Welcome Alumni of the Religion Department at the University of Georgia have made measurable impacts on the quality of life in the state, region, and nation. Undergraduate and graduate alumni have pursued careers and further educational opportunities in an impressive range of fields. We are very proud of our alumni and encourage them to continue to contribute to the promotion of education in Religion at the University of Georgia. We also encourage our alumni to keep in contact through social media (Instagram @uga_religion and LinkedIn) and let the Department know what you have been doing since graduation. You can contact us at religion@uga.edu. Attend Events We welcome our alumni to all public events sponsored by the Religion department. We post all events here if you would like to join us! Financial Contributions Contributions to the Department's Foundation accounts aid in the Department's mission to bring all aspects of religious studies to the students here at UGA. You can Make A Gift to any one of the four different funds to help with bringing speakers, scholarships for students, and other events the Department sponsors. Alumni Spotlights Jess Sanchez, B.A. Religion Alumna Jess Sanchez is the Acting Deputy Assistant General Counsel for International Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. She advises on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), the Outbound Investment Security Program, international financial institutions, and national security related trade issues. Jess has a B.A. from the University of Georgia, a J.D. from Florida State University, and an LL.M. from George Washington University Law School, where she now serves as adjunct faculty. She lives in DC with her husband and two kids. During her time at UGA, Jess decided to major in Religion to explore all beliefs and to reflect on her own faith. As a student, she especially enjoyed discussions in her Religion classes in which all perspectives were considered. She gained important interpersonal skills through such classes. Today, these skills allow her to interact with people internationally, to close the gap between differences, and to build space for communication. Lauren Izzo, B.A. Religion Alumna Lauren Izzo is a proud triple graduate of the University of Georgia, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism (Advertising), a Bachelor of Arts in Religion in 2005, and a Master of Arts in Telecommunications (EMST) in 2007. Currently serving as the VP, Sales at Comscore, Lauren collaborates with major players like Paramount, NBCU and WBD. In her recent visit to UGA, Lauren spoke to Religion students about the importance of soft skills in the workplace. She shared how her own time in the department developed and sharpened her ability to relate to others, no matter their background. She credits her studies in the Religion Department with the deftness that aids her in marketing and sales to this day. Christian Sullivan, B.A. Religion Alumnus Originally from St. Simons Island, Georgia, Christian Sullivan is a proud Triple Dawg graduate of the University of Georgia. Over his seven years in Athens, he double-majored in History and Religion and received both a Master’s in Political Science and a law degree. Since law school, Christian clerked for both the North Carolina Business Court and the Georgia State-wide Business Court. He currently works for Georgia’s Solicitor General, writing briefs before the nation’s and the state’s top appellate courts. In his segment of the 2026 Religion Alumni Networking Lunch, Christian said that his Religion degree taught him "to be a person," which he treasures to this day. The degree also gave him professional abilities: he compared the scholarly reading of historical religious texts for UGA classes to the deciphering of state laws and constitutions for his caseload. Christian thanked the Religion Department for preparing him with critical reading and analysis skills that he uses daily in his work. Kate Daley-Bailey, M.A. Religion Alumna After finishing her Masters in Religion at the University of Georgia, Kate spent approximately 10 years teaching Religion at various Georgia state universities and colleges until she landed in an academic advising position at the University of Georgia. Over the last 12 years, she has worked as an academic advisor advising for a range of majors (Communication Studies, Intended Business, and Psychology) but her advising load currently is made up of Romance Language majors (SPAN, PORT, ITAL, and FREN) and some Music majors. As an Academic Advisor III at the University of Georgia, Kate does more than advise students. She assists with career courses, curriculum development, study abroad advising, advisor training and professional development, and more. Kate describes her initial involvement with the Department of Religion as "an accident," but quickly found her love of working within the department and even teaching Religion the years after her graduation. In a recent speech to current Religion students, Kate listed important qualities and skills she learned in the Religion Department, including: How to organize and summarize large amounts of information How to articulate thoughts How to be curious rather than judgmental about different people and cultures How to entertain a thought or belief without having to accept it How to help others explore meaning creation in their own lives How to suspend immediate reactions and sit with ambiguity and complexity How to see difference and similarity at the same time How to give the greatest gift you can to another, the gift of undivided attention Kate continues to help students and collaborate with the UGA Department of Religion to this day!
