Azusa, Calif. — Azusa Pacific alumna Rachel Pietka '06 was recently awarded the Lilly Graduate Fellowship. As 1 of 16 applicants to be accepted into this three-year program, Pietka has the opportunity to research how Christianity is intertwined with a particular issue under the umbrella of humanities and arts, learning what it means to be a Christian scholar and educator, while receiving her master's degree.
"I think the program is going to give me what I need to start out on the journey [as a professor at a Christian school]," said Pietka. She will work along with two senior mentors, communicating and collaborating with each other in areas of research, teaching, and professional development.
The Lilly Graduate Program is part of Valparaiso University and is a national network of Christian educational institutions that works to strengthen the link between Christianity and the academic world.
While at Valparaiso, each fellow meets weekly with a mentor who is a senior scholar at a Lilly Fellows Program Network School, establishing a one-on-one relationship. The fellows and mentors also meet as a group to study various pieces of literature together. Additionally, each scholar will participate in four national conferences and one symposium, allowing the fellows to collaborate with each other, senior scholars, and luminaries who integrate research, teaching, vocation, and an interest in church-related higher education.
