Nicole L. Ma, she/her

Class of 2026 Nicole Ma

Nicole Li Ma (she/her/她) is a proud daughter and sibling of Chinese immigrants pursuing an MTS Theology and Ethics/MPP dual degree.

While attending Baylor University, Nicole actively partook in advocacy and stewardship with the administration to promote equitable consideration and resourcing for underserved student populations. She also worked extensively with the addiction and recovery center on campus. Upon graduating with degrees in psychology, economics, and a minor in Spanish, she served at a grassroots organization in Texas called Woori Juntos- advancing the full agency and vibrancy of all Asian, immigrant/migrant, and marginalized communities through local, state, and national organizing and policy efforts. During her first year at Duke Divinity School, Nicole partook in opportunities with non-profits in Colombia (Witness for Peace Solidarity Collective) and Perú (Paz y Esperanza), learning from and working with grassroots communities resisting violence, poverty, and oppression to engage more with human rights through the intersection of theology and public policy.

Nicole firmly believes that the most vulnerable should be at the forefront of policy creation and society’s minds. Her dual degree allows her to engage with political theology by exploring how moral and ethical questions within theological, ecological, political, social, and economic contexts influence policies that must shift to achieve collective thriving for all.

Outside of class, you may find this proud Texan entertaining her competitive spirit by training for triathlons, breathing in fresh air from new hiking trails, indulging in new recipes to cook, dancing and belly-laughing with loved ones, and engaging her inner creative, which includes adding to an archive of unfinished poetry and buying books at a quicker pace than she is reading. Otherwise, she is likely wishing for a nap.

Areas of Policy Interest: