Barbara B Sweeny

What unique skills and/or talents do you bring to your job?
While I never really thought my love of baking would be an asset at work, I'm sure my students would disagree! ORMA is part of student services at HMS and I feel that is what offer to the students - support and encouragement. I can't fix people's lives, or make medical school easy, but I can bake cookies. Sometimes life is tough and a little homemade nurturing can go a long way.

Are there activities outside of your job at Harvard that you feel enrich or inform who you are as an individual at Harvard?
My major non-work activities focus around my Christian church community. I have been active in the church since I was a teenager and it is my primary community. For me, being a Christian means sharing the love and concern for others that Jesus modeled Jesus always hung out with the "wrong crowd" and gave till there was nothing left to give. I try to live a life of caring, acceptance, and generosity. It is my hope that the values of my faith empower me in supporting our students and in the social justice mission of our office.

What is the significance of the object you brought with you to the photo shoot?
The rainbow flag from my office represents three major aspects of my life: The most obvious association is support of LGBTQ persons; the flag hangs in my office to provide a strong visual statement of support. The rainbow is also used as a reflection of ethnic and racial diversity, as in Rev. Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition. Over thirty years of working with Dr. Poussaint has helped me to develop an understanding of racial issues and dynamics in our country and fueled a passion for justice for the underserved. Finally, the rainbow is the ancient Judea-Christian symbol of hope, serving as a symbol for my Christian faith. I always look for the rainbow after a storm; it reminds me of the hope that grounds my life.