Sociology and Anthropology
Katie Pakos Rimer '92
Major(s):Sociology
Minor(if any):Biology
Where do you live and work? I live in Cambridge, MA and am finishing a doctorate at Harvard Graduate School of Education, in Human Development and Psychology. I also work part-time at Christ Episcopal Church in Andover, Massachusetts. And I'm a mom of a 2 1/2 year old, with another baby on the way.
What is your occupation(s)? I am an Episcopal priest and trained as a hospital chaplain.
What did you do immediately after graduating from Bowdoin? With a Watson Fellowship, I traveled to Bogota, Colombia, to work in an urban barrio doing health education. I ended up doing a lot more, i.e., repairing houses, tutoring kids, community organizing, etc. It was a fabulous, life-shaping experience.
What has been your most worthwhile professional experience? I would say my time in Bogota, followed by two years in Washington, D.C., when I worked for the Health Subcommittee of the Committee on Ways and Means, during the Clintons' struggle to reform healthcare. After living and working among the poor in Bogota it was a shock to be in the shiny halls of the House Office Buildings and the Capitol! I was pretty disillusioned by what I saw in Washington -- I didn't feel a commitment to improving access to healthcare for the poor that I'd expected, and this, while painful, got me searching in other directions as to how I would create my life's work. I always knew I would do something health related, so I considered medical school...but meanwhile I had plugged into a dynamic Episcopal church on Capitol Hill and had the chance to lead youth and adult trips to Honduras. I started getting feedback that maybe I should think about ministry, which felt like a total curveball to me (I had been raised Catholic, and hadn't even attended church through college), but I eventually applied to Harvard Divinity School, knowing that while there I could keep exploring my options. I started at HDS in the Fall of 1995.
What are the one or two events, courses or people that stand out in your mind from your time at Bowdoin? Please explain. I would say Susan Bell, my advisor, and her courses in Medical Sociology, and Carey Philips, and his computer modeling seminars in Developmental Biology. Susan introduced me to the field of Sociology, and having always been interested in medicine, Susan's courses brought a whole new perspective on thinking about health and illness. I discovered that I was more interested in the social/psychological aspects of medicine than in the science of it, though I love both. I wrote my master's thesis at Harvard Divinity School on the social and religious constructions of women's experience with breast cancer, and in my current doctoral work, I am studying a group of physicians who opted for training in "spiritual care" and looking at how this curriculum influences the way they interact with patients. I've been invited to lecture at Harvard Medical School through the Department of Service Learning about my work.
Has studying sociology or anthropology impacted your perspective (personally, professionally or other?) If so, how? YES! I am still a sociologist through and through, only now I've added the dimensions of psychology and spirituality. I find the interplay of culture, psyche, body and soul fascinating, and this interest took root while at Bowdoin. Many of my colleagues in ministry entered the field through a love of Church history or the study of scripture, while what drew me in was primarily my fascination with people and the pathos and victories of people struggling to make meaning through the varied circumstances in their lives. While I'm no church historian and I can't exactly quote scripture offhand, I have to believe that people long for ministers who can connect to their human experiences, and that's what I try to do. I especially like working with people in the healthcare setting, as this ties together all my interests.
Is there a piece of advice you wish someone had offered you while still an undergraduate student in Brunswick? I feel like I stumbled into the opportunity to do the Watson Fellowship and feel so grateful for it. I think international travel after college is so important - not just for learning about the world, but for learning about oneself. I traveled alone through South America for two months that year. Now that I'm a mom and more "tied down" I realize what a precious opportunity that was.
Quote that has most influenced, impacted or shaped your life: I think Eleanor Roosevelt said, "You must do the thing you think you cannot do." I also cherish the quote from the gospel of Luke, "For behold, the Kingdom of God is within you."