LEXINGTON, Ky.—Sarah Harcourt, an elementary education and religion major from La Grange, Ky., who graduated in May, was accepted to Harvard University graduate programs in both education and theology.
The summer after her junior year, Harcourt completed a two-month internship with the Harvard Pluralism Project and conducted research for World Religions, a resource for academicians and others interested in religious diversity. This experience ignited her interest in studying at Harvard on the graduate level.
She applied to the graduate school of education for a master’s degree in special studies, and to the divinity school for a master of theological studies. She was accepted into both, and although she thought about seeking a dual degree, she decided to enter the divinity school.
Harcourt plans to teach elementary school. “I’m going to be studying what teachers should be doing with religion in the classroom as a category of cultural relevance in students’ lives,” she said. “I want a chance to go out there and do that. That’s a part of me and what I should be doing.”
After gaining classroom experience, Harcourt would like to pursue a Ph.D. in education with the goal of becoming a college professor. “That’s where I could go to make a difference,” she said.