Student Profiles

Dr. Seema Imam was raised as a Methodist and grew up in a Midwestern farming community before accepting Islam as a way of life. She was only 17 years old in the early 70s when she tried fasting in Ramadan, managed to locate an early paperback translation of the Quran and soon after decided to live life as a Muslim. Seema has played an active role in the development of the Islamic community in the Chicago area and in the development of Islamic Schools across the country. 

Dr. Seema Imam is Associate Professor of Elementary and Middle Level Teacher Education at National Louis University in the Chicagoland area. She has completed 16 years there serving not only her department, but her college and the institution by being the elected Chair of the University Senate, Co-Chair of the shared governance body at NLU called the University Leadership Council and Co-Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Council. Before coming to NLU Seema served five years as founding principal of one of the early Islamic Schools Kg-12th grade. She began her teaching career by serving 16 years as a classroom teacher in the Chicago Public Schools.
 
Seema is pursuing a second Doctorate at the Graduate Theological Foundation as a way of crafting a course of study that is not readily available in the US. Seema works with Islamic schools and finds that the curricular needs are vast and community outreach is extremely important if we are to teach Islam in schools such that a solid generation of students can grow and develop here. Muslim schools and the Muslim community in general face tremendous challenge in the midst of Islamophobia. Seema realizes that the GTF Doctorate in Islamic Education can serve as a guide and a foundation for her formal study of Islamic education. She has benefited already from the open and welcoming philosophy at GTF. She says, “I felt quite welcome to pursue my ideas and develop my own research and writing to benefit the community to which I belong.” 

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Mr. Bill Hobbs currently serves as Vice President of the Jesuit Secondary Education Association (JSEA), a service and leadership development organization for Jesuit schools in the United States and Canada. A native of southern New Jersey, Mr. Hobbs graduated from St. Joseph’s University (PA) in 1985 with a double major in Philosophy and Theology. He completed a Masters in Adolescent Development (Magna Cum Laude) at Fordham University, focusing on the work of Jesuit schools in the inner city. Mr. Hobbs completed Spanish at the renowned Instituto de Idiomas in Bolivia and has spent a significant amount to time leading students on service immersion trips throughout Latin America. 

Moving from direct counseling, teaching and administration in schools, Mr. Hobbs is now involved in research, programming and leadership development for Jesuit Schools in the United States in Canada.  He is currently Board Chair for the Ignatian Solidarity Network, a national organization for students and faculty, primarily from Jesuit high schools and colleges, interested and involved in social justice work and advocacy.
 
Mr. Hobbs is currently enrolled in the EdD program, focusing on the personal development journey of leaders, particularly in educational settings. He notes, “At this point in my life and career, GTF is the ideal educational environment for me. Flexibility in the type of coursework and study I undertake were essential to me in selecting a doctoral program. While benefitting from the individual format of tutorials and online coursework, I have also greatly enjoyed getting to know colleagues from a variety of fields and in different programs through the Residential Institutes. Doctoral work at GTF allows me to continue full-time in my professional work, which entails a great deal of travel, while advancing myself personally and academically in studies.”    

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Rev. Linda Perkins McRae entered into the gospel ministry under the leadership of Pastors John and Pansy Young and served along with her husband, Reverend Ronald Lee McRae, as Assistant Pastors at Christian Faith Center until they were called to Greater Cleveland Avenue Christian Church. She served in leadership for three years under the tutelage of Bishop Sheldon McCarter and Co-Pastor Joyce McCarter. Reverend McRae has served at Little Salem Christian Church in Reidsville, NC for the past twelve years. Rev. Linda has faithfully served with her husband in ministry as co-pastor providing leadership and guidance to the congregation.

Co-Pastor McRae completed a B.A. degree in Business Administration at Winston-Salem State University. She completed a Masters of Divinity from Wake Forest University Divinity School in 2003 and a Masters in Social Work from NC A&T & UNC-Greensboro in 2007. Co-Pastor McRae is a board certified chaplain and a provisionally licensed clinical social worker. She has served as a clinical chaplain with the Salisbury Veteran’s Administration Medical Center and is currently the clinical supervisor for Region 3 Treatment Accountabilities for Safer Communities (TASC), an affiliate of Partnership for a Drug-free North Carolina. Co-Pastor McRae is pursing a clinical practice providing health, healing and mental health and substance abuse treatment to members of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County community.

“The Doctor of Psychology degree will further prepare me to provide professional, licensed, clinical care to my community diagnosing and treating various mental and substance abuse disorders by providing psychological evaluations and psychotherapy.”

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Mr. Jesse J. Arnold is Founder and Executive Director of Visionary Ministry Network, based in the United States. VMN is a faith-based, non-profit organization that assists single parent and low income families in identifying various educational and small business opportunities. VMN’s efforts include promoting the president's goal of developing a highly competitive and diverse workforce through education in order to stimulate the economy internationally. Jesse has earned a Bachelor of Arts from Paine College in Augusta, Georgia and a Master of Science from Troy University in Troy, Alabama. He is also an accounting firm entrepreneur through Diversitax Financial Consulting. The Diversitax mission is to facilitate economic recovery and sustainability for all American families through assistance in attaining refundable tax credits, understanding confusing provisions in the tax code, and developing saving systems that work for all people.

“I am currently completing the Doctor of Ministry program. I hope to encourage all young people to maximize their potential by implementing the proven strategies of successful goal attainment through higher education and entrepreneurship. The Oxford Theology Summer School (Christ Church, Oxford University) has allowed me the opportunity to develop a multi-national network of ministry professionals that will ensure that the VMN grows to a global organization. By fostering partnerships with students from Australia, Liberia, Nigeria, Poland, England, China, Turkey, Canada and Ireland, my American constituents and I now have the power to exalt the VMN’s humanitarian services in Central and South America.”

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Mr. Adam Thome has worked in the Roman Catholic tradition as a Director of Music and Liturgy for seven years and is currently employed in ministerial work at St. Steven’s Catholic Community in Sun Lakes, Arizona. Receiving an undergraduate degree in Music from Webster University in St. Louis, Mr. Thome immediately began full time music ministry in the Phoenix, Arizona region. Wanting to continue education, but feeling traditional educational models were not conducive with continuing his employment, Mr. Thome made the valuable decision to continue his musical studies by enrolling in the Masters of Sacred Music program at GTF, completing this degree in 2009.

“Being committed to ongoing education and professional development, it was a natural next step to enroll in the Doctor of Sacred Music program, which I am currently in the midst of completing. Working in full time ministry, I find GTF’s mission of professional education and vocational awareness to serve my needs as one who will continue to work in ministry.  Having complete my Masters through their program, I find their flexibility, ministry centered vision, and ecumenical commitment to be an attractive educational model and one I feel is especially suited for those of us who use our liturgical, musical, and spiritual aptitudes for a greater good.”