The announcement of new members was heralded far and wide as affiliated institutions, businesses, and nonprofit organizations shared the news. While the professional accolades were wonderful, some of the personal reflections from new members were especially meaningful.
Abdullah Antepli (Duke University) – who has expertise in religious peace-building, cross-religious interfaith work, and faith-based diplomacy – shared on Facebook, “My mother is an illiterate woman as she never had a chance to go to school. My father had up to 4th grade education. I never saw him hold a pen or read a book. Grew up poor in a highly underprivileged zip code . . . and here I am . . . now part of one of the most prestigious academies in the world.”
