies in theology during my senior year at Boston College, when I received an email from CSTM inviting me to apply. At the time, I wasn't interested in attending graduate school, so I was surprised by how excited this email made me about the idea of studying theology at the graduate level. After graduating from BC, I spent a few years working in business before starting graduate studies in social work, and when the nudge to study theology at CSTM wouldn't go away, I knew that it was something that I needed to listen to.
“I am grateful to many CSTM alumni who have served as role models at different parts of my life, and I think that my relationships with them–and with other mentors, friends, and family–definitely influenced my call to the MA/MSW program and CSTM in general.”
What people, experiences, courses, etc. informed this call?
So many! But I would say that my undergraduate Jesuit education at BC, and especially my experiences in campus ministry and the friends and mentors that I made in those spaces, is the biggest reason why I am at CSTM today. As an undergraduate student at BC, I was lucky to participate and lead several service and immersion trips that taught me about the connection between faith and social justice. Through these experiences, I was able to meet several CSTM students–and in particular many MA/MSW students–who were involved in campus ministry and showed me what it looked like to live out a faith that does justice. Because of this, I am grateful to many CSTM alumni who have served as role models at different parts of my life, and I think that my relationships with them–and with other mentors, friends, and family–definitely influenced my call to the MA/MSW program and CSTM in general.
Were there any roadblocks in your discernment process? How did you navigate them?
For me, the biggest roadblock was fear. What would other people think about my decision to study theology? What would be the financial impact of choosing a career in ministry? What challenges might I face as an international student and transfer student, and would the transfer be worth it?
I am grateful to have an incredibly supportive network of family, friends, and mentors who accompanied me in my discernment by encouraging me to return to the Ignatian framework for discernment that I learned about as an undergraduate student at BC, as a way to pray and listen to God’s call. I also found it helpful to speak with both the admissions teams at CSTM and School of Social Work. Both teams collaborated to help me navigate the transfer process so that the MA/MSW program would work for me and my particular needs and circumstances, and their support made it possible for me to transfer into the MA/MSW program and attend CSTM.
Why did you choose CSTM for your theological studies?
I chose CSTM for a few reasons. While completing the first year of my MSW program, I realized how important it was for me to be in a program that would allow me to connect my passion for social work with my interests in ministry, while also preparing me to live out a faith that does justice, and I felt that BC’s dual-degree program would provide me with the formation that I was seeking. Additionally, in looking at theology programs, I knew that I wanted to be at a Jesuit institution that valued formation and community as important and essential components of the graduate school experience, and I felt that there was no place that did that better than CSTM. It also helped that I had lived in Boston before and consider Boston College to be my spiritual home, so in choosing CSTM, I knew that I would be well supported by my existing community in Boston and my new CSTM community.
In what ways do you see yourself using your degree?
One thing that I love about the MA/MSW degree is that the possibilities are endless! As of right now, my hope is to work full time as a social worker in a healthcare setting, while continuing to serve in ministry per diem. That being said, a big theme of grad school for me has been God of surprises, so I'm open to whatever God has in store for me!
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