Where They’re Headed: Emily Chazen ’18

This fall, the English and Religion major will begin pursuing a law degree and her master’s in theological studies through a joint program at Harvard University.

Emily Chazen ‘18 is a double major in pursuit of a double degree. The Haverford English and religion major is now off to Harvard University, where, after four years—three semesters spent at Harvard Divinity School and five semesters at Harvard Law—she will emerge with her J.D. and her masters in theological studies.

At Harvard Law, Chazen looks forward to applying the passion for justice and activism she acquired at Haverford to the legal realm.

“I’m really ecstatic about the opportunity to do pro bono work and to pursue clinical opportunities to actually receive course credit for offering legal services and counsel to low-income, under-served, and historically marginalized communities within the Greater Boston area,” she said.

In Divinity School, Chazen hopes to attain a concentration in religion and literature, which she sees as a perfect way to mix her academic interests reflected in her majors at Haverford. She is grateful to “be able to pursue both a law and master’s degree while immersed within a community dedicated to personal growth, academic inquiry, and sociopolitical change.” In choosing Harvard, Chazen said, “I felt like I really found a place that would allow me to build on the discoveries I had made at Haverford.”

Chazen will be attending Harvard Divinity School as a Presidential Scholar, a full-tuition, merit-based award given to only 75 students across all of the University’s graduate programs. She gives credit to her Haverford professors for their support and for instilling her with the drive to succeed in her future academic and legal endeavors.

“My professors in the religion and English departments were not only the kindest and most welcoming people I had the privilege of learning from throughout these four years, but that they also really challenged me to think more critically,” she said. “I came into Haverford skeptical of the passion that people claimed to find for their academic pursuits, but I’m walking away knowing that because of the investment that my professors made in me as a student and thinker—in some ways, as an equal—I really was able to find my passion, to sustain my thirst for knowledge, and to find something I desperately wanted to continue studying.”

“Where They’re Headed” is a blog series reporting on the post-collegiate plans of recent Haverford graduates.