Reflections from Harvard Divinity School

Seniors Victoria Gillon and Leah Shelton reflect on their experience in the fall of 2015 attending the Diversity and Explorations program at Harvard Divinity School.

Victoria Gillon, religion and sociology

"Harvard University is an amazing institution and is one of the most well-known universities in the world. Because of this notoriety, Harvard can be very inaccessible to many types of people. It was a great experience to see the Divinity School at Harvard up close and personal, demystifying the Divinity School.

Although my house-mate and fellow religion major Leah Shelton also attended, we were able to branch out and attend various seminars and classes within the divinity school. Our cohorts within the program were truly a diverse group of individuals who were driven by different passions in the realm of social justice. There were an array of voices from all across the country yearning to learn more about their theological inquiries and dilemmas.

"As someone who is looking to go to divinity and seminary for graduate school, this was a gold mine. The dialogue that I encountered throughout the program stimulated me throughout the three days we were there. There were people from all over the world who met in Cambridge in the enriching environment of scholarship.

"One of the most surprising things about my time at HDS was the commitment to social justice both inside and outside of the classroom. My time visiting HDS also presented a moral complexity I was not aware of before I arrived in Cambridge. As I walked back and forth between the Harvard Square Hotel and the Divinity School campus, I was confronted with the harsh reality of homelessness surrounding Harvard. It perplexed me that a place with such an immense amount of history and wealth could also have such a large amount of people living on the streets right on its doorstep.

"I think it is important to not forget these people in Cambridge while we praise Harvard for being an open environment. Hopefully, HDS can continue to pursue social justice both inside and outside of the classroom."

Leah Shelton, religion and speech pathology

"Thinking back to my short time exploring Harvard Divinity School with Vicky Gillon a million images flood my mind: meeting another new and enthralling peer every five minutes, laughing until I couldn't breathe at the witty jokes buzzing in conversations (a few of which I produced!), and feeling both entirely out of my comfort zone and in intellectual bliss for three entire days.

"My two favorite memories represent, for me, the most comforting and challenging aspects of HDS and, I hope, divinity schools in general. The first memory wasn't part of the generously packed program schedule. Thanks to a conference I attended last year, I'm in contact with one of the associate professors at HDS and was able to spend a couple hours with him. He gave me a tour of the HDS and surrounding campus, filled with personal stories and laughter, and inquired into my academic and life interests, spurring me on to pursue those, explore more, and pointing out resources to aid me, including connecting me to another scholar I've been researching.

"My other favorite memory happened during a reflection (hooray for reflection!) time with DivEx attendees and admissions staff. Everyone was given the opportunity to respond to their experiences. With each new voice I had the absolute privilege to listen to my peers present viewpoints that have the potential to change the world for the better, one community at a time.

"At the end, we gave a standing ovation to the admissions staff. The one who created DivEx began crying and proceeded to give us a golden piece of advice: You already have passion for justice, your job is to find the tools to make that passion a reality. Whether it be HDS or a different location, find the place where you can craft passion into active justice. I am abundantly thankful for all of those who helped me get to DivEx and continue to challenge me to live a life well-lived."