2026-7 Interfaith Fellows
Max Casson ’28
Max is a Sophomore Philosophy major from Northfield, Minnesota. He grew up as an ELCA Lutheran, but spent a lot of time in high school exploring various faiths as well as the implications of observing a faith on one’s way of knowing and considering the world in modernity. More recently, he has been interested in pagan theology (especially the theology of Plato) and how theological ideas from paganism and platonism continued to develop throughout the Christian world.
When he gets free time, Max likes to run, skateboard, or read.
Praptee Sinha ’28
Praptee Sinha is a Sophomore Religion major from India. A question she struggles with is ”Which faith do you belong to?”. Praptee was raised in a very traditional Hindu household and even though incredibly interested in Hinduism, she thinks that since a person cannot veritably know whether they are truly committed to the good, even saying that one walks on the path of God invokes pride in their heart, and she has been trying to tame the lion of pride. Connecting with people from faiths she did not grow up around, makes her recognise love and truth universally. In her free time, Praptee enjoys reading, meeting new people, and consuming chocolates.
Campbell Kirtley ’27
Campbell (she/they) is a senior Sociology/Anthropology and French double major from Walla Walla, Washington. She identifies as agnostic, or a “seeker” – hoping to find meaning, purpose and community through many different spiritual avenues. Campbell grew up surrounded by the interreligious community at Whitman College with students and programming of different faiths, and it’s an environment she’s continued to seek out since arriving at St. Olaf. Campbell has spent the last eight years doing activism work and is excited by the way the Interfaith Fellows work to hold spiritual life and community needs together.
Jhilmil Trivedi ’28
Jhilmil is a Junior majoring in Biology. She is Indian, but she grew up in Muscat, Oman, where she was surrounded by a richly diverse and multicultural community. This upbringing shaped the way she views and engages with the world. She was raised Jain, a faith rooted in non-violence and tolerance, and these values have greatly influenced her to approach people with openness and curiosity. They’ve inspired her to learn about the rituals, customs and traditions of many different communities. At St. Olaf, she was drawn to an environment where she could connect with people from a wide range of belief systems and backgrounds. Becoming an Interfaith Fellow has given her the opportunity to help nurture that environment and to actively build those meaningful connections.
Jiayi (Emily) Liu ’27
Jiayi(Emily) Liu is a senior Theatre major from China. She grew up in a Christian family and has since lived and studied in China, the Netherlands, Japan, and the United States. Moving across different cultures has taught her that same belief, identity, or tradition can carry very different meanings depending on where one stands. These experiences have made her more curious about how people understand themselves, how assumptions are formed, and how meaningful connection can still happen across religious and cultural differences. As a Theatre major, Emily is especially interested in storytelling and performance as ways of expressing identity and understanding perspectives beyond one’s own.
In her free time, she enjoys cosplay, writing, traveling, and learning about different cultures and languages
Soren Obermuller ’28
Soren (He/Him) is a junior Chemistry major on the pre-medicine track with a concentration in Musical Theater. He was raised and still identifies as Lutheran and is an active member of both ELCA congregations at St Olaf and at home in Dubuque, Iowa. Although science and the performing arts take up most of his time, he loves conversation around faith, spirituality, and vocation. The question “what makes a good life?” is particularly intriguing to him and he hopes to further ponder that in his work this year!
Cebolenkhosi Kunene ’28
My name is Cebo, and I am a junior majoring in History and Quantitative Economics with a concentration in Public Health Studies. I am from Eswatini, a small country in Southern Africa. I grew up in a Christian community and did not have many opportunities to interact with people from different religious backgrounds. Because of this, I became very curious about different religions and beliefs. Learning about other people’s faiths is something I really enjoy because it helps me better understand people and the ways their beliefs shape their experiences and perspectives. I believe it is important to approach different religious beliefs with respect and openness. At the same time, learning about other religions has also helped me better understand and reflect on my own beliefs. I am especially interested in how different religions intersect with one another and how people from different backgrounds can learn from and connect with each other.
Deepa Sapkota ’29
Deepa’s is a chemistry and Data Science and Statistics major. She is from Nepal. Growing up as a Christian in Nepal where Christianity is a minority religion group, gave her a sense of community and belonging and helped her understand and scrutinize her faith effectively. She believes that there is no one way of being a believer and people have their own understanding and perception of god and faith. She loves learning about different perspectives of knowing faith and being a believer or a non believer. In her free time she loves listening to music, going for walks, dance and relax.
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