Cooke Career Snapshot: Religious Services & Ministry with Hannah Scarborough
Hannah (Turner) Scarborough
2019 College Scholar, Yale University
Minister at Yale University
Ever since I could conceptualize money, I knew that it was a sensitive topic. Ever since I started middle school, my parents applauded my academic success as an indicator of future financial freedom. I vaguely understood what this meant, but the significance was explicit after 2019. That year I was accepted into both the cohort of 2019 College Scholars and Yale. I thought this was my long-awaited chance. I would go to Yale for a Political Science degree and eventually become a lawyer. I thought that, or becoming a doctor, was what was required of me to pull my family out of their blue-collar-blues. Nobly, I made my quest for financial freedom known to my peers. Those peers, my Cookie Cousins, at Scholar Weekend were the first ones to pierce my view on things.
Financial care is critical, but I realized I was free to dream about what my actual calling might be. I began to think about occupational freedom instead.
Non-profits blew my mind. Could I use money to invest in a cause instead of solely paying off debts and bills? When I arrived on Yale’s campus, I took these considerations to heart. I was going to find out if law was really a field I was meant to be working in. I dived into the political and legal opportunities that Yale offered: volunteering at a legal aid clinic, starting a group to watch and analyze presidential debates, and applying for undergraduate positions at the law school. After my first year on campus, I realized the answer was no.
So, I switched my major. I began studying Religious Studies with a concentration on contemporary expressions of faith and pursuing an Advanced Spanish Language Certificate. Outside of academics my life consisted of involvement in the Latino Cultural Center, a Christian Ministry called Chi Alpha, and a faith-based journal named Logos. These changes in my day-to-day closely shaped how I thought about the future.
Each summer, I would test my career knowledge & possible calling with a new internship. I first tested my thought that I wanted to be in a service-based position. The Cooke Foundation helped connect me with a non-profit, FLIP National, where I worked on the communications team to center college and university students' advocacy and voice. After another year, I concluded I wanted my career to incorporate religion and service. That summer I worked with a team of sociologists to research the intersection of race, faith, and mental health in young people with Springtide Research Institute. This was very rewarding to see our report be distributed, but I did not think research was my forte. My conclusion was to risk into uncharted territories (or maybe just uncommon for Yale students) and work with a faith-based non-profit.
The Cooke Foundation made it possible for me to powerfully investigate where my talents and interests could converge. Taking such time should not be overlooked. It has allowed me to understand my passion for religion and service fit perfectly in my current role.
I am working as a Minister at Yale University and I plan to continue working in this field of Religious Ministry. The group I am associated with, Chi Alpha, is a national Christian Non-profit affiliated with the Chaplain’s Office at Yale. My current role entails serving Yale’s student population by providing spiritual and personal development. Mostly, this means meeting with students who are curious to learn more about Christianity, or want to deepen their current faith, and being a place for discussion. It also means walking with students—being a compassionate ear and a practical help—as they go through hardships. And this doesn’t even scratch the surface; I handle various logistical aspects of events, continue to study contemporary faith questions, network at regional events, and handle part of our fundraising.
This role as a campus minister is unique as I have the opportunity to both pastor students and develop extensive understanding of a non-profit. I love that our team adapts to the schedules of students so I get to see the direct impact my presence has in students’ lives—it is my favorite aspect of this work!
An average day might include all of these responsibilities, but each day looks different. One day, I might meet with a student in the morning and talk about how science and faith might interact. Then, I go to the library and work on my allocated fundraising responsibilities. Since I’m working in-person on the campus, I might run into another student and talk to them about the argument they had with their roommate. I read more about building a multi-ethnic church and faith statistics in America. The evening consists of setting up our “large group”—or our equivalent of a church service—by decorating the building, putting together the sound system, making a slideshow and food. I’ve not yet given a sermon, as this is my first year doing this full-time, but the ordained pastors are facilitating training for that. Days like this total around 12 hours of fulfilling work.
Those conversations I had at Scholars Weekend—broadcasting the freedom of pursuing my interests and using my talents—formed how I’ve approached my career path. Instead of accepting a job that I thought would grant me the most financial success, I accepted a job that would teach me healthy financial practices; use my talents and ignite my passions; and allow me to serve others. I hope that this short explanation of my career journey can be similarly liberating. And if you have the opportunity to risk uncharted territories, take it.