Prior to my arrival at Yale Divinity School, I was a social worker in Philadelphia, working with at-risk youth and young adults. While I enjoyed my work, my clients, (primarily young adults of color), faced enormous socio-economic challenges that government guidelines would not allow me to address. After five years of losing clients to gun violence, domestic abuse, and prison, I knew it was time for me to do more.
I was drawn to youth ministry as an extension of my work and applied to YDS with the intention of pursuing a the Master of Divinity degree and working with the Youth Ministry Initiative (now the Youth Ministry Institute). Through Yale, I have been able to work with Christian youth groups, both in Fairfield and New Haven counties. My service ministry projects have included bringing high school freshmen to New York City to experience overnights in halfway homes, and accompanying 100 students to Mobile, Alabama, to complete a roofing project for low-income families. I have witnessed the transformation of many lives, including my own. The opportunity to listen to and give back to young people, and to address their most challenging needs, while offering Christian guidance, has been the greatest blessing of my professional life and ministry.
I am grateful for the opportunity to attend YDS for so many reasons. I have developed invaluable support networks working for non-profit agencies, serving as a President’s Public Service Fellowship intern, acting with Yale Drama School, and studying at the Yale School of Music. I have done more during my time at Yale Divinity School than I could have ever imagined, and am leaving with an emboldened spirit for ministry and fellowship.