Meet your small group leaders!

Stephanie Addenbrooke-Bean (Andover Small Group)

Hello! I’m Stephanie Addenbrooke Bean. I’m a second year MDiv student from (just outside) the great city of Liverpool, England. I completed my undergraduate degree in Political Science down the hill at Yale College and loved New Haven so much that I decided to stay a little longer. I am passionate about empowering those with mental illnesses and disabilities, particularly in academic and religious spaces, and hope my academic and personal work will continue to focus on such things. If you’re curious, feel free to ask. I love a good chat! Round the Quad, you can find me singing in the Marquand Gospel Choir, in Student Government meetings, watching Netflix in the Refectory and taking advantage of all the free food YDS has to offer. I look forward to sharing the Quad with you and welcoming you to New Haven.

KCM Campbell-Morrison (Marquand Small Group)

My name is KCM (Katie Campbell-Morrison), more often than not I go by my initials. I am a Cleveland native - no I’m not mad LeBron left, how can you when he’s opening schools?! Second year M.Div candidate seeking ordination in the Disciples of Christ (Christian Church).  I went to Scripps College out in sunny LA, served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Peru for three years then studied my masters in Cuba. I love finding random new places to study and have lots of recommendations. In the spare moments I can escape from studying I take pole dancing classes in Wooster Square and moonlight at GPSCY, the graduate bar downtown. Come down and enjoy a cheap drink and decompress! 

Nia Campinha-Bacote (Pope Small Group)

I was born and raised in the wonderful city of Cincinnati, Ohio, and after living in one place for 18 years, moved to Providence, Rhode Island to attend Brown University where I concentrated in Health and Human Biology with a focus on race and ethnic disparities in health and disease.  After graduating in 2015, I packed up my bags again, but this time to New Haven, Connecticut, where I began working with Yale undergrads as a Yale Chi Alpha Campus Pastor. Through my time with Yale Chi Alpha, I discovered a passion for ministry and am now entering into my second year at YDS as a Master of Divinity student.

Tayla Daniel (Newton Small Group)

My name is Tayla Daniel and I am a rising second-year at Yale Divinity School. I hail from the great state of Michigan.  I received my Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Trinity Washington University in Washington, DC in 2012. When I am not keeping up with the rigorous academics at Yale, I enjoy writing, blogging, and cooking.

Kayla Ford (Sterling Small Group)

My name is Kayla Ford and I’m in my second year in the Master of Arts in Religion program at YDS. I’m originally from Nashville, TN where I graduated from Lipscomb University in 2017 with a B.A. in English and Philosophy. At YDS, my concentration is in Religion and the Arts, where I study the intersection of literature and philosophy. Particularly, I’m interested in 20^thcentury African American literature—Toni Morrison and Alice Walker are some of my favorites. When I’m not studying, I tutor in the New Haven community and volunteer at a local children’s ministry in Bridgeport, CT. Outside of school and work I enjoy running, hiking, knitting, NPR podcasts, and Thai food. 

Sarah Fox (Beecher Small Group)

I am studying for an MAR: Music at Yale Divinity School and the Institute of Sacred Music. I am originally from Russellville, Kentucky and previously studied at Western Kentucky University and The University of Birmingham (United Kingdom). I am a musician who enjoys singing, conducting, and playing various instruments. In terms of music research, I’m particularly interested in ethnomusicology–a field which allows me to think about the dual impact that music and communities have on each other. In my spare time, I love to cook, take road trips, practice language learning, and make music with others. If you like any of these things–please introduce yourself to me! 

Sparrow Gates (Hopkins Small Group)

Hey y’all! I’m Sparrow, a Texan-born MARc Bible student with a focus in Hebrew Bible. My current life goal is becoming a professor and working with students at a collegiate level. I’ve spent this summer working at the Divinity Farm, learning New Testament Greek, and being the officiant at my parents’ wedding ceremony. If you have strong feelings about TexMex, needle-felting, or gluten-free baking, be sure to come find me!

Joshua Garcia (Trowbridge Small Group)

My name is Joshua Garcia and I am an MAR student studying Hebrew Bible. While I was born in the Philippines and have lived in all four corners of the US, I consider Portland, OR to be my hometown. I have many roots in several different parts of the larger university as I am a graduate affiliate for Benjamin Franklin College, work at the Haas Arts Library downtown, and am an active member at St. Thomas More. The resources at Yale are incredibly vast but difficult to locate and obtain mainly because they are so numerous. I hope that in identifying myself as someone who can help, doing so is less daunting and your transition into our community is as easy as was mine.

Steph Hagan (Stuart Small Group)

Xαίρετε, φίλοι! My name is Steph Hagan and I am a 2nd year MAR with a concentration in Philosophy of Religion. Although I am originally from Colorado, I finished my undergraduate degree in Philosophy/Ancient Studies at St. Olaf College in Minnesota before moving to Pennsylvania to work in education. My love for Plato brought me graduate school, so I came to YDS to study how Platonic metaphysics inform trinitarian theory in the early Christian church. My secondary academic interest is in heresiology and the formation of Christianity identity via establishment of “The Other”; consequently, I have a serious soft spot for Neoplatonists like Origen of Alexandria and Maximus the Confessor. As someone who is non-religious, I am passionate about making YDS an inclusive place for agnostics/atheists and for people who are attending YDS for explicitly academic reasons. In my free time I love to hike with Delta, my three-legged dog, and watch psychological horror films.

Chris Hazlaris (Edwards Small Group)

I am a third year MDiv candidate from New Orleans, LA. I am incredibly passionate about theology, especially how it relates to different cultures and is seen in different cultural lenses, but am even more passionate about community. I am the captain of the YDS soccer team, the Paracleats, and love the diverse, thoughtful body here at Yale to death. I’m looking forward to doing high school/college chaplaincy and retreat ministry after graduation.

Chang In Sohn (Bacon Small Group)

Hello! I am Chang In Sohn. Call me with my last name, Sohn, which will be easier to memorize and pronounce. I was born and raised in South Korea, served as an Army chaplain assistant for two years stationed in US Army base Camp Walker, Daegu, South Korea, and completed B.A at Calvin College and graduated with duel honors in religion and psychology. My current interest is take an interdisciplinary approach between Christian ethics and neuroscience. My goal is to take Christian ethical perspective to answer ethical/moral dilemma as modern science develops. I will be happy to discuss issues such as free-will and determinism, transhumanism and imago dei, and challenge of modern reductionism towards traditional dualism. Other than academia, I like biking, hiking, reading books (preferably topics with human brain), and playing Pokémon Go. (Let me know if you need fellow Pokémon trainers around New Haven– we have more than 250 players!)

Reneson Jean-Louis (Bushnell Small Group)

Bonjour à tous! My name is Jean-Louis (2nd-year MAR). I’m a Haitian/French-American with 12 siblings. My interests lie in social ethics, sociology of education and decolonial philosophy. When I’m not reading dead white men, I enjoy dancing, cooking, and living my best life. I’ve traveled to 50+ countries and love learning more about different cultures. Lord willing, I’ll enjoy meeting you all. 

Peggy Lo (Goodman Small Group)

I’m a rising Senior at Berkeley Divinity School at Yale and a postulant from Grace Cathedral in the Diocese of California. Prior to coming to seminary I worked for the Public Interest Network as a campus organizer, central recruitment administrator and budget administrator, and for Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation as a translator and editor of Buddhist lectures. Last year I was the seminarian for the Harlem Clericus, the group of Episcopal churches in Harlem, and this coming year I will be the seminarian for the Congregation of Our Saviour at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine. My long-term hope is to find ways to explore how the intersections of my identities can add to conversations about how we do theology and liturgy and build community within and through our churches. I’m vegetarian and I’m always on the hunt for great vegetarian food.

Benjamin Lyth (Taylor Small Group)

Hi, I’m Benjamin and I am a 2nd year Master of Divinity candidate. I studied International Relations at Michigan State University (Class of 2016) and hope to combine my interests in politics and faith to prepare for potential careers in nonprofits and/or government. My hobbies include hiking, following college sports, and reading about British history. I am also somewhat obsessed with sea shanties and trivia about Canada.

Mike Macalintal (Berkeley Small Group)

Hello friends! My name is Mike Macalintal and I am a 2nd year MDiv. I am originally from Moonachie, New Jersey, and the oldest of three. I completed my undergraduate degree in Theology at Fordham University and worked as a High School Youth Minister at a Catholic parish for two years before coming to YDS.  I am interested in exploring Asian-American and postcolonial theologies, especially for the Filipino community. I am currently not on an ordination track, but I am also constantly in a state of discernment! Let’s trade Spotify playlists, food recommendations, and theories about the next Avengers movie!

Alison McClain (Seabury Small Group)

Hello! My name is Alison, and I ama second-year MAR student in Religion and the Arts (music concentration).  I love opportunities to blend sacred music with literature and popular culture in my studies at YDS and the Institute of Sacred Music.  My undergraduate degrees from Jacksonville University are in English and Music Education, and I am a certified educator in both disciplines.  A Southern Baptist, I have participated in choral and praise music since my childhood.  I continue to be involved in the music community at Yale but also am active in the nearby barre fitness and Pilates communities.  My husband Jack (also musical) and I are from Jacksonville, Florida and can be found enjoying TV and cereal nights.

Emma McDonald (Latourette Small Group)

My name is Emma McDonald and I am starting my second year in the Master of Arts in Religion program (Ethics concentration) at YDS. I am particularly interested in Catholic moral theology, bioethics, and the intersections between religious ethics and literature. I’m originally from Baltimore, but I graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont in 2016 with a B.A. in Religion, where I also studied French, German, and Spanish. Here at Yale, I am involved with Roman Catholic Fellowship and the St. Thomas More Catholic Center. I love drinking tea and traveling the world to visit monasteries and bookstores. I particularly love Flannery O’Connor and Thomas Merton. In my free time, I love baking, hiking, yoga, knitting, reading poetry, and working on my letterpress printing skills! 

Hleziphi Mawande Mzongwana (Annand Small Group)

My name is Hleziphi Mawande Mzongwana. I am a 2^nd year Master of Divinity student from South Africa. Being an international student in a country such as the U.S. has provoked me in unimaginable ways, enlivening an ability in me to curate my own identity. As an African woman, my identity has often been swiftly posted to me on the door step of my life, persuading me to take that package labelled with my name and somehow make it my own. As a result, in my time so far at Yale I have had to rediscover myself, reimagine my dreams and re-evaluate the interests and passions I have held close to my heart for many years. One thing still remains, my passion to serve God and His people, my love for God and the lost; mostly women and children. Staying true to myself and others has become my newfound hobby.

Siphosihle Mzongwana (Brainerd Small Group)

My name is Siphosihle Mzongwana, I am doing my second year MDiv at YDS. I am also an international student from South Africa. I love God and His people. I’ve come to understand that although the church is an integral part of my calling, my calling transcends the four walls of the church. As a result, in addition to ministry I see my vocation incorporating music, international relations and cooperation, diplomacy and entrepreneurship.

Joshua Narcisse (Nouwen Small Group)

You’ll usually find me searching for a study spot in an empty classroom on the farthest side of the building; or giving hugs, or sharing a laugh, or running away from the Divinity School, because everyone needs to escape every now and then. From time to time I’ll be MIA because NYC is my first love, although DC is a close second, because there is rarely anything I enjoy more than heading back to DC to visit my alma mater THE Howard University (the Real HU, don’t let anyone tell you differently). And if you can’t find me in any of those places, I am probably somewhere between the 1860s and the 1930s exploring the implications religious history poses for us today. Which I am happy to tell you about along with whatever else is on my mind, usually: pastoring Millennials, my little sisters and the perils of being a big brother, a concise argument on why the world would be better if everyone was Presbyterian, and the simple fact that Black Lives Really Do Matter. So hopefully you’ll find me here in the halls of YDS sooner rather than later, but a word of caution, if you don’t agree that Gregory Porter, D’Angelo, and Lala Hathaway are gospel artists we can’t be friends! 

Hannah Sachs (Niebuhr Small Group)

Hi! I’m Hannah Sachs (M.Div ’20), an applied theatre artist and director from Virginia. Here at YDS I am focusing on the intersections between theology, ministry, and theatre through the ISM. Prior to my time at Yale, I studied theatre directing, religion, and social change at Smith College and then completed a Fulbright in the Czech Republic. I am an ethnically Jewish follower of Christ and spent this past summer as a pastoral intern at Elm City Vineyard Church. I enjoy teaching as a Wurtele Fellow at the Yale University Art Gallery, in addition to working several other jobs around campus. I am excited to co-lead Divinity Drama this coming school year and am grateful for the opportunity to serve at BTFO! 

Ed Watson (Pennington Small Group)

I’m a Brit entering my third year of an extended MAR in Theology. This will be my sixth year in New Haven, the first three of which were spent teaching at a school in the Hill. I’m primarily interested in the intersection of systematic theology, philosophy of language, and histories of colonialism. My pizza rankings are: Sally’s, Da Legna, Pepe’s, Modern. I’m also an avid supporter of Liverpool, Scottish rugby, and wherever LeBron James happens to be playing basketball.

Rosemary Williams (Weigle Small Group)

My name is Rosemary Williams, and I am a second year M.A.R. student with a concentration in Liturgics. Until beginning my studies at YDS, I was a lifelong Virginian: I was raised in a quiet town in Northern Virginia and subsequently completed my undergraduate studies at James Madison University in the scenic Shenandoah Valley. My undergraduate degrees are in music performance and philosophy/religion; as such, my academic interests focus on the intersections between religion, music, liturgy, and spirituality (particularly as they concern sin).  In my free time, I enjoy reading and writing poetry, various fiber arts, and opera. I am an enthusiastic Anglican, and have been an active member in a number of parishes and ministries. Welcome to YDS!