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MEET OUR STUDENTS
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Senior Spotlights
Will Barbee
Will Barbee is a senior in Silliman College majoring in History. He has been involved in the campus political scene during his time at Yale, serving as the student president of the Buckley Institute, a member of the Yale Political Union, and a Senator on the Yale College Council. He also has a deep affinity for the arts and frequently attends the Yale Philharmonia and campus art museums.
Despite his various commitments, ECY has remained Will's most important involvement during his time at Yale. He was Co-Chair of the Congregational Council for two years and has regularly attended service since his arrival to campus in the Fall of 2022. ECY has indelibly deepened his relationship with God, with Reverend Ali inspiring him through her tireless devotion to the community and spiritual advisement. He will miss her presence in his life following graduation in the spring.
Will is so grateful to have found ECY as early on as he did. While unsure about his future plans, he hopes to pursue a career of service, either as a journalist, lawyer, or other public-minded occupation. He looks forward to finding a new spiritual home, while never forgetting the one so important to him in New Haven.
Jonas Howard
Jonas Howard is a senior in Morse College majoring in Classics with an Advanced Language Certificate in Chinese. Outside of the classroom, he is involved with Yale Theater, Jewish Christian Bible Study, and Yale Certamen (Classics-themed Quiz Bowl). In his free time, he also enjoys biking around New Haven, practicing piano, or cozying up with a classic sci-fi book.
He has been a regular attendee of ECY since his first year on campus and has served on the Congregational Council (primarily as Community Learning chair) since his second year. He is super proud to have watched ECY prosper during his time at Yale and to have served and grown with it over the past four years. He is also excited to be delivering his final sermon there on April 19th.
Most of all, Jonas is extremely grateful to all of his friends and mentors in ECY, especially his cohort of fellow ECY seniors as well as Kyle and Rev. Ali. He will deeply miss his ECY home and community as he embarks upon his next adventure!
Ellie Chun
Ellie Chun is a senior majoring in the History of Science and Medicine on the pre-med track. She is also a proud member of the Benjamin Franklin community. When she's not in class, she enjoys dancing with the Yale Modern Dance Company, researching alcohol use disorder and chronic pain with the PAINT Lab, and watching movies with her roommates.
Ellie has been attending ECY since her first year, and since, it has remained a grounding force in her life. Specifically, she has loved being a part of the community bonding team, and she is very grateful for the opportunity to build fellowship with such a beautiful community. Ellie is especially sad to be leaving ECY in the Spring, and watching it grow over the past few years has been a great joy.
Next year, Ellie will be applying to medical schools and working as a medical assistant in the Boston/Providence area. She is very excited for whatever post-graduate life has in store for her, and she hopes to carry the lessons learned at ECY with her through every step.
Bella Garcia
Bella Garcia is a senior majoring in Environmental Studies with a Certificate in Energy Studies in Benjamin Franklin College. Outside of classes, she is an intern for the Carbon Containment Lab, a Student Writer for the Yale Clean Energy Forum, a Peer Mentor for the Environmental Studies Program, an Executive Chair for the Yale Student Environmental Coalition, and a dancer in Ballet Folklórico Mexicano de Yale.
Bella has been coming to ECY since her first year, and this is her second year serving as an ECY Co-Chair. She has loved being part of this community and watching it grow and flourish, and she finds great joy in leading the community bonding team to plan events for the congregation.
Bella is grateful for the friendships and support she’s found at ECY, and she hopes to carry that sense of community with her into her future endeavors. Bella is also happy to be coming back to ECY in the next few years when she is completing her Masters at the Yale School of the Environment!
Yash Chauhan
Yash Chauhan is senior in Benjamin Franklin College, completing both a bachelor's and master's degree in Political Science. Outside the classroom, he chairs the New Haven Homeless Advisory Commission, leads the Virginia Democratic Party's efforts on veteran homelessness, and preaches occasionally at Chapel on the Green — a church for New Haven's homeless community.
Over the course of the past few years, he has been fortunate enough to work for Secretary Gina Raimondo, Senator Tim Kaine, and the Mayor of Richmond.
He has been attending ECY since early his first semester, and was confirmed at the end of his first year. ECY has meant very much to him, and he merely hopes that he will find such a warm community in his next home — wherever that may be.
Kate Hall
Kate Hall is a senior majoring in Applied Physics with a concentration in biophysics. She is a member of Ezra Stiles College. She spent 2025 as the manager of the Yale Precision Marching Band, and has been a member since sophomore year, playing mellophone. Previously, she was a member of the Yale Concert Band, where she played French horn. She works in the Laboratory of Living Matter and is an involved ASL student. She runs the Stiles Knitting Circle and can often be found reading in the Silliman Acorn.
Kate has been a member of ECY’s congregation since first year, when she was confirmed at ECY, and is a member of the Congregational Council. ECY has been a home away from home for her time at Yale and she loves the community deeply. Her favorite time of year is Holy Week, and she loves going to the Christ Church vigil with other ECY members.
Kate will be starting her PhD in Physics at Texas Tech in the fall, and is hoping to bring the spirit of ECY with her. Hopefully, she’ll be able to visit ECY at some point in the future, and will miss the community immensely until then!
Jimmy Ruskell
Jimmy Ruskell is a humanities major in Benjamin Franklin College. He works for NPR WSHU, hosts his own radio show for WYBC, and plays guitar and sings in the band Gesundheit. In his free time he writes, plays chess, and is an amateur hand model.
Jimmy first came to ECY in the winter of his first year, and has since served as sacristan and preached several times.
Jimmy is so thankful for the support he has found from Rev Ali, Kyle, and all his friends in the congregation.
Nelson A. Pike
Nelson A. Pike, ECY's seminarian intern, is a graduating student of Berkeley and Yale Divinity Schools. He served as ECY's unofficial intern his first year of seminary and has been delighted to come back in an official capacity his final year! A native of Rockport, Mass., he is a Candidate for Ordination to the Priesthood in the Diocese of Massachusetts.
Following his graduation from St. Olaf College magna cum laude with Distinction, he served as a Young Adult Service Corps missionary of the Episcopal Church, placed in Liverpool Cathedral (UK) as a member of the Tsedaqah Community in the Diocese of Liverpool. A lifelong Episcopalian, he is currently discerning a possible call to continued international ministry. He is a member of the American Guild of Organists, the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, the Fellowship of Reconciliation, holds the rank of Nidan (second-degree black belt) in Uchei Ryu Karate, and is an increasingly un-closeted Austenite.
Student Stories
Meet Cal Swanson
Dwight College '24
Meet William Barbee
Silliman College '26
Meet Makayla Conley
Franklin College '23
Meet Jacob McNeill
Morse College '23.5
Meet Melia Young
Berkeley College '23
Meet Michael Sanchez
Berkeley College '23
