Graduate Profile: Shy'Anne Denise Turner, MTS '25

Memorable Moment

My most memorable moment at HDS would be the trip to Italy with Dr. Bazzana for his “Early Christianity in Italy” course. It was the first time I went abroad and it was also fantastic to see the buildings and artworks we were learning and studying about in class. The trip is truly a moment I will never forget and I am glad to have experienced it with him and my fellow classmates.

Favorite Class or Professor

My favorite professor would of course be Dr. Annette Reed, she is such an amazing scholar and I am honored to have been her advisee for my time here at HDS. She not only helped me academically but also in hard times which allowed me to keep going in my academic endeavors. I hope to be a great scholar just like her one day. My favorite class of hers is “Fallen Angels,” especially since she included my interest in anime into the course which I really appreciate and love about Dr. Reed.

Message of Thanks 

Much glory belongs to God for I wouldn't be on this path if it was not for him, I am especially thankful for God blessing me with my mother and my twin sister Neka. My mother showed me what true strength looked like when raising my sister and me on her own and it is my wish to shower her with thanks that kept me on this path. To my loving sister Neka, I thank her for the sacrifices she made to allow me to pursue this endeavor and for encouraging me whenever I felt inadequate or unsure of myself. I would also like to thank my two fur babies Merlin and Kyo who have been with me for my entire graduate endeavor and would always greet me whenever I walked through the door, I could not ask for any better roommates.

Future Plans

I am ecstatic to announce that I will be continuing my academic journey as a PhD student at the University of Southern California School of Religion under the tutelage of Dr. Jill Hicks-Keeton. I will continue my studies in Second Temple Judaism and Early Christianity with a special focus on apocalyptic literature and messianism pertaining to the poor and disadvantaged.