Introducing Rosaleen!

Hi y’all! My name is Rosaleen Xiong, and I am GIPL’s new Program Fellow. I am currently a second-year Master of Divinity student at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, and I am so excited to apply my theological education to work that is so important to me.

My first significant environmental experiences took place first as a camper and then as a camp assistant at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, located in my hometown of State College, Pennsylvania. I spent every year looking forward to summer, when I would be released into the trees, examining rocks and streams and all manner of small animals. These times were the most religious moments of my life, and I knew even then that I wanted to spend my life as a steward for these things I loved.

I carried this love with me into my undergraduate degree as an Environmental Science major, but switched to Computer Science because I felt like my particular skills and interests would allow me to do more good for the environment through technology. Throughout my Computer Science degree, however, I was frequently frustrated by the disconnect between the industry-focused classes I was taking and the actual work I wanted to do. So when a seminary professor responded to my junior-year panic over whether I should apply to divinity school by telling me that I need to find my own ministry, my immediate thought — that “my ministry is trees” — actually felt like a huge relief.

Getting to work at GIPL feels like a true full-circle moment for me. I came to Candler to explore my interest in eco-chaplaincy because I believe that spiritual resources are some of the most important tools we have in the fight against climate change, especially considering the burnout rates that environmental activists face. I am certain that my time at GIPL will expose me to environment-focused spiritual resources from many different communities, giving me the tools to serve and uplift environmental advocates from all walks of life. I am also especially excited to learn about what genuine environmentally-conscious communities look like, since building and sustaining communities are notoriously difficult tasks. Finally and most importantly, though, I’m excited to be working on a team that is so passionate about harnessing our collective religious power to defend something that I love with all of my heart: the great and awesome beauty of our Earth.