Photos and Testimonials
Each summer, our Business, Clergy & Religious Leaders, Design & Technology, Journalism, Law, and Medical Fellows spend two weeks in Berlin, Krakow and Oswiecim, visiting historical sites, attending intensive seminars and participating in intimate cross-disciplinary discussion groups. Questions raised in the classroom and reflections spurred on by site visits are discussed and debated over lunch and dinner. Our Fellows travel in two groups at different points in the summer: Business, Law, and Design & Technology form the first cohort, and Medical, Clergy, and Journalism travel to Europe several weeks later. Below you can see photos from each trip and read testimonials from recent Fellows.
Recent Testimonials
FASPE was one of the most powerful experiences of my life. Walking through sites where history’s most devastating ethical failures occurred, I was forced to ask hard questions about my own profession, and myself. The fellowship doesn’t hand you answers, rather teaches you how to question. It challenges your assumptions, sharpens your moral clarity, and deepens your sense of responsibility. Thanks to the program and the incredible group of Fellows, I came back not just more informed, but more human.”
— Adi Samant, 2025 Business Fellow
“The FASPE experience significantly improved the way I think about my work as a journalist. Often, the question emerges for conflict reporters as to whether or not the work we do in documenting atrocities makes any difference in the large scheme of things. Being in the presence of evidence of things done over 80 years ago was a tremendous validation for the importance of the work I do. It also offered me a new lens to contemplate ethical decisions. The diversity of the cohort also ensures that you are not only learning from faculty but also other fellows. I recommend this fellowship to any journalist who cares about doing the profession right.”
— Hauwa Shaffii Nuhu, 2025 Journalism Fellow
“FASPE was one of the best experiences I’ve had in my life. Throughout those two weeks, I got to reflect on moments in my past where I could have made a more ethical choice or simply do the right thing. I made lots of friends with people who care about making the world a better place and taking care of one another. I learned to speak up and to advocate for my position in conversations. And most importantly I learned that often times what ethics demands of us is not that we know how to do the right thing but simply that we remember we have the agency to do the right thing at any given moment. I cannot recommend this program more.”
— James Chung, 2025 Law Fellow
“FASPE rekindled my hope that ethical leadership is still possible in our world, which is marked by systematic injustice. As someone passionate about theological ethics, I learned a ton from other fellows in other disciplines. Together, we wrestled with uncomfortable questions, confronting the realities of complacency and silence, and I realized the power and influence I wield as a professional. Our hard conversations made me more self-aware, more committed to using my career to speak for the voiceless, challenge harmful norms, and defend human dignity. In our increasingly polarized world, FASPE, an interdisciplinary fellowship, is so essential for us as we pursue a holistic approach when we work together for the good of humanity. Now, I am always aware that I have a choice, and it is never too late to do what is right, even when change may seem slow or unseen. I was privileged to hear diverse voices seeking to continue to fight for what is good for humanity because we are human beings first, created in the image of God, bound by a shared responsibility to seek the good of all.”
— Frank Matovu, 2025 Clergy Fellow
“The FASPE program was an unexpectedly transformative experience in terms of my moral, spiritual and historical understanding of my professional obligations as a medical trainee. It took classroom-based learning about ethical professionalism to another level by placing us within the physical sites of Nazi history, invoking a visceral sense of moral urgency that fueled passionate discussions with other medical trainees, clergy members and journalists: an interdisciplinary setting that is exceedingly rare to come by outside of the day-to-day medical context.”
— William Choi, 2025 Medical Fellow
“FASPE allowed me to engage with people and ideas I ordinarily do not encounter as a Roman Catholic priest and someone who studied theology in Catholic universities. I was fortunate to dialogue with medical professionals, journalists, and other clergy and religious leaders across different traditions about the history of the Holocaust, ethics, and applying ethical principles in our respective professions. It was sublime to meet so many people wrestling with the big questions in life and pursuing what they perceive to be the good in life or the right course of action in their respective professions. I am excited to continue these great conversations with the FASPE fellows!
— Vincent Castaldi, 2025 Clergy Fellow
“FASPE filled a critical role within my broader graduate studies, helping me start to better recognize the interconnections and moral implications of our increasingly complex world. The program's combination of classroom dialogues and real-world experiences coalesced perfectly to give me space to reflect on my early career working at the intersection of public, private, and nonprofit sectors. The conversations that FASPE facilitated will stick with me for the rest of my life, as will the friendships I gained from the two weeks in Germany and Poland.
— Cameron Davis, 2024 Business Fellow
"The FASPE program provided structure and starting points to have conversations about how we can analyze ourselves and our professions as we seek to act ethically. One of my favorite aspects of the program was how the formal curriculum sparked many informal conversations during meals, bus trips, and walks around the cities. I came away from FASPE with new ethical frameworks and questions, which I will continue to ponder throughout my career. I also gained many wonderful colleagues within and outside of my discipline.”
— Anjola Ondadipe, 2024 Medical Fellow
“I had been seeking spaces designed for discussing difficult personal, professional, and ethical questions, and at FASPE, I found that. Looking back, traveling alongside Law and Business Fellow made the experience far richer and more insightful than I could have anticipated. The conversations I had with fellows, inside and outside of facilitated discussions, were true and perspective-shaping gifts. I hope these connections hold long into the future.”
—Sarah Vernovsky, 2023 Design & Technology Fellow
"I always thought I was making informed decisions in my career as a journalist, but FASPE taught me not to just think about the immediate impact of my reporting, but also the long-term impacts. Am I providing a platform for others to be potentially harmed. Do I have a role in defending democracy? Journalists during and leading up to Nazi Germany faced similar questions. FASPE taught me how I report on potential threats can determine the future of society."
— Deion Broxton, 2024 Journalism Fellow
“The FASPE program was a life-changing, immersive experience. It leveraged this immersion as a starting point to facilitate incredibly challenging conversations about professional ethics, and how we as leaders conduct day-to-day business and make decisions in an increasingly uncertain world. I was able to broaden my horizon of thinking amongst a talented community of interdisciplinary leaders; this will become part of the network of minds I know I will engage throughout my career.”
—Mohammed Omar, 2023 Business Fellow
“FASPE was an incredible and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to think critically and discuss complex issues in the same historical locations where so much wrong took place. Surrounded by brilliant faculty and peers, I have never felt so vulnerable and simultaneously comfortable enough to analyze my own weakness, both personally and professionally. I left the two weeks feeling inspired to change my profession and the world, and fully committed to serving others and creating a more just society.”
—Derek Soled, 2022 Business Fellow
Going into FASPE, the Fellowship aspect of the program was the piece I was most impacted by. It is such a rare experience to spend time building relationships with professionals in different disciplines as well as having honest conversations with fellow religious leaders from other faith backgrounds. In our current epoch of division and entrenchment, interdisciplinary fellowship has never been more vital to developing a holistic life that feeds body, mind, and soul. FASPE gave me the opportunity to meet other professionals willing to take the time to speak from their own expertise while learning from others who see the world through another lens.
—Michael Sturdy, 2024 Clergy Fellow
"FASPE instilled the importance and skills necessary to deeply care and consider the consequences of my professional work. The conversations and experiences we shared have enriched my life and work. Post FASPE, having a community of caring and thoughtful young leaders is proving to be an indispensable aid in my professional development and decision making."
— Alison Palmer, 2024 Design & Technology Fellow
“It's easy to believe you're the good guy. FAPSE forces you to think about what that really means. My two weeks here helped me think about why I wanted to become a journalist and the good -- and harm -- that people in my job do. I recommend this fellowship to anyone thinking about the "why" of what they do.”
— Zak Vescera, 2023 Journalism Fellow
“Participating in FASPE dramatically changed my perspective on my career as a physician. Through discussions with other fellows, I gained a new awareness of my ethical responsibility to steward the trust that the public places in the medical profession to seek the good of our patients. The visits to sites of Nazi medical crimes gave me a new understanding of the immense harm that the medical profession can cause when we fail to uphold our professional responsibility.”
— Kevin Lazenby, 2023 Medical Fellow
"FASPE has profoundly reshaped how I approach the ethical dilemmas inherent in being a problem solver. The program’s interdisciplinary nature brought together an extraordinary group of professionals from around the world, each offering unique perspectives on the ethical challenges we face in our respective fields. Engaging in these rich discussions broadened my understanding and deepened my commitment to ethical decision-making. Moreover, learning about the resilience of spaces that have endured unimaginable atrocities underscored the importance of approaching our work with both integrity and compassion. This experience will undoubtedly guide me throughout my career as I navigate complex ethical landscapes."
— Javier Ricardo Diaz, 2024 Design & Technology Fellow
“What makes FASPE special is the diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and professional interests that its fellows bring to the table to engage in challenging dialogue about ethical leadership for a better society. I am grateful to FASPE for its commitment to fostering this dialogue within and across disciplines - especially in our often-polarized world. The engaging tours, site visits, and seminars fostered countless conversations over meals, on bus rides, and on walks through Berlin and Krakow that I will carry with me throughout my career.”
— Katie Mascari, 2023 Clergy Fellow
