The Rev. Rachel Sutphin will visit 糖心vlog官网 during the week of April 6 as part of the University’s Struthers Visiting Pastoral Study Leave Program. She will speak at the University鈥檚 weekly Chapel Service at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 7. 

Sutphin has served as pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Hammonton (N.J.) since 2024. She deeply resonates with the church’s history and identity of community outreach and mission with underserved communities.

Sutphin is a writer and editor with Fidelia, an online magazine published by Young Clergy Women International. She is also a community organizer and teaches classes on preventing gun violence.

In her spare time, she enjoys kayaking, playing clarinet, embroidery, and book clubs. 

Sutphin received her B.A. in religion and culture and B.S. in human development from Virginia Tech University. She continued at Columbia Theological Seminary where she earned a master of divinity and master of arts in practical theology. She is currently working on her spiritual direction certification.聽

The U of O Pastoral Study Leave Program was established in 2005 by the late Rev. Dr. James R. Struthers of Stillwater, Okla., a long-time member of the University鈥檚 Board of Trustees. Struthers established the program to bring Presbyterian pastors to the U of O campus for personal and professional development.

The post Rev. Sutphin is Visiting Pastor April 6-10 appeared first on 糖心vlog官网.

Shana H. Chaplin has joined the Town Square Collaborative (TSC) at 糖心vlog官网 as assistant director of community engagement. Her first day was Tuesday, Dec. 2.

TSC is a regional ecumenical initiative to serve and support rural communities, congregations, and their leaders.  

“I鈥檓 so excited to welcome Shana Chaplin as assistant director for community engagement,” said Rev. Phillip Blackburn, director of TSC. “Shana brings a deep knowledge of Arkansas and a love of the Church to her work, which will be focused on equipping and empowering rural congregations to engage their communities in innovative and collaborative ways.”

A graduate of University of Arkansas-Little Rock, Chaplin most recently served as the chief program officer at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute. 

“The opportunity to serve through the Town Square Collaborative bridges my deep passions for local community, mutuality through collaborative partnerships, civic engagement and faith,” Chaplin said. “Rural churches and congregants are ideally positioned to lead in community, building civic connectedness and enhancing quality of life for their neighbors.”

Before joining the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, Chaplin was the executive director for the Arkansas Governor’s Advisory Commission on National Service & Volunteerism (2016-2023), the director of program services and public affairs for March of Dimes (2009-2011); and founding director for the Arkansas State Court Appointed Special Advocates Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) for the Arkansas Supreme Court (1996-1998).

Earlier this year, Chaplin was named Arkansas Public Administrator of the Year by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Public Affairs. She was also named to the 2024 Arkansas Money & Politics C-Suite list and the 2023 Arkansas Business 250 Most Influential Leaders list.

Chaplin was born in Genado, Arizona, on Navajo Indian Reservation where her father was teaching while finishing his master’s degree. She grew up in Japan as a missionary child.

She and her husband of 36 years, Paul, have adult twin daughters, Lindsey Chaplin Woelfel and Emery Chaplin Lunsford.

Outside of work, Chaplin enjoys reading, cooking, hosting dinner parties and family events, flower arranging and volunteering at Providence Park, a nonprofit for the unsheltered.

Based on the U of O campus in Clarksville, Ark., TSC was made possible by a trio of grants to the University from Lilly Endowment Inc., totaling more than $6.8 million from 2021 to 2024. 

For more information about TSC, please visit its website at

The post Chaplin Joins Town Square Collaborative appeared first on 糖心vlog官网.

The Rev. Sara Anne Berger has joined 糖心vlog官网 as the assistant director of the Thriving Congregations Program. Her first day at Ozarks was April 23.

Berger will work with director Rev. Phillip Blackburn to assist the University in directing the Lilly Foundation鈥檚 recent $1 million Thriving in Ministry grant to support congregations within the Presbytery of Arkansas. The primary aim of the initiative is to help congregations thrive in their communities by rediscovering their core theological identity.

鈥淚 am excited to join the great work already being done by 糖心vlog官网 and Thriving in Ministry program, and looking forward to connecting with congregations all over the Arkansas Presbytery and learning more about the needs, assets and wonderful gifts of rural congregations and communities,鈥� Berger said. 鈥淚’m looking forward to connecting with them myself, and helping to facilitate connections between the University, the students and rural congregations and communities. I have felt so welcomed by the administration, staff, and students here at the University and look forward to getting to know the folks who learn and work here.鈥�

Berger most recently served as minister of word and sacrament at Grace Presbyterian Church in Little Rock, Ark., from 2020 to 2024. Before that she served as minister of word and sacrament at First Presbyterian Church in Natchitoches, La. (2016-2020) and at Whitmire Presbyterian Church in Whitmire, S.C. (2011-2016). She was ordained by the Presbytery of Middle Tennessee in September of 2011.

A native of Franklin, Tenn., she earned an undergraduate degree in history from Presbyterian College in South Carolina and earned a master of divinity and master of Christian education from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Va.

Outside of work, Berger enjoys reading. 鈥淚 usually have a few books I’m working on at once鈥攖ypically a lot of high fantasy and history. Since I am commuting to the University from Little Rock, and will be traveling around Arkansas to be in rural communities, I am open to any audio book recommendations for the drives.鈥� She has also taken three semesters of American Sign Language and enjoys getting to practice signing with anybody who is willing to practice with her.

The post Rev. Sara Anne Berger Joins Thriving Congregations Program appeared first on 糖心vlog官网.

The Rev. Doodle Harris, the chaplain at Hastings College in Nebraska, will be on the 糖心vlog官网 campus throughout the week of Oct. 17 as part of the Struthers Pastoral Study Leave Program.

Harris grew up in Moultrie, Ga., where her family joined the Presbyterian Church, which made it possible for her to attend a number of Presbyterian Camps, including Montreat Youth Conferences, Montreat Worship and Music Conferences, and Camp Kolomoki – the Presbytery’s Camp. These opportunities provided Harris with opportunities to learn, serve and explore a possible call to ministry.

She attended Presbyterian College for her undergraduate work where she majored in music and served on the newspaper staff, the honor council and as an officer in several student organizations.  She later went to the University of South Carolina where she received her master’s degree in music theory.  While at USC, she served Spring Valley Presbyterian Church as their interim youth director and 鈥渇ell in love with the work of the church.鈥�

After working at Thornwell Home and School (a Presbyterian nonprofit for children who were abused, abandoned, or neglected), she went to Pittsburgh Theological Seminary where she received her master’s in divinity degree.  She completed her honors thesis there titled 鈥淭heology and Imagination鈥� and she won awards for academic excellence and campus leadership.

Harris took her first call at Highland Presbyterian Church as associate pastor for youth and their families and served there for 13 years. Harris now lives and works in Hastings, Neb., as the chaplain and director of service learning at Hastings College.  She leads weekly worship, provides pastoral care, serves on several committees, organizes and directs service opportunities for students, and serves as faculty advisor for the Gender-Sexuality Alliance student group.  She loves the diversity of the students and student perspectives of the college and eagerly looks forward to teaching courses in the 2023-24 academic year.

Harris鈥� family includes her wife, Dr. Amanda Boyd, and their 7-year-old twins Julia and Sam.  Her evenings are spent driving her children to various practice and playing volleyball on the Hastings College employee team (which has yet to win a game).  She also enjoys reading, watching television and going to the theater.

The Pastoral Study Leave Program was established in 2005 by the late Rev. Dr. James R. Struthers of Stillwater, Okla., a long-time member of the University鈥檚 Board of Trustees. Struthers established the program to bring Presbyterian pastors to the U of O campus for personal and professional development.

The post Hastings College Chaplain is Visiting Pastor appeared first on 糖心vlog官网.

The Rev. Dr. Parrish L. Bridges, senior pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Huntington, W.V., will visit campus on the week of Oct. 25-29 as part of the 糖心vlog官网鈥� Struthers Visiting Pastoral Study Leave Program.

As part of his visit, Bridges will speak at the University鈥檚 weekly Chapel Service at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 26.

With over 30 years in ministry, Bridges has served churches in Arkansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, California, New York and , and West Virginia

Born in Bakersfield, Calif., Bridges spent most of his teenage years alternating between Ventura, Calif., and Coal Hill, Ark., where his father was living in retirement.  His father, Lou Bridges, is a 1949 graduate of what was then College of the Ozarks.  He was part of the first pharmacology graduating class and was later awarded an honorary doctor of pharmacology from 糖心vlog官网 in 1987, following a long career as a registered pharmacist and drug store owner in California.

Bridges was called into the ministry following his high school graduation in 1982 from Ventura High School.  In preparation for pastoral ministry, he attended and graduated from Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga.  Following graduation in 1987, he received his first call as a pastor to First Baptist Church in Coal Hill, where he served briefly before moving to Memphis, Tenn. in order to start a 10-year vocation in the insurance industry with AGLA (later AIG) Insurance Company.  During this time, he also served as a bi-vocational pastor in various churches.

In the late 1990s, Bridges sensed God leading him to make a transition into full-time ministry as an ordained Presbyterian pastor.  He soon began serving as a student minister while attending Memphis Theological Seminary.  During this time, he did the required course work in the master of divinity program and also started the long process toward ordination. In 2002, he finished his master鈥檚 degree program and completed the required PCUSA ordination process and was soon called to become pastor at Bethany Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, N.C. 

Within a few years, he started his next PCUSA pastorate of an 11-year ministry at FPUC in the village of Owego, New York.  During his time there, Bridges completed a three-year doctoral program in 2013 from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.  His doctor of ministry degree was based on Parish Ministry Focus with a doctoral project entitled, 鈥淓quipping Deacons for the Shared Ministry of Congregational Care and Community Outreach.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;

Parrish and his wife, Pamela, have three daughters, one son, three grandchildren and a Shit-Zu named, Roxy. 

The Pastoral Study Leave Program was established in 2005 by the late Rev. Dr. James R. Struthers of Stillwater, Okla., a long-time member of the University鈥檚 Board of Trustees. Struthers established the program to bring Presbyterian pastors to the U of O campus for personal and professional development.

The post Rev. Bridges to Serve as Visiting Pastor Oct. 25-29 appeared first on 糖心vlog官网.

The Rev. Jesus Juan 鈥淛esse鈥� Gonzalez, pastor of Gethsemane Presbyterian Church in Fort Worth, Texas, will visit 糖心vlog官网 on the week of Sept. 13-17 as part of the University鈥檚 Pastoral Study Leave Program.

Gonzalez (pictured above with his son, Obed, a 2017 U of O graduate) will lead the University鈥檚 weekly Chapel Service at 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 14 in Munger-Wilson Chapel.

Gonzalez is pursuing a doctor of ministry at Austin Presbyterian Theological Society.  He is presently working on his dissertation titled, 鈥淢issional Church Movement.鈥�

A native of Mexico, Gonzalez earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree from Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education in Mexico and a master鈥檚 degree from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

He has served Presbyterian churches in Mexico, Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas. He and his wife, Bertha, have three sons, Obed, Jesus and Abner, and four grandchildren.

The Pastoral Study Leave Program was established in 2005 by the late Rev. Dr. James R. Struthers of Stillwater, Okla., a long-time member of the University鈥檚 Board of Trustees. Struthers established the program to bring Presbyterian pastors to the U of O campus for personal and professional development. Since its inception, more than 30 pastors have taken part in the program.

The post Rev. Gonzalez to Visit Campus Sept. 13-17 appeared first on 糖心vlog官网.

Recent graduate Vivien Wambugu has been named the 糖心vlog官网鈥� 2021 Tutor of the Year by the University鈥檚 academic services program.

The outstanding tutor awards were announced in May and given by academic services based on several factors, including evaluations from students receiving tutoring, GPAs, and staff members鈥� interactions and observations. Academic services is comprised of the University鈥檚 Jones Learning Center, Student Success Center and TRIO programs.

Vanessa Hollowell, academic services coordinator, said that 125 student-workers provided more than 4,400 hours of tutoring support during the 2020-21 academic year.

鈥淎cademic services works with wonderful tutors to support students,鈥� Hollowell said. 鈥淒uring this year, the Covid pandemic presented many challenges for both students and tutors. However, both persevered and tutoring continued which is a key factor for many students鈥� success.鈥� 

Hollowell said that the tutors are nominated by their peers and evaluated based on qualities such as 鈥渒nowledge of material, preparedness, empathy, patience, enthusiasm and a strong desire to support students.鈥�

Wambugu, a May 2021 graduate, is a health science major and environmental science and religion minor from Tulsa, Okla. She graduated with Magna Cum Laude honors and plans to enroll in Duke University鈥檚 Master of Science in Global Health Program in the fall.

Other tutor awards for 2021 included, Chris Alexandre in accounting, Alec Severe in chemistry, Yulianna Ibarra in education, Katie Barnwell in mathematics, Kennedy Goodnight in psychology, Sofia Osorio Ruiz in Spanish and Danitra Sargent in writing.

The post Wambugu Named University鈥檚 2021 Tutor of the Year appeared first on 糖心vlog官网.

When it came time earlier this spring for 糖心vlog官网 senior Vivien Wambugu to choose a graduate school in which to continue her education in the fall, she had an enviable problem.

The health science major from Tulsa, Okla., was accepted into four of the top global health graduate programs in the country 鈥� George Washington University, Vanderbilt University, Duke University and University of North Carolina. She eventually selected Duke鈥檚 Master of Science in Global Health Program.

鈥淚 was pretty torn between Vanderbilt and Duke because they both offer such great programs and opportunities,鈥� Wambugu said. 鈥淢y roommate, Crystal Oudomvilay, and I took a week-long trip to visit both schools, as well as the graduate school she got into. On a rainy day, Crystal and I walked to Duke West Campus, where we got to see Duke Global Health Institute, Duke Hospital, and the famous Duke Chapel. As we continued walking through the campus, getting rained on, I had this unexplainable feeling that this is where I was meant to be. The master鈥檚 program for Global Health at Duke differs from the other three that I applied to because it emphasizes research and science. The beauty of the campus, the unexplainable feeling and the academic challenge I will receive at Duke University are reasons for why I chose Duke.鈥�

Wambugu, who will graduate on May 15 with high academic honors, said she first became interested in the public health field during her sophomore year at Ozarks.

鈥淚 realized that is where my passion lies,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y professional aspirations are to work with non-profit organizations that promote health care and provide health services for under-resourced communities. My goal is to be a program designer, evaluator and advocator within my field. I have always had a passion for public health concerns such as malnutrition, obesity, poverty and environmental determinants of health. Combined with my love for advocacy, I know global public health is the field I am called to be in.鈥�

She credited her professors, including her advisor, Dr. Chris Skinner, assistant professor of health science, for guiding her through the graduate school application process.    

鈥淒r. Skinner has been an excellent professor, advisor and resource with my graduate school applications,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 truly appreciate his guidance through the application process and now the transition process from undergraduate to graduate school. I have had a lot of support from other faculty and staff who offered their advice and wisdom, which helped me be successful with my applications and choosing Duke. I am so grateful for those who invested their time, efforts and care in me.鈥�

Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Wambugu spent most of her young life in Tulsa. She also spent considerable time on the Ozarks campus, where her father, Rev. Wambugu Gachungi, graduated from in 2007. Gachungi serves as the associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Tulsa and was an active and popular student during his time at Ozarks.

鈥淲hen I was around 9, my family would come to Ozarks a few times throughout the year when my dad was coming back for alumni events, to preach at the First Presbyterian Church in town, and visit family friends,鈥� Wambugu said. 鈥淥f course, during those times I was not thinking of which college I was going to. All I knew is that I loved this place. Getting to play around the fountain and hang out in the president suite with former President Rick Niece were always some of my highlight moments of the trips. When the time came to decide which college to attend, I reflected on the joyful moments on campus and had a feeling that Ozarks is where I needed to be. Also, having some family ties to the school was an additional bonus to my decision.鈥�

She said she is proud to share an Ozarks connection with her father.

鈥淐oming to Ozarks, I was comforted with the familiarity of the school and that some faculty and staff already knew my story.鈥� She said. 鈥淚 am proud of the legacy my dad left on campus, and I hope to have lived up to it. My dad loves talking about his time at Ozarks. Almost every time he is on campus, he does not fail to mention his time spent in MacLean, the maintenance projects he got to work on around the campus and other joyous memories he created during his time at Ozarks.鈥�

When asked her favorite memory at Ozarks, Wambugu pointed to a pair of recent accomplishments by the University鈥檚 athletic teams.

鈥淐heering on the men鈥檚 basketball team to the ASC championship was nothing but extraordinary,鈥� she said. 鈥淭o see the Ozarks family come together to cheer on our team was just beautiful. That was followed by getting to cheer on the men鈥檚 soccer team as they arrived from their ASC championship win. Those memories, along with many more, I will hold on to and cherish forever.鈥�

With a major in health science with an emphasis in health promotion, as well as minors in religion and environmental studies, Wambugu sounds like a poster child for the University鈥檚 LENS program when she describes her Ozarks education.

鈥淢y religion minor allowed me to learn the philosophy and practices of varying religions, which I believe to be essential as I enter a field that works with various people, beliefs and lifestyles,鈥� Wambugu said. 鈥淢y environmental studies minor brought awareness to environmental implications on health, disparities aligned with environmental determinants and the importance of sustainable and eco-conscious lifestyle choices. I believe the knowledge attained from my major and minors works to enhance my effectiveness as a public health advocator.鈥�

Wambugu said she has always been a good student, but that her professors at Ozarks pushed her to dig deeper.

鈥淚 cannot express my gratitude for the academic knowledge and challenge I have received here,鈥� she said. 鈥淔rom Dr. Dave Daily and Dr. Nathan Dickman teaching me the hermeneutics of religion and philosophical thought processes to Dr. Piroska Boros鈥� guidance on how to analyze systematic reviews or meta-analyses using PRISMA, to Dr. Chris Skinner鈥檚 emphasis on good carbs being far more important than protein in our diet, and to Dr. Isaac Hunter鈥檚 emphasis on Carl Rogers鈥� three ingredients that extend beyond counseling. The LENS program really stretched my academic knowledge.鈥�

Wambugu said her experiences outside the classroom have also been impactful.

鈥淓xtracurricular opportunities enabled me to learn and strengthen leadership, communication and social skills and to find passion in advocacy and equity,鈥� she said. 鈥淥pportunities and experiences formed through being a Resident Assistant for two years, a member of the President Advisory Council, Board of Trustee Student Representative, and Eagle Productions leader enabled the young na茂ve 18-year-old girl, who entered college intending to try to fill her father鈥檚 shoes, to blossom and discover the potential she holds within herself. As I reflect on my journey to self-discovery, I owe many thanks to Ozarks for playing a vital role in the progress I have accomplished.鈥�

The post Wambugu Finds Graduate School Options Plentiful appeared first on 糖心vlog官网.

Case, a health science major and education and religion minor from Keller, Texas, returned from an 11-month study abroad experience in Japan in August. It was a transformational experience for someone who had never previously travelled outside of North America.

Case spent the year taking classes at Fukushima University through the study-abroad program University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC). His courses, which were all taught in English, ranged from Japanese language and grammar to Asian history to even a class on Anime, a popular style of Japanese film and television animation.

鈥淚鈥檝e always been fascinated with Japanese culture, their technology, the people and a lot of that had to do with my interest in Anime,鈥� Case said. 鈥淭hat was a big part of my decision to go to Japan. In one of my first classes, I had the professor ask the class, 鈥榃hat is your favorite Anime character?鈥� I remember thinking, that鈥檚 something I never expected to hear in a college classroom.鈥�

The language barrier was the most difficult part of the experience and it forced Case to work diligently on his Japanese.

鈥淭he greatest challenge was definitely making friends and the language barrier,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know any Japanese from the beginning, so no one could really talk to me unless we used a translator. But using a translator wasn鈥檛 meaningful to me, so I did everything I could do to learn. I overcame it by trying to be positive and hang around my new friends more and listen to how they speak. As the months went on, it became easier and I made many friends and managed to learn some of the language.鈥�

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in the spring, Fukushima University was in between semesters. When classes resumed, they were all completely online. Case rarely left his residence hall while taking classes throughout the summer months.

鈥淲hen the pandemic first hit, it wasn鈥檛 that bad in Japan, so I decided to stay here and complete the year,鈥� Case said. 鈥淥nce it got bad here, they pretty much shut everything down and that was difficult. I was basically locked in my room for three months and the only places I could go to was the grocery store down the street. All the area businesses were closed and no one was allowed to be within six-feet of each other. I passed the time by working on the language and doing a lot of eight-hour video chats with friends.鈥�

Ironically, Case said that before the Covid-19 shutdown it was the more hands-on, interactive aspect of Japanese instruction that he enjoyed the most about his academic experience.

鈥淭heir teaching system is much more hands-on instead of a lot of reading and papers, so the learning process was more fun,鈥� Case said. 鈥淚 believe Japanese schools want you to enjoy learning by activities instead of writing or typing on a computer. I was really enjoying that before the pandemic shut us down. I did have some great opportunities to travel around and see a lot of the country before it was shut down, so I鈥檓 thankful for that.鈥�

The professors at Fukushima University were some of Case鈥檚 strongest advocates.

鈥淢y professors were very supportive of me and were always in my corner cheering me on and telling me that I could do it,鈥� Case said. 鈥淚 believe that made me a little bit more confident in myself. It鈥檚 certainly scary trying new things, so having them congratulate and encourage me was very uplifting.鈥�

Case credited the Ozarks staff and faculty for providing the help and support to make his goal of studying in Japan a reality. He is one of the first students from Ozarks to study in Japan.

鈥淭he process to get there was pretty long and tedious, but thanks to [Director of Campus Recreation] Bendex Stevenson and other staff and faculty members, I was able to achieve it,鈥� Case said. 鈥淚 honestly can鈥檛 thank them enough. To represent Ozarks as one of their first students in Japan was quite an honor and would not have been possible without support from a lot of people.鈥�

Case, who would like to pursue a career in teaching, said he enjoyed the experience in Japan so much that he plans to return for graduate school. The next time, though, he expects to have a better grasp of the language and culture.

鈥淢y Japanese and my knowledge of the culture improved so much in a year, but I鈥檓 continuing to work and improve in those areas,鈥� Case said. 鈥淚 realize that I can do and experience so much more if I can continue to get better with the language. I can鈥檛 wait to go back.鈥�

Calling the experience transformational, Case said he is now confident and inspired to take on whatever comes next following his Spring 2021 graduation.

鈥淭his past year has really changed me and given me the confidence to know I can overcome a lot of obstacles and still succeed,鈥� Case said. 鈥楾o know that I spent a year in a completely foreign country, not knowing anyone at first and then getting through a world pandemic; that tells me I can accomplish anything I set my mind to. That鈥檚 a great feeling.鈥�

The post Year in Japan Makes Impact on Case appeared first on 糖心vlog官网.

That was the win-win decision facing 糖心vlog官网 senior religion and philosophy major Emilie 鈥淲eave鈥� Williams earlier this month on where to pursue a graduate degree after she was accepted into both of the prestigious Ivy league universities.

The Keller, Texas, native who will graduate with Magna Cum Laude honors in May eventually chose Harvard, where she will enroll in the Master of Theological Studies program in the fall.

Williams said she learned that she had been accepted to Yale鈥檚 Master of Arts in Religion program when she woke up one morning earlier this semester and checked her email. The Harvard acceptance email came a few days later in the middle of Dr. Bill Eakin鈥檚 Existentialism class.

鈥淚 saw the email and I just kind of choked and lost my breath in the middle of the class,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淒r. Eakin stopped the lecture to ask what was going on and I just said, 鈥榃ell, I just got into Harvard,鈥� and the entire class clapped for me. It was a really cool moment that I definitely wasn鈥檛 expecting to happen where or when it did.鈥�

Williams said she was just an average high school student and never dreamed of attending graduate school in the Ivy League until she was inspired by her professors at Ozarks, including Dr. Dave Daily professor of religion, and Dr. David Strain, professor of English and classics.

鈥淓verything changed for me when I came to Ozarks and found what I loved to study, and was surrounded by professors with top-tier respected degrees in their fields who loved what they did,鈥� Williams said. 鈥� Dr. Daily earned his master of divinity degree from Yale Divinity School after graduating from a small private university similar to Ozarks, and Dr. Strain earned a Ph.D. from Harvard. As a freshman, getting one-on-one attention and advising from them was intimidating because I thought they were part of some elite club, but they believed in me.鈥�

One of the classes that inspired her to pursue religion and philosophy was Daily鈥檚 Approaches to the Study of Religion course.

鈥淭hat course transformed the way I think of religious studies and religion in general,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e always been more interested in the function of religion in society than strict theology and hermeneutics, and I read things in that class that honestly made me question everything I thought I once knew in the best way. It gave me a newfound respect for the sciences and gave me a healthy dose of skepticism. It鈥檚 the reason I鈥檓 going on to study philosophy of religion, and I think it prepared me for so many other courses I went on to take throughout college.鈥�

Williams, who served as a coach for Interfaith Youth Core in 2018, began to seriously consider graduate school during junior year at Ozarks and remembers going to Daily for advice.

鈥淚 went to Dr. Daily鈥檚 office with a list of potential graduate schools that were all academically mid-level, because I was certain those were the only schools that would even read over my application,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e read them over and, at the end of our meeting, said he wanted me to look at two more schools 鈥� Harvard and Yale. I laughed at him, but he said he was serious. He said that not only would they be a good fit for me, but that he legitimately thought I could get in. He was really the driving force for me to even think of looking to Ivy Leagues, and I鈥檓 so glad he did.鈥�

Williams then went about filling out the rigorous applications to both universities.

鈥淭he application process itself was pretty standard, except there is no interview 鈥� you are assessed off your application alone,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he applications are much more mentally and emotionally draining than other graduate programs because most people go into ministry of some kind with the degrees they earn. These questions were very existential and required you to think critically about the world at large, your place in it, and why you believe you in that particular position are the right person to earn this degree to bring about change.鈥�

Once Williams learned that she had been accepted into the two highly competitive graduate programs, her reaction surprised herself.

鈥淚 thought I would cry, but I didn鈥檛. I think I had been anticipating that moment for so long that when it finally happened, it just wasn鈥檛 as dramatic as I thought it would be,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was just like, 鈥楥ool, my hard work has paid off and I鈥檓 proud of myself.鈥� I was far from my family that lives in Texas, but they鈥檝e just been telling all their co-workers how proud and excited they are for me, but they鈥檝e been shockingly relaxed about it all. My friends, on the other hand, have been crazy excited. We had like three entire days of celebrations after everything was official. It鈥檚 been awesome to have so much support from my Ozarks community and to feel like I鈥檝e made my professors and mentors here proud.鈥�

Williams, who was offered a full tuition scholarship from Yale and a 75 percent tuition scholarship from Harvard, said she decided on Harvard after taking her second visit to both universities in early April.

鈥淏oth campuses had an admitted students鈥� day in early April so I booked a trip to go get a feel for the vibe of both places, now that the intimidation factor was gone,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 so glad I went back up. I met with several other prospective students who had also been admitted to both divinity schools and were weighing their options. It was nice to know I wasn鈥檛 the only one going through that decision-making process, and that I wasn鈥檛 crazy for considering two schools that were incredibly different. Ultimately, with my interests in diversity and working with people of different racial and religious backgrounds was a higher priority, and Harvard happened to have that. Turning down a full scholarship to Yale was incredibly difficult, but I had to go with my gut.鈥�

Williams, whose career aspirations include attaining a Ph.D. and going into academia, said Ozarks has helped empower her to take on new challenges.

鈥淚鈥檝e grown to trust myself and my capabilities,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen I arrived my freshman year, I was very insecure and would constantly compare myself to others. Now, I鈥檝e become more competitive with myself and it has made a world of difference. Choosing a more 鈥榬are鈥� major with smaller class sizes pushed me to do this naturally. I loved what I was studying and wasn鈥檛 trying to impress anyone else. I was just simply doing the work for myself.鈥�

The post Williams Has Prestigious Options For Grad School appeared first on 糖心vlog官网.