This fall, two Birmingham-Southern students were selected to attend the Harvard Divinity School Diversity and Explorations Program, where they learned about possible areas of study and made connections with other high achieving, committed students who are interested in social justice, inclusion, and theology.

Rachel Mixon, senior studio art major, and Thornton Muncher, senior literature, religion, and mythology major, travelled to Cambridge, Massachusetts, for the program Oct. 26-28. Both returned to the Hilltop with an expanded network of students and new ideas about what their careers might look like.

“The program introduced us to the Harvard Divinity School community,” Mixon says. “We shared meals with current students, attended panels about different programs and opportunities, and even sat in on a mock class and an interesting faculty presentation.”

Harvard Divinity School welcomed 19 students from all over the country to attend the program and provided them with insight on the school and its degree programs. At the core of the divinity school – like the DivEx program – is special attention to diversity and social change.

“The Harvard Divinity School program is centered around an anti-racist and restorative justice model,” Mixon says. “A lot of the work I have done at BSC, both in and out of the classroom, has been focused on learning about and cultivating safe spaces for racial reconciliation and spiritual community. DivEx introduced us to the possibilities for an educational community that prioritizes healing as a guiding principle.”

Student attendees at Harvard DivEx, with Mixon and Muncher, from all over the nation.

Mixon first learned about this opportunity from Dr. Amy Cottrill, Denson N. Franklin Professor of Religion, and Muncher discovered the opportunity online. He then reached out to Kayla Smith ’18, a 2021 graduate of Harvard Divinity School and former human rights and justice major at BSC, and Smith encouraged Muncher to apply for the DivEx program and explore Harvard as a post-grad option.

“Each person who attended DivEx had different career goals, but we were all bonded through our passions for religious studies, social justice, and diversity, equity, and inclusion,” Muncher says.

For Muncher, the program solidified his interest in graduate school and his motivation to apply to some of the top schools in the country. He also felt that the focus of DivEx and Harvard’s degree options would build well upon what he’s learned in the Department of Religion at BSC.

“While the courses taught by the Department of Religion are dedicated to the study of both the ancient and contemporary practices of religion, BSC religious studies courses always include discussions on public ethics and diversity, equity, and inclusion,” Muncher says. “Similar to my courses at BSC, DivEx was an intentional program that challenged us to see how we could make our communities more inclusive and strive for social justice through the intersections of personal leadership and religion.”