Where in the World is Sudie?

The Next Step . . .

For those of you have been wondering about those mysterious graduate school applications, I have news! 

Upon returning from India I will pursue a Master of Divinity/Master of Science in Social Work dual degree. I begin courswork at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary this coming fall, and then will enroll at the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Social Work in the fall of 2010. I am extremely excited about the next 4 years!

To help explain this new-found sense of call, I have included a little snippet of my autobiographical essay for APTS:

My favorite childhood book was Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney. I strongly identify with this story of a girl whose grandfather tells her she must travel the world and make it a more beautiful place. When Miss Rumphius returns home to focus on making the world more beautiful, she plants lupines throughout her community. My idea of beautifying the world leans toward other methods of planting seeds - through active commitments to social justice, advocacy for the marginalized, fostering relationships, and service. This compulsion finds root in the gospel and now seems incomplete without a theological education. During my time in India, I’ve used my abilities to listen and wrestle with the world’s complexities, my gifts of energy and empathy, and my willingness to share in other people’s experiences. Now I have come to realize that God is leading me in a certain direction, one that utilizes my passion for social justice and my commitment to faith. Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, especially through its partnership with The University of Texas at Austin’s School of Social Work, provides a space for theology, scholarly theory, and practice to converge and will give me the tools to follow this path. My greatest hope is that I can live this calling, being authentic to myself in claiming a vocation that feeds both my passion and my soul while allowing me to contribute to the world’s need.

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