Rajeev Persaud plans to go to law school but wanted to explore religious studies formally before pursuing a legal career. His faith has been the foundation for his life for as long as he can remember. As a practicing Hindu priest for the Guyanese community in the Greater Toronto area, he values the responsibility of performing sacred rituals, keeping the culture intact, and sharing traditions across generations.
“My family is very religious, and I was always drawn to the priesthood. With no exaggeration, the first thing I wanted to do in life was to be a pandit, a priest. I care about God; that’s a big part of my life. As a kid, I would take my Ganesha idol, the elephant-headed God, with me to the doctor for a checkup!”
Persaud arrived at HDS with an openness to the multi-dimensional possibilities a multireligious education could offer. Like many religious leaders, Persaud intends to balance a full-time career while maintaining his role as a Hindu priest.
“One of the challenges I find myself faced with is: how do I pursue something in life as a career that I’m passionate about, that I will invest myself in, while also finding ways to engage religious studies and whatever my personal convictions are?”
As a student, Persaud has been encouraged by the breadth of Hindu classes available to him and his ability to cross- register at other Harvard schools. He has found professors who embody an interdisciplinary approach and resources that allow him to think critically about his personal faith and professional ambitions. Persaud notes a strong connection with his academic advisor, Professor Francis X. Clooney, S.J., as well as other mentors and professors at HDS and across the University, including Swayam Bagaria, Parimal Patil, and Kristen A. Stilt. He has been particularly moved by how these leaders have helped him reconstruct his beliefs to be both stronger and more expansive.
“Father Clooney is a Catholic priest, yet he knows more about the study of Hinduism than anybody I’ve ever met, and he treats it with reverence. I’ve gone to him for spiritual counseling as a Hindu, and he’s met me as a Hindu. He has counseled me, while also sharing what he believes. To me, that’s what Divinity School is about: learning from each other, learning what we believe, and how these beliefs help and enrich our lives.”
As a Hindu who believes in the ethical treatment of animals and who is a passionate vegan, Persaud is particularly interested in animal welfare law. He aims to center his work at the intersection of religion, legal studies, and academia—a path he did not know was possible until studying at Harvard Divinity School.
—by Danielle Daphne Ang