Brian Louis and Sister Hoa Nguyen are the 2022 recipients of the John Gray Rhind Award.

Established by University Trustee James Rhind in honor of his father who was a Presbyterian pastor and teacher, the John Gray Rhind Award is presented each year to a graduating Master of Divinity student or students whose excellent in academic and professional training gives notable promise to a significant service of others.

Brian Louis entered the Divinity School in 2018 as an AMRS student following his long career in journalism. He transferred to the MDiv program at the end of his first year as part of his discernment in his second career in ministry.  He has engaged in coursework in the McCormick Theological Seminary, completed five standard ordination exams required of the Presbyterian Church (USA), and honed his pastoral skills in field placement at the Second Presbyterian Church of Chicago and in clinical pastoral education as a chaplain at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital.  Brian’s gift for spiritual care that we’ve experiences in our own learning community as well as his work as a BONDS mentor with the Dean of Student’s Office, and, informally, within his own cohort.  Characteristically, Brian’s pastoral leadership is funded by rich reflection on his own life experiences as is his theological scholarship. His senior thesis is entitled “Reworking Work.”

Sister Hoa Nguyen came to the United States from Vietnam in 2015, sent by her religious order The Lovers of the Holy Cross to pursue studies in religion with an emphasis on Bible and ministry. During her three years in the ministry program, Sister Hoa has deepened her study of the New Testament and focused her ministerial education in the area of spiritual care.  In order to practice the art of hospital chaplaincy, she has spent two full years providing spiritual care at Little Company of Mary Medical Center and Advocate Christ Medical Center, both located in Chicago’s southwest side.  Most of that time she attended patients in-person, even in the depths of the COVID pandemic.  Sister Hoa plans to continue her theological education at Boston College in the fall, working towards a Master’s in Sacred Theology.  Afterwards, she hopes to return to Vietnam to each in her religious community and to advocate for the practice of hospital chaplaincy there.