Graduate Profile: Maria Castaneda Soria, MDiv '23

Memorable Moment 

Some of my favorite moments at HDS were walking out of a long class, after discussing challenging topics and running into friends sitting outside Swartz Hall. Laying out in the sun and talking with them always boosted my mood. 

Favorite Class or Professor 

There's so many! I took "Witch Hunts" and "Sanctuary Ethics" with Professor Healan Gaston and both courses completely shifted the way that I understand the culture wars and moral panics that we are seeing unfold every day. My first year at HDS was on Zoom and some of the most impactful courses I took were online, including "Religion and Neoliberalism" with Todne Thomas, "Christian Simplicity" with Regina Walton, and "Liberal and Liberation Theologies" with Dan McKanan. I am deeply appreciative of the professors I had during the first year that made every effort to create an environment where learning could happen despite the circumstances. 

Message of Thanks  

I would like to thank every single professor I had during my time at HDS. Every class I had shaped me in some way, and I found that they all spoke to each other in interesting ways. In particular, I want to thank Prof. Healan Gaston, who offered such valuable feedback on my writing and took a genuine interest in each of her students. I want to thank all my HDS friends and classmates who made a challenging road a bit more fun and exciting. Thank you for all the laughs and wonderful conversations. This degree would in no way be possible without all the love and support of my partner, Danny. Thank you for listening to all my ideas, rants, and for going on long walks with me when everything got too stressful. And the final shoutout goes to my cat, Midnight, for the cuddles and free entertainment. 

Future Plans 

I will be staying in Boston through the summer and working at an organization in East Boston that supports immigrant folks to establish worker co-ops. After that, I would like to move to Mexico for the remainder of the year and connect with returned migrant communities and learn from their work.