The Boston Bridges Fellows program is a unique and encouraging opportunity for emerging faith leaders and advocates to collaborate and share life experiences in a safe and authentic environment. This is not commonplace, for it is quite an excruciating task to find any fellowship or locale similar. In addition, as with all convenings, it is a reality that the collective group can make or break the anticipated outcomes from materializing. However, the 2018–2019 cohort of fellows is comprised of individuals who have brought vulnerability and eagerness to learn from one another, unparalleled to any academic or faith group I have witnessed.

I am honored to have been a part of the Bridges Fellows the past few months, and I have made notations of the personal, spiritual, and academic advancements thereof. This was initiated through the course “Jews, Christians, and Muslims Interacting” held in the spring of 2018 at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. This course opened my eyes and heart to the religious other, further enhancing the growth of the sapling that began growing in my native New York. Although I majored in religious studies in college, and lived in pluralized Brooklyn, I had made no formal effort to dialogue with the religious other. This was equally the case for my not having made attempts at ecumenical dialogue. I take a portion of the blame, while also recognizing that my personal and academic environments, including friends and family, did not place a high value on these conversations. I am essentially catching up for lost time, in a place where I am absorbing everything I can.

After the interreligious course, I applied to, and was accepted by, the Ecumenical Institute De Bossey through the World Council of Churches in Geneva  for an interreligious studies graduate certificate. However, I was unable to attend due to another simultaneous opportunity. I was later accepted into a Doctorate of Ministries program at Boston University School of Theology. This program has been an additional catalyst in fostering ecumenical dialogue and exchange through cohort collaboration and mutual learning. I have grown in appreciation of Protestant theologians, as well as gaining comfort in my own faith and theological understanding. I am no longer insecure to dialogue with varying theologies, but rather am grateful to view a varying perspective. This has been coupled with collaboration amidst continuing education instructors of the Boston Theological Interreligious Consortium institutions. As a continuing education coordinator from a participating institution, I was incorporated into ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, in tandem with event coordinating for future joint academic conferences. One additional undertaking that has had immediate connection to the Bridges Fellows was submitting a book review for the Journal of Interreligious Studies. I have been deeply inspired to seek any and all opportunities that allow for internal transformation as well as external expressions of maturation.

The aforementioned opportunities and involvement have simultaneously been strengthened by, and have reinforced, what I am learning from the Boston Bridges Fellows. I pray that I am offering something equally substantial to my cohort and am forever grateful to have had, and continue to relish, this time.