By Pressley Peters
In 1981, at age 11, Jennifer Kiel ’06 M.A.R. fled Iran with her parents on horseback, crossing treacherous mountains to escape the Iranian Revolution. They survived imprisonment and adapted to life as refugees in Turkey before moving to Spain and ultimately emigrating to the U.S. While her parents were raised in devout religious homes—one Muslim (Persian) and one Christian (Russian)—Jennifer was raised as an atheist.
After a difficult adjustment to a new country and culture, she attended UC Berkeley, where she earned a B.A. in Social Sciences. When Jennifer discovered God within herself, she was moved to pursue theological study. She attended YDS while commuting from Boston and mothering three young girls. Later, she attended seminary closer to home at Andover Newton Theological School and graduated with a D.Min. in 2013.
Jennifer started out doing social work and now is a human development specialist working with attorneys. She is also pursuing a Doctorate in Psychology online through California Southern University. She and her husband live in Boston, and their three daughters are studying to be medical doctors. The Kiels recently established the Jennifer Maraghel Kiel ’06 M.A.R. Divinity Scholarship Fund.
How did your time at YDS impact your life and career?
My transition to the U.S. was dramatic. Everything I knew—culture, language, home, school, friends and family—all stripped away. I didn’t know who I was or where I belonged. When I got accepted at YDS, it was a place to search for God.
The YDS community was so warm and the professors so brilliant. Yale became a home to me, even though I lived in Massachusetts and commuted. I remember tucking my children into bed at 8 p.m., then opening my books and studying into the early hours of the morning—sometimes until 2 a.m. It was exhausting, but I felt like I was exactly where I was meant to be. It was like God was watching me. I had to trust. When God calls you, you go.
How do you utilize your degrees in your work?
My early life experience in Iran and Turkey was very traumatic. As a refugees in Turkey, we were imprisoned temporarily and then lived as refugees where we were allowed water only twice per day. I came to the U.S. at 15, but it wasn’t until I was 23 that I found God. At YDS, I fell in love with the study of theology, and especially theological ethics focusing on human development.
After I first started looking for jobs, no one would hire me. I had been in school and raising children for 15 years and had no applicable experience. Finally, I found a job as a clinician. Understanding multiple languages helped (Persian, Spanish, English, Russian).
I remain interested in how support services can empower communities to have a second chance at life. The families I work with today suffer from addiction, abuse, or mental health issues, and many have lost custody of their children. If not for YDS, I wouldn’t be able to help them.
What inspires you about the Divinity School’s future?
The study of theology is not just for ministry. I bring the ministry of healing to people through my work, and I believe that others can also help people realize the potential of what God made them to be. I am especially excited about YDS and the University of Connecticut collaborating to offer a joint M.Div. and Master of Social Work degree program.
How do you imagine your generosity might impact YDS students, the Divinity School, and our world?
Giving could fund a higher calling or give birth to another field. I plan to study and learn my whole life and know there are others out there who will as well. God may call us to learn new things and go new places. I hope I can reach the kind of people who are curious, and who want to learn about justice, humility, and service.
How has giving has been joyful to you?
Giving is not an obligation. When you give back to a person, a community, or an organization, you’re putting all the love back in that was given to you. Giving produces goodness for other people. In giving, we produce something holy.