Leaders Who Serve HDS STUDENTS AND ALUMNI ANSWER THE CALL TO SERVICE AROUND THE CORNER AND AROUND THE WORLD
T
he call to service is literally in Harvard
when students engaged in prison ministry and created
Divinity School’s DNA. It’s visible in the
a Philanthropic Society dedicated to the promotion of
vision of Harvard President John Kirkland,
peace and education and to the alleviation of poverty,
considered by many to be the founder of
among other “benevolent projects of the day.”
HDS, who appealed to alumni in 1815 for support of an institution that would prepare those who “enter our houses in affliction,” and “give us light, admonition, and consolation in suffering, sickness, and the last hours of life.” It’s there in the School’s earliest years,
“Women are often not at the center of rehabilitation or reentry services, and I am passionate about changing that.” Silva Mejia
Two centuries later, HDS still empowers men and women who serve their communities, societies, and the world. For some, this means working one on one to teach writing to an incarcerated student. For others, it means heading up an NGO that works to improve the health of millions of people in developing countries. Wherever they go and however they serve, HDS students and alumni are the “boots on the ground” that make the world a better place.
EDUCATION THROUGH SERVICE Silvia Mejia came to HDS thinking she would pursue further graduate work in religion. Instead, she ended up having a life-changing experience that led her to discover her passion: serving those who were invisible to her, and to many others. “I took the course ‘Ethics, Punishment and Race,’ taught by Professor Kaia Stern. The class took place at MCI-Norfolk, a medium-security men’s prison. Half of the students came from different Harvard schools, and the other half were incarcerated students,” she said. “In the class we explored the American incarceration crisis and its religious roots, but what was most transformative about it was learning alongside people behind bars.” Mejia’s passion for service, particularly serving others through prison ministry, was brought out not only through her courses, but also through the experiential learning opportunities at HDS. The School’s Field Education Program and the Harvard Prison Education Project (HPEP)—along with Partakers and Boston University’s Prison Education Program—enables students to provide academic mentoring for those SILVIA MEJIA
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pursuing a college degree while incarcerated.
