HDS communications reached out to our 2022 graduating students to hear from them in their own words about their experiences at HDS, the people who've helped and inspired them along their grad school journeys, and their plans for the future.
How I've Changed
I would say over the course of my time at HDS I have grown capable of not only finding but also applying the language necessary to work in the spaces to which I feel called. HDS has allowed me the opportunity to explore the unique intersections that most academic spaces don't allow to flourish.
Memorable Moment
My most memorable moment at HDS would be one of the many road trips that I would take to Maine, New Hampshire, or Connecticut with my friends whom I had met at HDS. Also, having found my best friend, Ale, and exploring the beauty that is Boston has truly been a joy.
Favorite Class or Professor
My favorite class during my time at HDS is a tie between a class taught by (retired) Father Bryan Hehir and one taught by Jeffery Seul. Father Heir taught "Politics and Ethics of Statecraft," and his wisdom and interpretation of how moral leadership can be applied in statecraft was truly informational. Secondly, Professor Seul taught the class "Negotiating Across Worldviews," which has set an incredible framework to engage in dialogue with people from different backgrounds and values.
Message of Thanks
First, I would like to thank my family for always supporting me even when I doubted myself. I'd like to thank my COS community college family, my family at the illustrious Fisk University, and my family of friends here in the Harvard community.
Second, two people that I'd like to especially thank is my incredible partner Alejandra, who continues to support me to grow into a more aware and intentional human being, and my incredible mother. My whole life I've been blessed to be raised and surrounded by powerful woman who have always been there when I needed support the most, and my mother is the pinnacle of this. Her lifetime of hard work, sacrifice, and unlimited support is truly a blessing. This degree is as much hers as it is mine.
Lastly, I would be remiss not to pause and thank my African American, Chicano, and Mescalero Apache ancestors for their spiritual and mental guidance. It's also because of them that I can walk across this stage with a master's degree from Harvard.
What I Hope to Be Remembered By
I hope to be remembered for my unapologetic character. Being a black and brown, first-generation college student from a low-economic background, I should statistically not be here. However, I did it, and I did not forfeit who I am to obtain this degree. I stayed true to where I come from with the unmovable belief that my purpose for obtaining this degree is to return to my communities and be an advocate to uplift their voices in political arenas.
Future Plans
I have been selected as a John Robert Lewis Fellow at The Faith & Politics Institute for 2022–23. I also plan to begin a research fellowship at the Harvard Kennedy School within their Center for Public Leadership. This work aims to support and advocate for working mothers across the country from all backgrounds as the world enters this new phase of the pandemic. Following my fellowship, I will attend Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy, where I will further my academic and professional journey studying at the intersection of social and national security policy.