Drew Theological School

05/28/2026

Congrats to Nate Roark T’26!

🎓 Congratulations to Nate Roark, Class of 2026 at Drew Theological School! Keep reading for some "stats" on Nate, one of our many UMHEF scholars who graduated this spring.

✅ Degrees - Bachelor of Arts in Women and Gender Studies and Master of Divinity
✅ Celebrating - Nate was first student to complete the combined 3+3 BA/MDiv degree program at Drew!
✅ Campus Involvement - Tour guide, resident advisor, student senator, vice president, and College of Liberal Arts Student Government President, as well as with the Theological School Association and co-led the Spectrum Q***r Theological Caucus
✅ Plans Post Graduation - Continues to serve as Family Ministry Director at Morristown United Methodist Church

Nate said, "UMHEF has provided me with the opportunity to pursue education in a community that made me feel seen and loved."

05/27/2026

Check out these ✨ scholars, preachers, activists, and dreamers ✨ walking the runway at Commencement! 💚🎓💙
Drew University

05/27/2026

Are you graduating this spring? Are you a current or former UMHEF scholarship recipient who will be graduating this spring? This is a huge accomplishment, and one we want to celebrate with you and our community! Please take a moment to complete and submit the following form. We may feature you in up...

05/27/2026

For the Class of 2026, we wish that you continue. 💚🎓💙

“My wish for you is that you continue.
Continue.
To be who and how you are,
To astonish a mean world with your acts of kindness.
Continue…
Let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.
Continue.
To ignore no vision which comes to enlarge your range and increase your spirit.
Continue.
To dare to love deeply and risk everything for the good thing.
Continue.”

"Continue" by Maya Angelou
Drew University

05/26/2026

is proud to attend the Susquehanna Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church next week! We look forward to talking about discernment with prospective and incoming students and catching up with alum and the Drew Theological School community.

05/26/2026

Faculty, family, friends, and fellow graduates gathered in celebration as doctoral candidates from and crossed an important academic milestone during Drew University’s hooding ceremony.

Serving as the official beginning of Drew’s 2026 Commencement celebrations, the ceremony honored the culmination of years of scholarship, research, and vocational discernment as graduates were formally hooded by the faculty mentors who guided them throughout their academic journeys.

“I want to congratulate each and every one of our doctoral candidates for the hard work, passion, and dedication they’ve shown to be here today,” said Interim Chief Academic Officer Steve Johnson.

“I want to acknowledge the mentorship of the faculty here today, who played critical roles in supporting and guiding our students throughout their journeys to earning their degrees.”

From Drew Theological School, candidates were conferred with Doctor of Ministry and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Graduates from the Caspersen School of Graduate Studies received Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Letters, and Doctor of Medical, Health & Humanities degrees.

In remarks delivered during the invocation, Director of Craig Chapel Rev. Dr. Beth Quick T’03, T’26 called graduates to continue pursuing lives of inquiry, imagination, and purpose.

“We invoke our zeal, yet unabated, for learning and theorizing and dreaming and discussing; may it ever be so,” said Rev. Dr. Quick.

“Come, lovers of wisdom, doctors, who attend to what it means to be human and what it means to minister, and what it means to tell stories that matter, that change lives, that change worlds. Come: it is time to celebrate.”

https://drew.edu/2026/05/19/doctoral-graduates-honored-during-drew-university-hooding-ceremony/

05/22/2026

Yeongrok Choi T’26 stole the show at the 2026 Drew University Commencement with his student address on Friday, May 15.

Yeongrok graduated with the Master of Divinity after an impactful student experience at in which he was involved in the leadership of Drew Worship in Craig Chapel of Seminary Hall, the academic and spiritual home to the Theological School. A native of South Korea, Yeongrok used his platform to address the challenges facing international students throughout the country during his time at Drew.

“I want to express my deepest gratitude to this Drew community. Whenever the news brought heavy hearts and real fear to immigrants and international students, you did not look away. You raised your voices with us, you checked in on us, and you made space for us. Thank you for your radical hospitality and solidarity,” he said.

Yeongrok Choi, leaning into his nickname of Rok as the “Rok-star of the Theological School,” closed his address by breaking out into “Defying Gravity” from Wicked, a solo that quickly became a joyous impromptu sing-along featuring the entire audience.

In his adapted lyrics, he sang,

“Tell them how I’m defying gravity…
And nobody in all the earth,
No system that denies our worth,
Is ever gonna bring us down.”

Thank you for your leadership, your brilliance, and your beautiful voice, Yeongrok Choi T’26!

05/21/2026

Dr. Laurel Kearns was named the Theological School Scholar / Teacher of the Year at the 2026 Commencement.

In a Drew University Commencement tradition, President Hilary Link announced the University’s teachers of the year, slowly revealing the winners using words of student submissions praising their mentors. Dr. Kearns is the John Fletcher Hurst Professor of Ecology, Religion, and Society, and her impact on ecological justice and interfaith solidarity were celebrated among the community.

Congratulations on this recognition to ’s Dr. Laurel Kearns!

05/20/2026

is excited to host a Drew Gathering during the Upper New York Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.

Register for free at admissions.drew.edu/register/Drew.UNY.5.29.26 so we know you're coming!

During the lunch break (on the conference schedule at 11:30 a.m.) on Friday, May 29, we will gather at Salt City Market near the teaching kitchen. Grab your lunch and join in our time to learn about what's new at Drew and how you can connect (or reconnect!) with the community. We look forward to seeing you there.

05/19/2026

In a beautiful ceremony on Mead Hall Lawn, Drew University returned to its longstanding tradition of holding a single ceremony celebrating graduates across the entire University.

More than 450 students from the College of Liberal Arts, Caspersen School of Graduate Studies, and Drew Theological School were officially awarded their degrees.

Congratulations to the Class of 2026!

https://drew.edu/2026/05/15/drew-university-commencement-celebrates-classes-of-2026/

05/16/2026