AVÑо¿Ëù

Hometown: Stratford, CT

Undergrad Institution: College of the Holy Cross

Favorite thing to do in Boston:ÌýEat! Boston and its many neighborhoods offer countless options to explore the city through food.

Favorite spot on campus:ÌýIt's right off campus, but the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. It's beautiful and has a great walking path.

Why CSTM: The opportunity to be part of a faith-filled community committed to both spiritual formation and rigorous academic inquiry deepens one's sense of self, God, and the world. A CSTM education is both nourishing and challenging, building students' capacity to be leaders and change-makers in the church and world.

Favorite CSTM tradition:ÌýThe Welcome Back BBQ. The food is amazing, and it's a great representation of the many ways our whole community – students, faculty, and staff – comes together.

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Undergrad Institution: Boston CollegeÌý

Favorite things to do in Boston: Experiencing all that Boston has to offer in the arts and culture.

Favorite spot on campus:ÌýThere are too many to count! I am an alum from both undergrad and CSTM and there are so many special spots around main campus and Brighton campus that mean so much to me that I couldn't just name one. I see AVÑо¿Ëù as my home and love all of its nooks and crannies!

Why CSTM: This is where the spirit brought me. The School of Theology and Ministry was such a gift and made an incredible impact on me academically, spiritually and professionally.Ìý I owe a great deal to the CSTM and the genuine community that exists.Ìý I have come back to work professionally here because of the incredible students, staff and faculty.Ìý There is just no other place like it!

Favorite CSTM tradition:ÌýMy favorite tradition is welcoming new students and returning students to the community during orientation. There is so much energy and excitement about the new year ahead and it is wonderful getting to see all of the new members join the community after a full year of recruitment.

Hometown:ÌýAurora, IL

Undergraduate Institution:ÌýAugustana College

Favorite thing to do in Boston:ÌýI love how many restaurants there are in Boston. I'm always visiting new places with my friends and trying things I haven't had before!

Favorite spot on campus:ÌýMy favorite spot on AVÑо¿Ëù's campus is the adirondack chairs sprinkled on Brighton campus. They're great places to grab a coffee and chat with friends. In the fall I love to sit and look at the leaves and just enjoy a quiet moment.

Why CSTM:ÌýTo me, the level of authentic support is what makes CSTM so special. We are each here for our own reasons, following our own callings, and we are all so supportive of each other's journey. I always know that I have discernment partners and cheerleaders, ready to help me reflect and encourage me whenever I need.

Favorite CSTM tradition:ÌýI love when we have our lay-led prayer service each semester. Worshipping together is so special every week, but there's something so wonderful about hearing my classmates' reflections.

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Hometown:ÌýHuntersville, North Carolina

Undergraduate Institution:ÌýThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Favorite Thing to Do in Boston:ÌýI love to walk around the Charles River

Favorite spot on campus:ÌýSt. Ignatius Church is so beautiful.Ìý

Why CSTM:ÌýThe community and shared joy that is present throughout the building is so special.Ìý

Favorite CSTM tradition:ÌýThursday lunch! It is a great way to spend time and break bread withÌýthe CSTM community.Ìý

Hometown: Boiling Springs, PA

Undergraduate Institution: Loyola University Maryland

Favorite Thing to Do in Boston: My favorite thing to do in any city is explore by way of coffee shops! I love to meet up with friends for a latte and croissant or camp out all day doing homework for the week ahead.Ìý

Favorite spot on campus: I love the statue of St. Ignatius! Here we see Iggy as both a teacher and a priest which is the perfect representation of the integrative approach the CSTM takes to not only being a school of academic theology but also of practical ministry. Even though it’s on AVÑо¿Ëù’s Chestnut Hill campus, I like to think of it as a special nod to our CSTM community.

Why CSTM: Anchored by faith and cultivated in community, the CSTM offers a unique opportunity to study theology in its most authentic form. CSTM faculty, staff, and students alike all uphold a culture of understanding that to study theology well, you must practice its fruits, and to do good ministry it’s important to immerse oneself in the rigor of the academic tradition that informs it. With an academic calendar constructed around things like community liturgies and weekly Repast, it’s easy to remember why we’re in the classroom at all. The CSTM isn’t just a graduate school (and a great one at that!), it’s also an intentionally formative container where each person is uniquely seen and celebrated in the context of a shared truth in Christ.

Favorite CSTM tradition: I am HYPE for all the Advent festivities. Lessons and Carols, Christmas Cookie Bake-Off, the Admissions team dominating the Office Decorating Competition, and just the general cozy vibes of lights and garland decorating Simboli Hall. Catch me in the student lounge with a cup of hot chocolate all season long!

Hometown:ÌýRiverdale, MD

Undergraduate Institution:ÌýCatholic University of America

Favorite Thing to Do in Boston:ÌýI am excited to discover Boston through their many festivals they have year round. Most of the time, festivals here in Boston are free entrance, and the best part is you get to see the diversity of food, cultures, and different ways people celebrate all in one place! Also, they make me go to different parts of Boston I may have never visited before.

Favorite spot on campus:ÌýThe Reservoir and the Pine Tree Reserve (or as I like to call it, the Narnia Garden)

Why CSTM:ÌýThe CSTM has a great balance between academics and ministry. I have loved being able to apply the theory I learn in the classroom into the various ministries I have been involved in outside of the CSTM. Also, I have come to appreciate the welcomeness to have students share their experiences within the classroom, as I believe it creates a stronger community here. It also enriches the class I am in, and it opens my perspective to see theology in other diverse ways.Ìý

Favorite CSTM tradition: Every summer I have been here at the CSTM, I have made it a tradition to go into downtown and watch a Disney movie at a movie theater. It has been a great way to see Boston and take a break from my summer courses to hang out with friends I have made here! Catch me downtown watching a matinee show with a coke slushie in my hand during the year.Ìý

Hometown:ÌýLos Angeles, CA

Undergraduate Institution:ÌýUniversity of Notre Dame

Favorite Thing to Do in Boston:ÌýI love the Make Way for Ducklings statue in the Boston Public Garden! I read that book all the time as a kid. The little ducklings often get little sweaters based on the season and I just find it very endearing. A visit to the ducks is good for the inner child.

Favorite Spot on Campus:ÌýThe Simboli Hall Chapel!Ìý

Why CSTM:ÌýThe CSTM has a curiosity about the work of theology and ministry. There is an openness to discovery and questions that really excites me. The faculty and staff are really genuinely excited to celebrate the areas students are interested in and want to walk with students on their journeys.

Favorite CSTM Tradition:ÌýI am a member of the CSTM House and every Tuesday we have community dinner and reflection/sharing time together. I really love having a consistent time every week to gather and spend time together as a house.