Graduate Profile: Vanessa Beltran Loza, MDiv ’25

How I've Changed  

Initially, it was difficult to articulate to anyone—even to myself—why it was necessary that I attend divinity school. There was only one thing I was certain of: I would be restless until I did, and that was no way to live. Though seemingly distinct on the surface, my work in public health was entirely built on a foundation of Christian faith. This faith, as given to me by my mother, is completely bound up with our practical, embodied expressions of care for our neighbors. In that way, public health provided daily opportunities to insist on the preferential option for the poor and practice, as a Christian, what it means to follow the way of Love. I saw divinity school as a way to explore and give voice to the source of my commitments as a public health practitioner. With a narrow view of ministry, I could not imagine the shape my calling would take across these three years and how expansive my life feels because of it.

Everything I thought I knew about myself was tested during my time at HDS. The love of family, the presence of friends, the encouragement of mentors, and the wisdom of my incredible professors created a strong web that held me up in the most difficult, tender moments—empowering me to take in all the feeling without being consumed by it—and urged me to allow my heart to break open into largeness that can bear the full weight of my purpose: to help individuals, and systems, turn toward each other in care. In the refusal to deny my own vulnerability, in the willingness to be implicated and affected, in recognizing my utter dependence on others, I found the ground for my capacity to respond and provide accompaniment. To turn fully toward need, with love, setting aside the strongest impulses for self-preservation. I now see ministry not as a unidirectional act of provision from the secure to the insecure, but a mutual encounter within a shared condition of precarity. As a result, I feel better equipped to put the practice of care at the center of my contributions to public health service, leadership development, and congregational ministry. Taken together, this is my transdisciplinary ministry of healing.

I leave HDS with a portfolio of vocations and an even greater appreciation—after all these years of schooling—for my mom's enduring wisdom. With all the tools at my disposal, the work remains clear: practical, embodied expressions of care for our neighbors. I have come to believe that it is in this drawing near to each other that we find the possibility of mercy, justice, and love. Going forward, that is what I want my life to be about.

Memorable Moment

Preaching at Vox Veniae's Fourth Sunday of Advent and Bethel AME's Maundy Thursday services this year felt like a culmination of much of my learning at HDS! It took three preaching classes, with three extraordinary professors (Dean Teddy Hickman-Maynard, Matthew Potts, and Dan Smith), to help me meet the moment. Without the encouragement and support of my dear mentors, Pastor Gloria and Pastor Ray, I don't think I would have ever had the courage to step into the pulpit.

Another memorable moment at HDS would be presenting my MDiv thesis, titled “Ride Dedications,” where I analyzed my Texas 4000 experience through the lens of ritual theory. Having completed this 4,500-mile bike ride almost 11 years ago, it was extraordinary to see many of my teammates in the Zoom room cheering me on.

Finally, one of the primary reasons I chose to come to Harvard was to re-engage in my learning of the adaptive leadership framework as a course coach at the Kennedy School. The opportunity to be the head coach for three professors I have long admired—Tim O'Brien, Farayi Chipungu, and Ron Heifetz—has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I couldn't possibly boil three years, and seven teaching teams, into a single moment. Rather, the learning lab of MLD 201, MLD 202, and “Developing People” was the throughline that connected me to campus, built my capacity for empathy, and kept me rooted in purpose during the most turbulent seasons of life.  

Favorite Class or Professor

There are truly too many to name! I would have to start with the classes my adviser, Profe Davíd Carrasco, offered: 1) “Religious Dimensions in Human Experience: Apocalypse, Sports, Music, Home, Sacrifice, Medicine” and 2) “Quests for Wisdom: Religious, Moral, and Aesthetic Experiences in the Art of Living.” Yes, the classes are as cool and expansive as the titles suggest!

Another class that I loved was “Friendship and the Religious Life: Theravada Buddhist Insights and Appreciations,” which was taught by Professor Charles Hallisey. Beyond being an exceptionally gifted storyteller, Professor Hallisey is enormously generous with his heart and truly cares for the wellbeing of his students.

Finally, the three classes that most informed the shape of my ministry and shifted the relationship I have to the Christian tradition were taught by Professor Matthew Potts: “The Sacramental Imagination,” “Introduction to Christian Preaching,” and “Forgiveness.” In his classes, through both his incredible scholarship and pastoral care, I came to better understand what is at stake when we talk about Christian love.  

Message of Thanks  

I cannot imagine what these last three years would have been like without the care, love, and support of my community.

First and foremost, I am grateful to my family—most especially my mom and brother, who remind me time and again that no distance will prevent them from being at my side in a moment of need. I am also very grateful for my cousins, Roxana and Gaby, who have provided me with a sense of home and place to restore myself in the in-between moments. Finally, my little dogs—Lilly and Chicharito—I have no idea how it is possible to love two little beings this much! You mean everything to me.

I'd also like to thank my Texas 4000 teammates, who continue to inspire me to find Alaska in my life—Kevin, Dani, Alex, Kitty, Trent, Sunshine, Ross, Haley, King, Eric, Josh, and Miles, I love you forever; Dana, the most wise counsel and incredibly consistent source of support for my passion for public health; the Milonovich family, who have opened the door to their home and hearts countless times; my Boston family at Bethel AME, particularly Pastor Ray, Pastor Gloria, Pastor Bob, Reverend Sabrina, and Sister Rainelle; my church home in Austin, Vox Veniae, particularly Sarah Chu, Autumn Barker, Weylin Lee, and Rachel Lee; my adaptive leadership community, particularly my professors Tim, Farayi, and Ron, and members of my teaching teams; my team at the Sustainable Food Center, especially Hannah, Adriana, Ailisha, Jacq, and Tara; and, finally, my home at HDS: Sitalin and Alfredo—in being close to you, I stayed close to myself and the vibrant Mexican culture I was happy to represent at Harvard.

Future Plans

To walk the Camino Francés to Santiago de Compostela this summer!