Majoring in religion allowed me to understand the world around me a little bit more and pose important questions about the various complex systems and people we share the earth with.

– natalie macdonald

Why did you major in Religion?

My first year at UVM I was undeclared and taking various classes to get a feel for an area of study I might be interested in. I chose to take an introduction religion class that ended up having me hooked throughout the entire semester! I found it incredibly interesting to learn about religion from an introduction standpoint and wanted to know much more! Majoring in religion allowed me to understand the world around me a little bit more and pose important questions about the various complex systems and people we share the earth with. While completing my religion degree I continually learned that there are no clear answers which furthered my interest in religious studies as its an on-going complex topic that deserves to be talked about. 

Where do you imagine yourself in 10 years?

I have no idea! Ideally, I will be perusing my passions for art and learning while somehow continuing my interest in religious studies. 

Imagine a first-year student has asked your advice about REL courses. What’s the one she shouldn’t dream about missing? Why?

I can’t pick just one! I would say any class taught by Ilyse Morgenstein Fuerst or professor Erica Andrus would be incredibly worthwhile. Their classes have been taught in ways that have me engaged while learning meaningful and interesting topics on religion. They also make sure to tie lectures or discussions back to current day events which is always fascinating! 

If you could write any book, what would it be?

If I had to write any book it would probably be about religion and art! That is a very broad topic and maybe once day I’d narrow it down to something more specific! 

Any fond memories of the Department you want to share?

Theres too many fond memories to pick from but I would say the intense thought-provoking discussions that my classmates and I would engage in regularly. 

Anything we missed? Anything else you want to say?

Thank you to all the wonderful professors that I learned so much from as well as my engaging class mates! 

While at UVM, I realized the importance of place for both context and solutions to inequities and injustices. … I am committed to taking the social justice and equity focused learning I engaged in at UVM into the field [of Urban Planning], recognizing how religion is always involved in the built environment.

– hanna hartman

Why did you major in Religion?

I declared religion as my major in my initial application to UVM as a high school senior on the recommendation of one of my social studies teachers. I was taking an introductory course on Buddhism at Amherst College at the time (a perk available to high schoolers in Amherst, MA!), which I had chosen based on my interest and experiences in Buddhism through attendance at Karmê Chöling, a Shambhala Center in the Northeast Kingdom. For some reason, it hadn’t clicked for me that I was interested in religion as an academic topic, even though it functioned as a method of finding community and meaning in the world around me. As a prospective student, I met with Professor Borchert and our conversation ‘sealed the deal’ that the small department and its engaging course options would be a good fit for me! Throughout my time at UVM, I have treasured the compelling discussions and projects in each of my Religion classes. The department has given me the skill of systems-level thinking about the world’s sticky problems.

Where do you imagine yourself in 10 years?

While at UVM, I realized the importance of place for both context and solutions to inequities and injustices. Additionally, I was introduced to sustainable transportation and the creation of dense, walkable cities and towns as ways to mitigate the climate crisis. This summer, I will be joining the Town of Williston’s Planning and Zoning department as a Planning Technician. I would eventually like to get a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning. I am committed to taking the social justice and equity focused learning I engaged in at UVM into the field, recognizing how religion is always involved in the built environment.

Imagine a first-year student has asked your advice about REL courses. What’s the one she shouldn’t dream about missing? Why?

Any class with Professor Morgenstein Fuerst, because of the immensely relevant readings and discussions, as well as laughs! The seminars offer the challenge of a semester-long research paper—a difficult but intensely rewarding opportunity to grow as a student. I have always appreciated her willingness to go on tangents about issues that matter to her students. 

If you could write any book, what would it be?

Considering I just completed my honors thesis in Geography, “Becoming Burlington: An Analysis of Citizen Engagement in Waterfront Revitalization,” I would love to (eventually) expand my research into a complete book on the topic. It’s crazy how 100 pages of writing and a year of thought on the last 40 years of Burlington’s public access-focused redevelopment doesn’t feel like it’s encapsulated the full story!

Any fond memories of the Department you want to share?

I will always appreciate my time in the Religion department for the quick moments chatting with professors and students in the hallways about anything from our frustrations about our university’s administration, to academic successes, to plans for going chilly dipping. I am grateful for the friendships and mentorships that I’ve found here and I know that these relationships will extend beyond the classroom.

During in my first semester, I enrolled in a few religion classes to see if I would like it or not, and I ended up loving it. I began to realize that religion was always present in various ways and started to think a lot about how I had witnessed the different ways states and institutions approached religion while growing up abroad.

– isabella infante

Why did you major in Religion?

To better understand the world around me, obviously! When I transferred to UVM, I knew I wanted to double major in something that would complement political science while offering different perspectives on the questions I grappled with in that field. Initially, I considered economics (which, in hindsight, I don’t think I would have liked) or philosophy, but then my dad suggested religion. So, during in my first semester, I enrolled in a few religion classes to see if I would like it or not, and I ended up loving it. I began to realize that religion was always present in various ways and started to think a lot about how I had witnessed the different ways states and institutions approached religion while growing up abroad. And who knows, maybe my parents dragging my sister and I to all those churches and temples throughout my youth primed my interest on a subconscious level!

Where do you imagine yourself in 10 years?

I’m not sure what shape this will take, but making education and important knowledge about politics, religion, and the media more accessible to others. At the bare minimum, we can hope I will finally be coming around to being a real person with healthcare and knowledge about how to pay my taxes and surrounded by people who I love and care about who are helping me learn and experience new things.

Imagine a first-year student has asked your advice about REL courses. What’s the one she shouldn’t dream about missing? Why?

Religion, Nation, and State! I know that’s not an introductory-level course, but I believe that, generally, seminars are the best classes. By the end of the semester, I had more questions than answers, but in a fun and interesting way that made me want to learn more. I also really appreciated the way Professor Borchert facilitated discussions and made us truly think about all that complexity. 

If you could write any book, what would it be?

Hmmm that’s hard! Maybe compile all the post cards I have sent and received from my friends and family? I go through phases of sending letters to people. My little cousin and I were pen pals for a while, but he got too cool for me once he got to high school. I also wrote a lot of letters to my high school friends when our senior year was interrupted by covid. It was a nice way to make meaningful time for them when I couldn’t just see them every day like I was used to. And sometimes when my parents or I go to a new place we send each other postcards.  It’s fun to show people where you’ve been and what you have been up to and to reflect on how your paths have diverged and come together at different times. I have almost all the letters and postcards I’ve received from the last five or so years saved, so that’s nice. 

Any fond memories of the Department you want to share?

I will fondly remember all the times we spent laughing in my religion, nation, and state classes. To pick just one of those memories, the time that Emily realized I had accidentally come to own a signed copy of Onishi’s book – which was definitely not something I prized myself in owning, but hey… shoutout to Half-Priced Books! They have catered to my textbook needs since high school, and I am forever grateful. 

What did we miss? Anything else you’d like to share?

I always tell my younger sister to take classes with the professors she likes rather than the classes that sound interesting. It will be the professors who will make the content interesting and encourage you to learn and care. I think you learn the most when you have a good teacher, and the faculty of the religion department defiantly hold that to be true. My religion classes have been my favorite courses and the ones I have learned the most in. Not only do the religion professors deliver excellent instruction, but they really care about their students and are super supportive. I am very grateful to all of them!