At HDS, New Certificate Leads to Community Contributions
Kenneth Moales III, MDiv '24, gesturing in center of circle, speaks to attendees at a unity walk at Harambee Park in Boston this summer. Moales interned for the City of Boston's senior advisor of faith-based initiatives as part of his Certificate in Religion and Public Life program. Photo courtesy Kenneth Moales III
"When Religion and Public Life at Harvard Divinity School launched three years ago, it engendered a new Certificate in Religion and Public Life, providing students the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, and networks to leverage their master of theological studies and master of divinity degrees across a range of professional contexts, including in journalism, government, humanitarianism, and organizing.
In addition to coursework and a capstone project, the certificate includes 280 hours of internship work, sometimes facilitated or bridged by the program’s professional fellows.
Over the summer of 2023, over two dozen HDS students earning their certificate spread out across the country and world working for organizations, government offices, and companies to highlight critical community stories, empower youth, advance justice for Native communities, and more.
Below are stories from four of these students about how their work in various communities impacted their learning and future.
Auds Jenkins, MDiv ’24, worked as a reporting intern in the features section of the Minneapolis Star Tribune to gain field experience in journalism, her chosen professional track in the CRPL program . . .
Having interests in the intersection of religion and government, Kenneth Moales III, MDiv ’24, interned with Will Dickerson, senior advisor of faith-based initiatives in the Office of Neighborhood Services for the City of Boston . . .
Taylon Lancaster, MDiv ’25, took the course "Religious Literacy and the Professions" in the fall of 2022 that changed his perspective in “unimaginable ways.” This summer, he travelled to Monrovia, Liberia, to intern with KEEP and uplift Liberian children through education regardless of their social and geographic status . . .
Sam Reeve, MTS ’24, spent his summer in an area of Utah that overlaps with the Navajo Nation where he assisted with the planning and execution of the UDB’s annual gathering, the “Bears Ears National Monument: The Bears Ears Summer Gathering."
Read the full article by Michael Naughton and Danielle Daphne Ang about Auds's, Kenneth's, Taylon's, and Sam's CRPL internship experiences on the HDS website.