Founded in 2021, the HSP Alumni Network (HAN) creates regular programming and unique networking opportunities for HSP Alumni. HAN also serves as a key conversation partner for the HSP as we live out our vision and mission.
HSP Alumni Network
HAN Highlights
- Ability to join HAN Council and shape programming
- Access to regional gatherings
- Invitation to Speaker Series
- Dedicated HAN gatherings at HSP events
- Unique networking opportunities
- Visibility on website and relevant materials
HAN Description
Founded in 2021, the HSP Alumni Network (HAN) is led by a council comprised of HSP alumni and creates regular programming and unique networking opportunities for HSP Alumni. HAN also serves as a key conversation partner for the HSP as we live out our vision and mission. HAN’s work extends across four bold areas outlined below.
Awarded annually, The Rev. Dr. Daisy L. Machado, Ph.D HSP Alumni Award for Latine Theological Leadership honors an alumnus of the Hispanic Scholars Program whose work reflects Machado’s legacy through service to Latine communities, innovative leadership, academic excellence, and a commitment to social justice.
The Latine Global Solidarity Series (LGSS) is an annual three-part webinar series that brings together scholars and activists from around the world to explore the intersections of faith, social justice, and Latine communities. Each year’s themes are chosen by alumni, who read the signs of the times and discern what their community most needs to hear. Past series have covered topics like Latine faith and student movements, immigration, and eco-justice.
Past Webinar Recordings
The HAN microgrant supports the vocational goals of HSP Alumni. Since its launch in 2022, rising financial pressures have made these grants more vital than ever. The HAN council helps emerging scholars and practitioners build skills at the crossroads of faith communities, academia, and public life. Preference is given to requests that strengthen alumni’s vocational paths—especially those related to Latine contexts. Examples include workshop training, book purchases, spiritual direction, and conference attendance.
Beginning in 2025, the HSP Sub-committee on Fundraising and Development brings together three to four members of the HSP Alumni Network each year for hands-on training in fundraising, supporting the broader development efforts of HSP.
Participants will attend El Semillero: Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising and, as a collective, pursue the program’s professional certificate—awarded by the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving at Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy—through a project tied to donor fundraising at HSP.
Connect With HAN
Are you an HSP Alumni? Fill out the form to get connected and learn about our ongoing opportunities!
HAN Council Members
Taína Diaz-Reyes, MDiv, MA
A PhD candidate in Sustainability at Arizona State University, Taína Diaz-Reyes (Huichol/Maya/Taíno) studies Indigenous food sovereign futures in the US-Mexico borderlands. A long-term voice in the advocacy work of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), she now serves as the Young Adult Network Facilitator for the Ministries of Diverse Cultures and Communities of the ELCA. She is a founding member of the HSP Alumni Network and has served on its executive committee since its founding.
Anthony Cruz Pantojas, MATS, MALS, BCC
Anthony Cruz Pantojas, a Ph.D. candidate in Cultural Studies (Universidad Ana G. Méndez, Puerto Rico), is a scholar-practitioner and Board-Certified Chaplain serving as Associate University Chaplain and Director for Humanist and Africana Spiritual Life at Tufts University. They also co-lead an interfaith leadership program for undergraduates. An ordained Animal Chaplain and certified Spiritual Director, Cruz Pantojas cultivates a creolizing approach to existential care grounded in Afro-Caribbean theory and praxis. Their work integrates contemplative practice with ecological and interspecies ethics, inspiring individuals to question and reimagine their relationship to self, communities, and the living world.
Karina Aragon-Buchanan
Dr. Omar Palafox, DIS
Dr. Omar Palafox is a professor at Abilene Christian University, where he teaches Bible, missions, and ministry. He earned a Doctor of Intercultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary. His teaching and scholarship explore Latin American theology, missiology, spiritual formation, and Hispanic theological education. He wrote Art of Sainthood on Christian spirituality. He is married, has two amazing kids, and loves literature. His work bridges scholarship, churches, and classrooms.
María Carolina Alderete
María Carolina Alderete is pursuing her PhD at Drew Theological School in the Religion and Society program. Her scholarly interests are in women’s health, focusing on endocrine disruption as a form of slow violence and necropolitics to challenge dualistic theological frameworks from a decolonial and ecofeminist perspective.
She has seven years of experience in social justice in Argentina and aims to develop creative and interdisciplinary responses to the ecological crises.
B Laboy
B is a child of a first-generation Mexican immigrant mother and a second-generation diaspora Puerto Rican father. They are a spouse, sibling, tíe, and pet parent. B is a 2026 graduate of Yale Divinity School, where they completed a Master of Arts in Religion with a concentration in World Christianity. Their research interests explore double affiliation between Christianity and African Diaspora Religions (ADRs), and how this informs and shapes death-care work.
Claudia G. Amaya
I am a first-generation Mexican American who resides in North Carolina and am pursuing a Master of Divinity at Wake Forest University School of Divinity. My current project, *Faith, Resilience, and Cultural Transmission: Immigrant Latina Women and Lived Religion in the United States*, argues that mestizaje is not an inherited condition but an active practice. My research examines how Latina immigrant women in North Carolina make meaning through everyday devotional practices amid migration.
Courtney L. Dale
Courtney is currently a Masters of Theological Studies (MTS) student at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (PTS). She originally studied chemistry at Erskine College in South Carolina. Courtney has a research interest in ethical and biblical ways of approaching ecology. She originally attended the summer session of the Hispanic Scholars Program (HSP) in 2026, which helped her to develop an even deeper interest in ensuring that ecology includes diverse voices.
Andie Cormier-Baulch, MAHS, LCDC-i
Andie Cormier-Baulch is currently a candidate for ordination with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Southwest Region and serves in an elder formation role at First Christian Church of Houston. Andie is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Brite Divinity School and holds a Master of Arts in Human Services with a specialization in Crisis Response from Wayland Baptist University. Andie and her spouse Chris are foster parents. As their family grows and changes in partnership with the children they have the privilege to love, they are shown every day why a commitment to participate in ministry that is trauma-informed, inclusive, and seeks to foster belonging is vital to serving others with loving care.
Rev. Dr. Daniel Andrés Rivera Rosado, Ph.D.
An ordained minister of La Iglesia Cristiana (Discípulos de Cristo) en Puerto Rico, where he currently serves as the director of the JFU Bible Institute. He also is the Executive Director of Missio Paideia, an educational consulting project. Obtained degrees in Sociology (UPRRP), Master of Divinity (SEPR) and PhD in Education (UAGC).
Anabella Martinez
Anabella Martinez is currently pursuing her PhD in religious studies, with a focus on religion and culture at SMU. Anabella’s research interests lie at the intersection of religion, culture, and aesthetics as they relate to liberation, particularly within Chicanx and other minoritized contexts. After completing her PhD, Anabella aims to become a university professor, conducting meaningful research while mentoring and advocating for Chicanas in higher education.
Verónica Rodríguez
Verónica Rodríguez is a worship leader, educator, and ministry trainer with extensive experience in churches, seminaries, and women’s ministries. She holds training in Music Ministry, Latino Leadership, and Advanced Theological Studies. She is currently pursuing a Master of Theological Studies in Latino/a Ministries at Palmer Theological Seminary (Eastern University). She directs the Hudbe School of Music and Ministry Training and the Mujeres Frente a Su Gloria (Women Before His Glory) ministry, where she trains and mentors Christian leaders.
Tatiana Vasquez Lopez
I’m a dual-degree graduate student at Boston College, pursuing a Master of Theology and Ministry and a Master of Social Work. I am passionate about working with the Hispanic/Latino and migrant communities. My goal is to work in a nonprofit that combines pastoral care, social services, and advocacy. I am currently a Resident Minister at Assumption University, where I plan cultural and wellness events in hope to represent student’s diverse backgrounds and faith traditions.
