Senior Church Ministries student Cassandra Granados will begin her pursuit of a Master of Divinity degree at Yale Divinity School this Fall with a full scholarship.  Yale offers fourteen full-tuition scholarships with an allowance for living expenses to incoming students.  Cassandra is one of the three William and Lucille Nickerson Scholars for the incoming class of 2008.

Cassandra has wanted to go into ministry since High School and was involved in Youth Alive and Fine Arts.  During her time at SAGU, Cassandra developed a love for preaching and decided to pursue an M.Div.  As Cassandra considered her options, she discovered that Yale has a female homiletics professor.  Yale also offers Cassandra exposure to a different perspective from an ecumenical view that will broaden the scope of her ministry.

When she received notice from Yale, all Cassandra could see was the word “accepted.”  Elated, she ran to her room to tell her roommate the news.  Due to her excitement, Cassandra had to have her roommate read the letter to her.  “We just sat there for ten minutes in unbelief,” Cassandra recalls.  “Being accepted into Yale and then getting a full ride on top of it is beyond my wildest dreams.”

Cassandra is originally from Lewisville, Texas, and came to SAGU in the Fall of 2004.  She started the organization Southwestern Women in Ministry and served as its president for three years.  The organization is a support system for women called to ministry, whether vocational or in the marketplace. 

She received her ministerial license from the A/G in 2007 and plans to be ordained in June 2009.  Cassandra plans to pursue her Ph.D., possibly in Homiletics, and would like to eventually be a homiletics professor or pastor or both.  She says the ultimate dream would be to get her Ph. D. from Princeton.

Cassandra is thankful for the encouraging professors at SAGU.  “SAGU has given me a conservative, Pentecostal education as a foundation and I can be comfortable about what I believe,” said Cassandra.  The graduating senior also gave some advice to other SAGU students: “Be open for your professors to mentor you.  Get involved in Student Congress, particularly Women in Ministry if you’re a woman.  Those activities and mentorship will help you in your future.”