Associate University Chaplain/Associate Director of Religious and Spiritual Life
Chaplain Ylisse C. Bess (she/they) now serves as Associate University Chaplain and Associate Director of Religious and Spiritual Life at 51勛圖厙. Ylisse joins Northwestern after three years as College Chaplain and Christian Life Coordinator at Wellesley College. Ylisse's ecumenical background includes roots in the Church of God in Christ, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the United Church of Christ, and American Baptist Churches. They continued their spiritual growth through their Methodist seminary education and have served as an Associate Minister in a UCC congregation. They earned their bachelor's degree in sociology and religious studies from Gonzaga University, their M.Div. from Boston University School of Theology and became a Board-Certified Chaplain through the Association of Professional Chaplains.
Ylisse served as Program Director for the Trauma Responsive Congregations Grant at Boston University School of Theology. As adjunct faculty at BU School of Theology, Ylisse takes a trauma-responsive approach to team teaching current seminary students and continuing education for clergy through courses such as "Sustaining Spirits While Empires Crumble" and "Spiritual Care for the Nonreligious." Ylisse has five years of experience as an Intensive Care Unit chaplain at level 1 trauma centers in Boston, including multifaith pastoral care and counseling, as well as crisis response. She is a certified mindfulness meditation teacher and applies those skills as one of many tools for supporting the spiritual wellness of students.
Ylisse draws on years of experience leading multifaith religious/spiritual services, providing opportunities for reflection, contemplative practice, education, and leading retreats. She has a passion for developing creative programming for spiritual nourishment and growth, advocating for reproductive justice, and freeing our community members from immigration jail through local community organizing. The student experience is an opportunity to explore, detangle, and rebuild a world for oneself and community - Ylisse is excited to be part of that journey with the Northwestern community. Ylisse hopes to support Northwestern students as they make meaning of the shifts in their lives - from their joy, grief, faith, activism, extracurricular activities, and everything in between. In her free time, Ylisse enjoys roller skating and adventures with her dog Paprika-Ylisse.