Students and Alumni

Chris White (Class of 2011) is living in Boulder, Colorado pursuing a JD/MBA at the University of Colorado. He reports that he enjoys the challenge of the law-school workload and looks forward to acquiring invaluable legal and business skills over the next four years. Chris notes that his Religious Studies major helped prepare him for law school and business school by giving him "an excellent well-rounded education and fantastic study skills." He feels "extremely well prepared to deal with the challenges of graduate school."  After completing his graduate work Chris hopes to become an entrepreneur in an industry where he can help other people improve their businesses (consulting, recruiting, etc.).

Kevin Hoesley (Class of 2011) is currently a First-Year Teach For America Corps member in Miami-Dade. He teaches 11th Grade Intensive-Reading at Miami Central Senior High School in West Little River, Miami. A school which President Barack Obama, only a few months ago, visited in order to commend students, faculty, and staff on its recent turnaround. In Miami, Kevin now resides in historic Miami Beach.

Melissa Zimmerman (Class of 2010) graduated with a double major in Religious Studies and Ancient Greek, and three months later started seminary.  She is working on her Master’s of Divinity at The Methodist Theological School in Ohio.  This three year degree is just one step in her process toward becoming a pastor, an Elder in the United Methodist Church. Melissa will graduate in May 2013 and will then be a full time pastor.  Under the current rules she will be ordained in June 2016.

Tim Martin (Class of 2010) currently lives between Nepal, India,and Portland, OR. The focus of his life is the study and practice of Mahayana Buddhism.  After graduating, he lived and studied in an American Buddhist monastery for six months.  Shortly after, he moved to India and Nepal where he studies Buddhist meditation, medicine, and art. His Religious Studies training prepared him to independently navigate complex, unfamiliar religious rituals and teachings.  He still actively practices the critical skills he developed at DePauw to evaluate and contextualize contemporary Buddhism from both insider and outsider perspectives                    

Ashley Clark (Class of 2009) graduated from DePauw University with a double major in Religious Studiesand Communication. In her years at DePauw, she found a passion for helping her peers as a tutor. After graduating from DePauw Ashley pursued her love of teaching as a Teach For America volunteer in Nashville, Tennessee. While in Nashville she earned a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Lipscomb University. Currently Ashley teaches 9th grade multicultural literature at Pritzker College Prep in Chicago. In the summer of 2010, Ashley received a teaching grant through the Fund For Teachers program in which she studied social and racial tensions in post-apartheid South Africa.