Student Highlight: Evan Sung, MTS ’26

Journalism

I am a big believer in using the skills that you already have when possible, and I have a background in art and writing. I applied for the journalism track with the goal to make good stories that somehow cause change for the better. It’s giving me some much-needed practice in getting out into spaces unfamiliar to me, getting to know individuals, and having conversations on difficult and sensitive topics.

I’m very thankful to Assistant Dean Hussein Rashid; without his introduction to the program at HDS orientation, I never would have committed to the certificate. It was his expert discussion moderation, tutelage, and empathy that helped me really sink my teeth into the course’s materials—notoriously difficult amongst the student population!

I’d also like to show my appreciation to Deborah Jian Lee, the RPL fellow for journalism. I had very little journalism experience prior to the certificate, and she very effectively taught me the fundamentals of journalism and a good story.

I’m also very appreciative of The Nutmeg’s Curse by Amitav Ghosh, which made up the spine of the CRPL’s introductory course and changed my own perspective on land, history, nature, technology, and climate change.

The idea of moral imagination has propelled me forward. If we’re thinking of moral imagination as “the capacity to imagine something rooted in the challenges of the real world, yet capable of giving birth to that which does not yet exist,” there need to be people who create and put out images, descriptions, and stories of the world both as it is and as it could be. That’s what I hope to do, and I hope I’m up to the task.

I’ll be interning with Religion News Service over the summer, where I’ll be writing (and drawing!) stories about religion, particularly new and emerging spiritualities. Please look out for pieces with my byline! After that, I’ll be returning to HDS to finish out the last year of my MTS.