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Naveah Diaz '26 is a senior Tour Guide, and member of the Extreme Keys acapella group, Co-President of the Baking Club, and a Digital Scholarship Project Assistant. In a new Major Moment, they tell us about their academic journey to declaring a Religion major and Film Studies minor. 

What is your major(s), and how did you discover it at 51����?

I learned about the religion department when I was researching different colleges during my senior year of high school. I was really interested in the consortium component of 51���� and loved the idea of taking classes at different schools. When I learned that the religion department was housed at Haverford, I was really excited by the opportunity to take classes (and even major) at Haverford.

Did you enter college knowing what you wanted to major in? How have the classes you’ve taken at BMC either confirmed your interest in the major or surprised you with a new interest?

I entered college knowing that I was at least interested in exploring the religion department. My first semester of my freshman year I took Intro to Religion, which gave an overview of the religious studies field, different religions globally, and took us through the key philosophers associated with the study of religion. This Intro class reaffirmed my interest in religious studies and gave me the foundation necessary for my next three years in the religion department. The class also exposed me to many different perspectives regarding the academic study of religion.

Favorite class you’ve taken for your majors? Favorite memory from that class?
 

My favorite class I’ve taken for my major is Religion and American Public Life, which I took in my Sophomore spring. I loved learning about the intersections between American politics and religious practice. As a senior, this class remains a favorite for me, as it left me with intellectual questions on the relationship between American politics, industry, and Christianity, which I hope to answer in my senior thesis this year. My favorite memory from that class is when we conducted an analysis on Church sponsored ads that played during the Super Bowl that year. I really enjoy when we look at real-world pop culture examples in class as a reinforcer to understand new abstract concepts.

How does it work to major at another college in the consortium?  

Majoring at Haverford is super easy! 51���� and Haverford use the same course registration system, so it is super easy to sign up for classes there (I started taking classes at Haverford first semester freshman year.) The main difference between majoring at Haverford versus at 51���� is that you take the majority of your classes at Haverford. Bi-Co students use the Blue Bus to get to and from each college. The Blue Bus runs every 10-15 minutes, with Haverford only a 10-minute drive from 51����. The consortium has greatly benefited my academic opportunities. As someone who was interested in religion before getting to 51����, it was the consortium that drew me in as it gave me an opportunity to explore what the other colleges have to offer. As a native New Yorker, I love “commuting” to Haverford and exploring its academic offerings, and then coming back home to 51����. 
 

What experiential learning opportunities have you had connected to your academic
interests?

For my American Religious History class, our final assignment was to write an ethnography on a religious service of our choice. For my ethnography, I visited a Unitarian Universalist Church in Devon, PA, and observed their coming-of-age service. I really loved this assignment as it was an opportunity to see religion practiced in the real world, rather than just reading theory on religious practices. I also loved being able to talk to people within the Unitarian Universalist community, who were so open, accepting, and excited to see a new face at one of their services.

"I really enjoy when we look at real-world pop culture examples in class as a reinforcer to understand new abstract concepts."
 

What advice would you give to a first year in the process of declaring a major(s)?
 

I would tell a first year to explore all the options given to them. Take advantage of the consortium! Take a class at Haverford or Swarthmore and use all the resources provided to you. Also, take a religion class! They are way more interdisciplinary than you may expect, and all the faculty are incredible.