“Spirituality can be a beautiful vessel for thinking about differences as well as connection and the things we have in common.”

We recently caught up with Cienna Dumaoal, in her first year as the Loomis Chaffee director of spiritual life. Cienna was raised in Seattle, Wash., and earned a bachelor's degree in theology and communications from Whitworth University in Spokane, Wash., in 2023. She then earned a master’s degree in religion from Yale School of Divinity in May 2025.

Her role: “I always say that I am part of a team, the resources on campus that are here to support the students’ entire well-being, making sure they are taken care of not just physically, mentally, and emotionally, and the part I play is with religion and spirituality. That can look like many things: services, connecting students with resources so they can observe whatever religion or tradition they practice, providing a spiritual perspective for on-campus events such as a centering meditation, but also being a person students can come to for support. ... The way I see it is that spirituality is a way we can connect them to home, but because they live here now — and for a lot of them religion was a huge part of their life before they came here — it is making sure that can remain a part of who they are while they are here.”

What does spirituality mean to you? “For me, it is at the center of everything I do, a guiding force, the place I turn to within myself with pains, joys, needs, and it has looked a lot of different ways in my life. Sometimes a formal religious practice. Sometimes individual prayer. Sometimes just breathing or connecting to nature. I think there is something beautiful about the word spirituality. It includes religion but can be broader than that.”

The role spirituality can play in today’s world: “We are in need of connection ... our world is so digitized. Most of our connection is mediated through the internet. ... Part of what spirituality can provide is genuine connection. ... Something that has become truer for me the more I do this work is that spirituality makes space for difference, so it is not just about flattening everyone into this kumbaya connectivity but generally engaging with people that are different than you. Spirituality can be a beautiful vessel for thinking about differences as well as connection and the things we have in common.’”

Hobbies: Rock climbing indoors (She’s on a bit of a hiatus after injuring a knee.), reading theology (“My academic life is important to me.”), concerts (“My fun fact is I love punk and hard-core music.”), and crocheting.

Favorite snack: Chile lime tortilla chips from Trader Joe’s. “I love anything spicy.” 

On the spelling of her first name: Cienna means “God is gracious” in Hebrew/Greek and is also of Italian origin derived from the city of Siena. 

If you could invite anyone to dinner, past or present, who would it be? Her paternal grandfather, who emigrated from the Philippines and fought in World War II. He had 10 children, Cienna’s father being the youngest. She never met her grandfather. “I’ve always wished I could have known him. I would loved to hear his stories, pick his brain, and learn more about where I come from.”