06/02/2026
UM HIS is proud to feature Leonard Reina in our on-going series of alumni profiles. He was recently accepted to Harvard Divinity School and writes of the following of his time studying with us in History.
"My experience as a history major within the Department of History at the University of Miami remains nothing short of transformative. Although I pursued a triple major in History, Classics, and Economics and ultimately wrote my senior thesis in Classics, I credit the department’s rich selection of 500-level graduate seminars—seven of which I was fortunate enough to take to hone my aptitudes—with paving the way to my graduating summa cm laude and earning election to Phi Beta Kappa. One seminar that stands out most vividly is Prof. Michael T. Bernath’s “American Intellectual & Cultural History,” in which I deepened my appreciation for Transcendentalist thought and first developed an interest in Emerson’s complex relationship with his alma mater, Harvard University, and its Divinity School.
My
I cannot overstate the level of preparation afforded by the History Department. Through its abundant opportunities to grapple critically with nuanced issues, engage in stimulating discussions with both professors and peers, and, above all, cultivate research expertise, the department fostered a most invigorating and rewarding environment for me to grow and contribute. In retrospect, those were profoundly formative years that instilled in me an enduring intellectual zeal—one that I will carry with me as I begin graduate studies this fall at Harvard Divinity School."
Congratulations Leonard!
