Graduate Profile: Haley Lee Chuor, MTS ’25 

Memorable Moment  

It is hard to choose just one—it is a tie between the night of the 2024 Solidarity Ball, surrounded by all my beautiful friends, and watching Mariachi Véritas de Harvard perform in Moctezuma’s Mexico.  

How I’ve Changed 

I have grown significantly in my ability to present my work. Public speaking has always been terrifying for me—it has never felt like a strength. But thanks to the encouragement of my professors and peers, I have learned to persevere despite the anxiety and sleepless nights leading up to presentations. I still feel nervous, but I believe in myself and what I have to say much more now. I had to take some hard losses before learning that lesson. One piece of advice that made a huge difference came from Professor Davíd Carrasco: He told me to ground my work in my roots. That changed everything. It made presenting not only easier but deeply fulfilling. 

Message of Thanks 

I am grateful to the many people who have supported and shaped me throughout my journey. 

At Harvard, thank you to: Davíd Carrasco, Gloria White-Hammond, Teren Sevea, Nikki Hoskins, Pedro Noe Morales, Drema Bowers, Cornell William Brooks, Monica Sanford, and Stephanie Paulsell. 

I would especially like to thank Laura Ammon at Appalachian State University, my former undergraduate advisor. She told me about the DivEx program back in 2021 and helped me get in. She also encouraged me to submit my project to AAR this year—and it was accepted. Laura has believed in me in ways I never believed in myself. She taught me that I belong in spaces I once thought were out of reach. 

Thank you also to Conrad “Ozzie” Ostwalt for the opportunity to work under his guidance, and to Thomas Ellis, whose courses on religion and science profoundly shaped my scholarship. He helped me chart my own path as an atheist in religious studies and showed me how to bridge public health with religion. And thank you to all my former teachers back in Rowan County.  

To my family in North Carolina—thank you. To my wonderful grandparents, Ngoại and Steve — you are my rocks. Thank you for every meal, every ride, every homemade card, every calendar, and for always showing up when I needed you most. 

To my mother, Phuong—a Vietnamese refugee, survivor of the Resistance War Against America, and single mother of three—thank you for your home-cooked meals and your endless encouragement. 

To my siblings, Sadie and Devin—thank you for the unwavering laughter and support. 

To Nancy and Mel, and their daughters—my cousins—thank you for being my extended home. 

And to my dear friends—near, far, and remembered—thank you for your constant love and companionship. I am especially grateful to have met two lifelong best friends through the DivEx program in 2021. Special thanks to the Thursday dinner crew—you know who you are.