Graduate Profile: James Prashant Fonseka, MRPL '25
James Prashant Fonseka, MRPL '25
“If I can help myself, and then others, move merely a degree or a half or a tenth towards the light from the dark, then I would consider the applications of my lessons learned at Harvard to my life a success.”
How I've Changed
The decision to go to HDS was one of the easiest I ever made, and though at the time I made it I could articulate plenty of reasons for why I was making the unusual choice of leaving a job in venture capital for Divinity School, I knew deep down that the reason was something I could feel but not fully express in words.
Memorable Moment
It is hard to choose from so many incredible moments, but the memory that resonates most strongly in this moment is the evening of Seasons of Light. Our heady classrooms transformed into a sonic temple that lifted me up out of a deep dark rut into the embrace of my friends and our community. I saw friends and felt love as we let go of thoughts to coalesce in song and light.
Favorite Class or Professor
This question seems unfair, like asking someone who their favorite child is, but I can easily call out my faculty adviser, Charles Hallisey, and Swayam Bagaria, both of whom have cracked open my mind, introducing universes of possibility.
Message of Thanks
I must give special thanks to Diane Moore who retires this year, David Holland who brought our MRPL cohort across the finish line, and Hussein Rashid who helped bring my dream of hosting Harvard's first religion and AI conference, our two-day symposium “Humanity Meets AI,” to fruition.
What I Hope to Be Remembered By
If I can help myself, and then others, move merely a degree or a half or a tenth towards the light from the dark, then I would consider the applications of my lessons learned at Harvard to my life a success.
Future Plans
I intend to return to the technology industry. From a young age I identified as an entrepreneur. My first business, started in high school, was a modest success. I've had the itch to build another since then but I had trouble reaching conviction because I did not have a mission for my life. At HDS, I found my North Star, and now I am sure that I am ready to fully commit to the entrepreneurial path my heart has always desired.