Anthony
Hatinger
decided to pursue
a Religious Studies
degree by answering
his own question:
“What kind of major can I
take on that is an acculturation major in which I get the
best of all sorts of the humanities and can still help people?
Four years later, Anthony is
ready to graduate with a Religious Studies major, Horticulture minor, and Sustainable
Agriculture and Food Systems specialization. He found
that the three uniquely complement each other when he
took Religion and the Environment his sophomore year.
He explains that the class inspired him to apply for his minor and specialization.
“It works together in a really
interesting way. I find that
religious studies is a very
powerful cultural tool to understanding the history of humanity. And to go along with
that, there’s something to be
said about different cultures
and their food laws and dietary restrictions; the cultures
of societies and empires were
all based on what their food
systems were.”
Last Summer, Anthony participated in the Power of We
Consortium’s
AmeriCorps
State program in which he
served as an educator and coordinator for a youth gardening program at Edgewood
Village, and helped market
the Meridian County Township Farmer’s Market’s Double-Up Food Bucks Program.
Anthony has also interned at
Allen Neighborhood Center’s
Hunter Park Garden House
and the Allen Street Farmer’s
Market.
Anthony explains, “The intersection that’s strongest
for me (between religion
and horticulture) is humanitarian efforts. Having a religious studies background
really opens up the doors for
anything relating to community development, non-profit
work, and government work.
from the Religious Studies
program will easily apply to
anything he does.
“It’s a transformative major.
Anything that studies the
human condition allows you
to adapt it to what is fitting
and suitable for your interests.”
I think what was nice about
that is I got to understand
culture from a different viewpoint.”
All of which is why Anthony
plans to pursue a career in urban agriculture. He would like
to advocate for and build a
school-to-garden program in
Detroit that will provide fresh
food to cafeterias while also
becoming part of the classroom curriculum. Anthony
explains that the base knowledge skills he has taken away
“It’s a transformative major.
Anything that studies the human condition allows you to
adapt it to what is fitting and
suitable for your interests.”
He continues, “Religion is everywhere. Religion is global.
What I found most interesting about my major is learning the history of the world
through religion.”
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