Summer Reflection: Learning with the Hispanic Scholars Program (HSP)!

"I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to attend the Hispanic Scholars Program (HSP) Summer Session at Villanova University, and I sincerely thank Austin Seminary for sponsoring my participation. The experience was intellectually enriching, spiritually formative, and personally transformative. 

 

One of the greatest gifts of the program was learning creative and contextual ways of preparing liturgy and worship rituals that speak meaningfully to diverse communities. These sessions challenged me to think more deeply about how worship can embody justice, inclusion, and the lived experiences of God's people. 

 

The program also provided a welcoming space where I built friendships with students from seminaries across the country. Although we came from different institutions and denominational backgrounds, we shared many of the same questions about ministry, vocation, identity, and justice. As a woman of color discerning a call to ministry in the PC(USA), I felt seen, valued, and at home. Our conversations reminded me that I am not alone in this journey and that the Church is strengthened when we learn from one another's stories. 

 

Another highlight was interacting with professors and scholars who generously invested in our vocational discernment. The seminars on doctoral education were especially meaningful, helping me gain greater clarity about my long-term calling.  

 

Perhaps the most transformative lesson I took away from HSP was a deeper understanding of our responsibility toward God's creation. Through our studies in Bible and ecology, I came to see that Christian ministry includes caring for the earth as an essential expression of discipleship. This insight has strengthened my commitment to preach and live a gospel that embraces both human flourishing and the flourishing of all creation. 

 

I leave the HSP Summer Session with lasting friendships, meaningful academic and professional connections, renewed vocational clarity, and a profound sense of hope for the future. I am sincerely thankful to Austin Seminary for making this life-changing opportunity possible and to the faculty and staff of the Hispanic Scholars Program for creating a space where learning, community, and discernment could flourish."

Grace Asare

MDiv Student