My name is Samuel Rose, and I am a currently enrolled third year Masters of Divinity at UChicago. I am fundraising on behalf of a fellow UChicago MDiv and dear friend who prefers to remain anonymous.

The University of Chicago Masters of Divinity trains the next generation of religious leaders, community organizers, and spiritual caregivers. Our alumni are on the forefront of spiritual care innovation, advocating for human dignity, and the fight against the rise of authoritarianism. My friend is the paragon of the Div school's reputation, balancing excellent scholarship with deep commitment to their communities. I witness every day the way they use their energy for, as the director of our program Cynthia Lindner would say, "the good of the whole".

Students enrolled in the MDiv receive some financial assistance from UChicago to ensure we're able to balance our rigorous coursework with our community commitments and our ministry work (and our human needs for REST), but because of the UChicago's cowardly capitulation to the Trump administration's anti-DEI demands on higher education, this meager assistance is dwindling. My friend has fallen between the cracks, and they're not the only one.

Today, I am asking for immediate assistance for my friend so that they can pay their school bill and register for Spring classes, make their rent, and put nourishing food into their body. Tomorrow, my friend and I, along with a cohort of MDiv students, will be working to establish a mutual aid fund to ensure the security of future MDivs. I hope you will join our effort in whatever way you can, today and tomorrow. WE PROTECT US!!!