WellStar Graduate Fellowship

The WellStar Graduate Fellowship is a two-year program that combines advanced study in Religious Studies with hands-on experience in healthcare, spiritual care, and nonprofit leadership. Founded through a collaboration between the Department of Religious Studies and Jason Lesandrini—a graduate of our program and WellStar’s Assistant Vice President of Ethics, Advance Care Planning, and Spiritual Health—the fellowship is designed for students pursuing careers in chaplaincy, spiritual care, or related roles within healthcare and human services, equipping them to make meaningful contributions to nonprofit and healthcare organizations in both national and global contexts.

Ready to take the next step?

Applications for the WellStar Graduate Fellowship are due
February 15.
To apply, you must be admitted to or currently enrolled in the GSU M.A. program in Religious Studies. As part of the application process, students have the option to express interest in the Wellstar Fellowship, which is embedded within the M.A. program. This allows candidates to seamlessly integrate their aspirations for spiritual care and chaplaincy within the broader framework of their graduate studies.

Eli Shuford

M.A. '24

“My time as a Graduate Research Fellow at Wellstar & GSU in Atlanta complemented my academic and professional pursuits by allowing me to engage in meaningful research on the lived experiences and oral histories of working chaplains impacting the well-being of our broader community.”

Sheridawn "Sherry" Peden

M.A. '22

“If you are even mildly interested in healthcare or health science, this fellowship is a great opportunity to see how religion can be applied to the field. Sometimes people worry about future career goals, particularly in times like today. Fellowships are a great way to ease some of this worry by showing students a plausible career option.”

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Avery Glover

M.A. '19

"The WellStar MA fellowship bridges my interests across medicine and the humanities while allowing me to explore career opportunities in the nonprofit sector. Alongside experts in clinical ethics at the WellStar Health System, I dive into the moral qualities of medical practice and work to improve the quality of our health services."

Fallon Hartman

M.A. '20

“Working with Jason and the team has been an incredible experience. They’re supportive, encouraging, and always have my back. This fellowship has pushed me beyond my comfort zone in the best ways, and their guidance has made all the difference. I truly can’t recommend it highly enough.”