Spiritual and Religious Life Archives - ��ý��Ƶ

Dr. Constance Kassor selected as 2026 Baccalaureate speaker

Communications — Wed, 20 May 2026 14:43:24 +0000

Before the fanfare of commencement there is Baccalaureate – a time to gather with friends and family, to pause and reflect on the milestones achieved and the countless experiences that have made you who you are today.

Join your fellow Lawrentians and family members to attend the 2026 Baccalaureate Service on Saturday, June 13, at 11 a.m., in Memorial Chapel, featuring guest speaker Dr. Constance Kassor. After the service, gather for the cookout for seniors, families, faculty & staff on Main Hall Green, from noon – 1:30 p.m.

This year’s guest speaker, Dr. Constance Kassor, is a former ��ý��Ƶ professor of Religious Studies and current chair of the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Humanities Center at Cuyahoga Community College. A scholar of Buddhist thought and Asian religious traditions, her work often explores the value of slowing down and doing less in a world that constantly asks us to do more.

Kassor garnered national attention for her immensely popular “Doing Nothing” course that focused on showing students how to disconnect from daily pressures to be fully present mentally, physically, and emotionally. Her forthcoming book, “Awakened Awareness,” examines the nature of knowledge through the work of a 15th-century Tibetan Buddhist philosopher.

Through music, readings, and an inspiring keynote speech, the Baccalaureate Service offers a rare opportunity in your busy life as a graduating senior for an intentional moment of reflection. As your years of work culminate with graduation, take the time to look back on the growth, discoveries, challenges, and accomplishments that have shaped your journey. Then prepare, mentally and emotionally, for the moment you walk across the Commencement stage and embark on an exciting new chapter in life.

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Terra Winston-Sage builds spiritual connections for students via ‘non-judgmental space’

Communications — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 18:54:31 +0000

As ��ý��Ƶ’s dean of spiritual and religious life, Terra Winston-Sage ’00 is a resource and connecting point for students navigating a rapidly changing world.

“Everybody has a spirit,” Winston-Sage said. “Everybody has something that sparks them and that they care about. I see a big part of the work as helping people connect with that. Sometimes that comes through religion, and sometimes it doesn’t. Helping people get back to the thing that’s driving them—that’s at the heart of the work we do.”

After graduating from ��ý��Ƶ, Winston-Sage attended seminary, then worked in the areas of social justice and human rights until she returned to work in ��ý��Ƶ’s in 2018. She started as the associate dean before being named dean in 2023.

The Office of Spiritual and Religious Life seeks to provide a space for any student who needs someone to listen, a gateway for community, or even just a quiet place to take in a few moments alone.

“It really is a non-judgmental space,” Winston-Sage said of the Esch Hurvis Center for Spiritual and Religious Life. “You can come with your anger and your tears and your joy and know that you’re always going to be welcome here. It’s also just an incredibly comfy and warm place to be.”

Winston-Sage, working alongside Shola Adegbite, assistant dean of spiritual and religious life, and others on her staff, provides leadership and counsel as she facilitates student conversations about spirituality, faith development, religion, and community building. She also provides pastoral care and assists with memorial gatherings.

An ordained Presbyterian minister, she earned a bachelor’s degree with a major in religious studies at ��ý��Ƶ. She’s thrilled to be back at her alma mater, bringing support to a unique campus of ambitious and driven students.

“There’s creativity and there’s freedom,” she said of the ��ý��Ƶ culture. “It’s there because it’s in our students.”

Since returning to ��ý��Ƶ, Winston-Sage has found being a resource for students is incredibly rewarding.

“I like to help people find their passion,” she said. “Some people come in knowing their passion, and some people find it along the way. When people bring that to me with such excitement, that is definitely a favorite part of the job.”

But equally important to her is supporting students when times are tougher.

“I do hear a lot of hard times that people are going through,” Winston-Sage said. “When I know there’s a student who has struggled, and I see the smile on their face when they cross that graduation stage—that’s the most meaningful part of my job.”

She emphasized the role of her office as a supporter in any phase of student life, good or bad. Whether it’s getting a fantastic internship, needing support in a time of loss, or even readjusting after a study abroad opportunity, the Center for Spiritual and Religious Life is there for students to process and recenter.

“There are so many things that happen in life that are unexpected,” Winston-Sage said. “Sometimes those things are great, and sometimes those things shake your foundation. This is a space to react to that, and some resources to ask, ‘What do you need at this moment? What do you need in a month?’ Then also to teach people those skills for when those things happen again.”

Winston-Sage hopes to create more programming to assist students through each year of university life, from transitioning to campus in the first year to what comes next for seniors after graduation.

There are programs in the Center for Spiritual and Religious Life that provide community settings for anyone at ��ý��Ƶ, such as the community dinner presented every Thursday. Between those events, the Office of Spiritual and Religious Life is always open to students who want a quiet, comfortable place to be.

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Shola Adegbite puts focus on students as she joins staff of Spiritual and Religious Life

Communications — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 17:07:11 +0000

Shola Adegbite has joined ��ý��Ƶ as its new assistant dean of Spiritual and Religious Life.

She will support the work of the , led by Terra Winston-Sage, the Julie Esch Hurvis Dean of Spiritual and Religious Life and chaplain to the university. Her efforts will be focused on students, including coordination and mentorship of spiritual-based student organizations and religious holiday observances. She will facilitate conversations with students and student organizations about spirituality, faith development, religious diversity, community building, interfaith concerns, and social justice commitments.

Shola Adegbite

“I hope to play my part in creating an environment where we can all thrive and be whole,” Shola said.

She served as a campus minister at Union Theological Seminary in New York for three years and she worked and trained as a chaplain for one year at the Jewish Theological Seminary. She spent the past year and a half at the Interfaith Center of New York, where she most recently served as religious diversity project assistant director.

Shola said she was drawn to ��ý��Ƶ because of how intentional it is in serving students.

“First, it is student-centered and there is a lot about collaboration and teamwork, which I really like,” she said.

“As I researched the institution during the application stages, I was drawn to how the website promoted the accomplishments of its people, especially faculty and students,” Shola added. “I also was impressed by all the facilities readily available to use. Then when I met people during interviews and afterwards, people were really nice and personable. Since beginning here, all these things I noticed continue to be true.”

Shola is completing a Ph.D. from Union Theological Seminary with a dissertation focused on conflict resolution strategies in Paul’s letter to the Romans. She has master’s degrees from the University of Edinburgh in the UK and Union Theological Seminary, and bachelor’s degrees from Olabisi Onabanjo University and Obafemi Awolowo University, both in Nigeria.

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Terra Winston-Sage named dean of Spiritual and Religious Life at ��ý��Ƶ

Communications — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 14:38:28 +0000

The Rev. Terra Winston-Sage ’00 has been appointed ��ý��Ƶ’s next Julie Esch Hurvis Dean of Spiritual and Religious Life and university chaplain.

Winston-Sage, who has served as associate dean since 2018, will provide leadership and counsel in the alignment of social justice and faith and the facilitation of student conversations about spirituality, faith development, religious diversity, community building, and social justice commitments. She will also provide pastoral care as well as assist with memorial gatherings.

Winston-Sage, an ordained Presbyterian minister who earned a bachelor’s degree in religious studies at ��ý��Ƶ, said this new role continues the fulfillment of a dream that began in 2018 when she returned to campus to work with ��ý��Ƶ’s diverse student body.

“My experience has taught me how important it is to show up with sincerity, grounding, and openness to meet people where they are along their spiritual journey,” she said.

Chris Clarke, vice president for student life, said he’s thrilled to add Winston-Sage to the senior leadership of the Student Life division.

“Terra brings insight, expertise, and energy to the role,” he said. “She will aid our division in going forward to serve our students and our community. Her passion for ��ý��Ƶ combined with her thoughtfulness, her creativity, and her student-centric approach will continue to build bridges and bonds in our community.”

Winston-Sage, a native of Shaker Heights, Ohio, brings a wealth of experience and diverse perspective – as a ��ý��Ƶ student, alumna, and in various professional roles, including serving with Community Peacemaker Teams, an international organization, and developing organization-wide strategic directions and collaborative congregational outreach efforts.

After earning her degree from ��ý��Ƶ, Winston-Sage earned a Master of Religious Studies degree from the University of Chicago, a Master of Divinity degree from the McCormick Theological Seminary, and a Master of Theology degree from the Princeton Theological Seminary.

Her appointment follows the retirement of the Rev. Linda Morgan-Clement, who joined ��ý��Ƶ’s administration in 2016 as the University’s first dean of spiritual and religious life. She is retiring at the close of the academic year on June 30.

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Allan, Kassor explore Catholic, Buddhist pilgrimages in Honors Convocation

Communications — Fri, 26 May 2023 20:06:21 +0000

Madera Allan, associate professor of Spanish, called her visit last summer to the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal stunning and beautiful, a glimpse into a way of life “infused with a frenetic, spiritual energy.”

Constance Kassor, associate professor of religious studies, called her visit to Camino de Santiago in northwestern Spain last summer an incredible journey—a 100-kilometer pilgrimage leading to the awe-inspiring cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

The two ��ý��Ƶ professors made those journeys together, and on Friday afternoon they shared the experience in Memorial Chapel at ��ý��Ƶ’s Honors Convocation, the third and final Convocation of the 2022-23 academic year.

Their Convocation address, On the Roads: Catholic and Buddhist Pilgrimage, explored the who, why, and where of pilgrimage. They described the special sort of community forged on pilgrimage and compared it to the community we make together at ��ý��Ƶ.

Allan traveled to Nepal at Kassor’s invite, visiting together the shrines, temples, and stupas of Kathmandu, all stunningly beautiful.

And Kassor traveled to Spain at Allan’s invite, making the week-long pilgrimage along coastal Spain together on foot.

Kassor said arriving at the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela left her breathless—and not just because they had walked for a week straight in temperatures hovering above 100 degrees.

“I was just amazed about so many things about the Camino,” she said.

Their address, which included photos of their journeys, was insightful, thoughtful, and fun. .

Awards and honors

The Convocation followed Thursday’s Honors Awards Ceremony and Reception, where 130 ��ý��Ƶ students, two student organizations, and seven faculty and staff were honored with awards that spanned academics, athletics, and student life. The recipients were applauded again at Convocation.

“We celebrate excellence and leadership exhibited by students, faculty, and staff during this academic year,” President Laurie Carter said.

In addition to Allan and Kassor receiving the Faculty Convocation Award, the following faculty and staff were honored:

Babcock Award for outstanding service to students (voted on by students): Pam Yeager of Bon Appetit;
Mortar Board Honorary Award: Tim Spurgin, Bonnie Glidden Buchanan Professor of English Literature and associate professor of English, and Kelly Culhane, assistant professor of chemistry;
University Award for Excellence in Advising: José Encarnación, associate professor of music and director of jazz studies;
First-Year Studies Teaching Award: Megan Pickett, associate professor of physics.

“We can all take great pride in these students, faculty, and staff and the many ways they have enriched our community,” Carter said. “Thank you for your leadership, and congratulations on your impressive accomplishments.”

A musical selection, The Servant Girl at Emmaus, by Nansi Carroll, was performed during the Convocation by Emma Sayeg ’24, contralto soloist; Elena Crino ’24, Chelsea Dongas ’24, and Charlotte Hall ’23, sopranos; Evan Ney ’24, soprano saxophone; and Iris Hakes ’24, bassoon.

Mark Phelan, associate professor of philosophy, was announced as next year’s Honors Convocation speaker.

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