Commencement

How I've Changed I have become a more fearless, more spiritually connected version of myself. Memorable Moment The moment I stopped feeling like an imposter and realized that I belong here. After that moment, I focused my energies and worked to use the...

How I've Changed Studying in such a pluralistic setting as Harvard Divinity School has expanded my religious horizons. Learning about religious traditions on their own terms and learning from such a vast array of religious voices has broadened my...

How I've Changed The growth I’ve experienced at HDS, both personal and academic, has been beyond anything I expected. A key takeaway for me is the importance of embracing curiosity without reservation. I'm continually inspired by the innovative work of my...

Graduating students, members of the HDS community, family, and friends took part in the Harvard Divinity School 2023 Multireligious Commencement Service. The faculty speaker was David N. Hempton, Dean of the Faculty of Divinity, Alonzo L. McDonald Family...

"On this joyous day, surrounded by your loved ones, I hope and pray this is the kind of love that will propel you forward, through your certainties and uncertainties, through the rest of our lives."—Class Speaker Breana Norris, MTS '23 On May 24-25...

"It’s very important that students understand that the way ahead is going to be a lot about struggle — not only their personal struggles, but social struggles, and that their struggles ought to be in the service of the collective, of the family, of the...

Breana Norris, MTS '23, was selected by a panel of students, staff, and faculty as the class speaker for HDS Commencement 2023. Each year, the addresses of all of the finalists are published in the HDS Commencement Bulletin (PDF) . The following remarks...

For the 36th year, a number of neighboring churches and institutions will ring their bells, including the bell in Swartz Hall, in celebration of the city of Cambridge and of Harvard’s 372nd Commencement Exercises.

Dean of the Faculty of Divinity, Alonzo L. McDonald Family Professor of Evangelical Theological Studies, and John Lord O'Brian Professor of Divinity David N. Hempton was the faculty speaker during the Multireligious Commencement Service on May 24, 2023...

How I've Changed  These last two years have taught me much about my heritage, character, and the critical life lesson of interpreting surrender as a form of strength instead of a form of quitting. For my Greek lineage, I grew deeper in my Greek Orthodox...