A Global Welcome

Brigitte Zawadi was about to embark on a career as a schoolteacher in Rwanda when her pastor suggested another path. The Church of the Brethren Global Missions wanted to provide financial support to two students so that they could attend Bethany Theological Seminary. Zawadi applied and was accepted. She is now pursuing a Master of Arts degree in peace studies, and she expects to graduate in 2026. 

She has found the experience truly transformational.

“Bethany is an intercultural and global community, and I feel very welcome here,” says Zawadi. “Professors and students are always willing to listen to the perspectives, and that leads to meaningful conversations. The community really encourages learning.”

Zawadi has enjoyed discovering approaches to learning that encourage critical thinking and emphasize a wide range of perspectives. She appreciates that professors routinely include authors from East Africa on their syllabi, and that they challenge students to bring their own creativity into course assignments. 

“They have helped me see that there is not just one right answer, and that there can be many valid approaches to papers and projects.”

For a paper in a recent class, Zawadi used bread making as a metaphor for the work of peace building. Her professor responded enthusiastically, suggesting that the paper could be adapted as a chapel sermon and recommended that Zawadi submit the essay for publication.

Zawadi recently taught a course in African Literature at her undergraduate alma mater, African International University, a private, Christian institution in Kenya. She included some course activities that she had experienced at Bethany — like asking students to spend class time writing in response to open-ended prompts.

“At first, my students thought I was misleading them, and that they shouldn’t have so much freedom to express their ideas,” she says with a grin. “They were overwhelmed at first, but when they tried it, the assignment widened their thinking. Those students were used to being told there was just one right answer, but I told them that change is inevitable, so they need to be open to new ideas.”

As a Bethany student, she has appreciated the open and welcoming learning environment that the Seminary community provides, and she feels that her interest in peacemaking in connection to women and children has been validated. 

“Rwanda is still recovering from the genocide, and women and children are particularly affected by this reality,” she says. In 1994, during the Rwandan Civil War, as many as a million people were killed and hundreds of thousands of women experienced sexual violence during a 100-day period. Zawadi noted that many Rwandans remain fearful of a return of such violence. 

“My classes have given me opportunities to explore how these populations are affected by lasting fears that the genocide will return. I appreciate that my professors here encourage me to tailor my assignments to my own interests,” she says.

Bethany has also offered Zawadi, a residential student, an appealing sense of community. She has enjoyed outings and sampling various cuisines at local restaurants. In addition, she has had an opportunity to teach when Kim Carter, the wife of President Jeff Carter and a high school French teacher, wanted to learn Swahili.

“I was blown away that someone wanted to learn my language,” says Zawadi. “I was very excited when I gave her an exam and she passed!”

Zawadi plans to use her teaching skills after she graduates from Bethany. She hopes to earn a doctorate and pursue a career as an educator, building on the skills and habits of mind that she has developed at Bethany.

“I think Bethany is equipping me to be a great leader and professor,” she says. “I am looking forward to learning more about peace studies and religion and society and then to help others to learn.”

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