Arts & Sciences junior Peter Khong was accepted into the Diversity and Explorations Program at the Harvard Divinity School last November.

The program was intended to interest students unrepresented in the graduate study of religion, which combined Khong’s passions, research of philosophy and theology and his own Vietnamese culture.

“Even though I am Vietnamese, I was born and raised in America, but I understand my culture so it was most attractive to me to study how people think culture-wise,” Khong said.

This program provided undergraduate students with information about graduate theological education, encourages networking and helps the students plan their future careers.

Khong said he furthered his research comparing the Vietnamese and Mexican cultural philosophies and how their culture affects their view of the Virgin Mother while discussing these issues with professors and expanding his network.

“It was an opportunity to talk to professors from Harvard and [learn] what my peers were pursuing,” Khong said.

Laura A. Weber, Ph.D. was one of Khong’s theology professors at Creighton and someone he said helped him realize his passion. Weber said Khong was a natural choice for the program.

“He is naturally very curious and that is something you need to have when you begin research,” Weber said. “You have to be passionate about the subject.”

Originally, Khong spent time working on his own research at the University of New Hampshire, which led him to apply to the program. Khong said he realized his passion for this comparative study of culture and theology while taking classes at Creighton.

“I realized that many of my peers were pursuing something different,” Khong said. “They wanted to do ministry while I wanted to research and do what the professors here at Creighton do.”

After the program, Khong said he wants to keep researching and learning and eventually to get his PH.D. in theology, just like some of the professors who have taught him before.

“They have spent their entire lives researching, traveling, debating and writing on their interests,” Khong said. “That is something I would like to do.”