David Glick, M.Div '26
“I am an Anabaptist. We are a very practical people, and as such, have not historically seen much need for higher education. And so it is the surprise of my life to find myself in a university at all, and now in the CSTM at Boston College. I was part way through my undergrad degree in history when I decided I wanted to study theology after graduating. As I discerned different degree programs, two factors drew me to the CSTM. First, I wanted to learn in an institution with a strong intellectual tradition. I knew that the CSTM would expose me to Ignatian spirituality, Catholic social ethics, and other intellectual traditions that have developed over long periods of time. I saw that studying here would allow me to put my own traditions and beliefs into conversation with a substantial body of theological teaching. Second, I was attracted to the CSTM's focus on practical theology. I desire to be the kind of learner who eschews the ivory tower, and when I visited the CSTM, I met many faculty and students with similar convictions. Students here are expected to apply everything they learn in the classroom in real life, and to be true ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That was winsome to me, and it played a significant role in my discernment process. I'm immensely grateful to have found a home at the CSTM, and I look forward to being formed here for years to come."
Diana Hadjiyane, M.A.T.M. '24
“Midway through my undergraduate degree at a Catholic institution, faith had been communicated to me in two languages; Greek (which I couldn’t understand, despite being Greek Orthodox), and academic (where the academic contours of religion didn’t resonate). As I continued to struggle with my faith, I stumbled across a campus ministry program called ‘Kairos,’ where the faith language wasn't Greek nor was it high-brow academic vocabulary; it was people. I went on this Catholic-based retreat as a Greek Orthodox student and learned an entirely new vernacular to describe what a lived, authentic, connection-based faith looks like. The language I was missing was that of love, not Greek. Someone once said to me that when you finally encounter the God of love, you fire all the other gods—for me, firing all the other gods called me towards ministerial work. Being non-Catholic, it seemed daunting to dive head first into Catholic theological studies, but I remembered that Catholic ministries offered me the chance to revisit my faith I was previously never given the vocabulary to understand. I wanted to discover more deeply what ecumenical dialogue had in store for me and my future ministry. God rests within communities for me, especially the ones I stumble across along the journey, like the CSTM.“
Milcah Hernandez, M.A.T.M./M.A. in Mental Health Counseling '25
“I only applied to one graduate school in my last semester of college in December of 2021. For me, The School of Theology and Ministry was my single egg in the basket, and I knew that it took a lot of faith to hope that I would be accepted. My lifelong plans of applying to medical school and becoming a doctor were left behind my junior year, and I turned to psychology as what I knew I wanted to study. Theology was never part of the picture, but through prayer and listening to God’s voice in my heart, I knew that I needed to combine both passions somehow. I found the CSTM to be one of the only schools in the New England area to offer a dual-degree in Theology and Counseling Psychology. It was the perfect fit! Not only that, I was drawn to the school's mission of cultivating and caring for the whole person through spiritual formation. As a Christian, I had not grown up with a lot of the spiritual disciplines that the CSTM often practices, but in college, I had coincidentally begun to engage with it on a personal and spiritual level. I said yes to CSTM and Boston College, knowing that it fit all of what I was looking for in a program that would challenge me to become a better student, counselor and minister of the Gospel.”