WIROC Spotlight: Interview with Anna Borasky, President of George Washington University’s Interfaith Council
By Janna Hilliard
IFC Intern
Recently the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington (IFC) had the chance to talk with Anna Borasky, President of the Interfaith Council at George Washington University (GW), about the future of interfaith work among college students. Anna, a sophomore at GW studying International Affairs and Global Public Health, offered a fascinating perspective on how to engage students in the DMV area with interfaith work.
Growing up, Anna felt extremely frustrated by the lack of inclusion, diversity, and understanding of other faith traditions within her own Presbyterian church. As a college student, she became fascinated by interfaith work and quickly climbed her way to President of the Interfaith Council at GW through her passion and devotion to fostering communications and creating change at GW. “When I came to George Washington University, I wanted to make sure that I was a part of making the school a space for interfaith conversations in order to promote an overall acceptance of differences rather than a neglect of differences,” said Anna.
Recent studies have demonstrated that interest in interfaith work is in steady decline among younger generations. A study co-authored by Dr. Matthew Mayhew, a professor of educational administration at The Ohio State University, found that while “70% of fourth-year students reported a high commitment to bridging religious divides,” less than half of students admitted they dedicated time to learning about other religions in college, and only 14% actively participated in interfaith conversations on campus.1
When asked how to better engage students in faith spaces, Anna paints a similar picture. “Students of faith are very bold and clear in their faith, which is fantastic. Yet, I have found that since it is already a feat to be so clear and bold within your own faith, it becomes difficult when you ask them to do even more and take a step further and participate in interfaith conversations. That can be really challenging. In order to combat that, the Interfaith Council at GW has decided to bring their work directly to different faith communities to facilitate these conversations.” In a kind of, “you teach us about you, we teach you about us” all inclusive learning environment, Anna hopes that more students in faith can become more easily involved in interfaith work.
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