Hailing from a rural area in Northeastern Indiana, I have immersed myself in the bustle of Chicago since I began my Loyola career in the fall of 2014. A Social Work and Political Science double major with a minor in history, my collegiate career has been dedicated to furthering my own understanding of societal change as it relates to leadership, Ignatian pedagogy, and academia. 

As a fist year student, I was an active member within the Leadership for Social Change Learning Community where I began to recognize the correlations between servant leadership and relationships rooted in societal progress. In November, I was chosen as a Loyola delegate for the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice where I had my first taste of the potentiality that exists in change through the legal structure. Coming back from this expereince, I became a member of the Student Government of Loyola Chicago, served as a member on the first year text committee, and was nominated for the 1870 award. 

My sophomore year continued on in the traditional Loyola fashion as I "made commitments" to my school and peer network. Moving forward within my student government experience, I served as an Associate Justice in the judicial branch. I also served as a learning community assistant within the same first year learning community I was a part of my first year. Creating unique programminng and guiding dialogue, I always sought ways to further my knowledge of Loyola and its mission. Upon concluding the end of my spring semester that year, I travelled to Lousiville, Kentucky for an Alternative Break Immersion to engage with the community of refugee resettlement programs there, learning social networks and communal assets that worked to alleviate the challenges facing refugees as they settled in a new country. 

Junior year brought with it many challenges, both academic and personal. Yet, I remained devoted to engaging myself in the community, taking on the role of Chief Justice of the student body. Moreover, I worked as a student Senator within University Senate, furthering my individual understanding of shared governance at the university level. Perhaps one of the most salient moments, however, was my own leadership of an Alternartive Break Immersion to Ashland, Montana to the Cheyenne Indian Reservation. Through this experience in particular, I found a renewed sense of energy and devotion to my plans post-Loyola.

As a senior, I am humbled to be a member of the Class of 2018's Maroon and Gold Society, representing the class in a multitude of spaces, related to alumni relations, governance structues, and issues affecting the university climate. Additionally, I am grateful to serve as the president of Loyola's chapter of Alpha Sigma Nu, the Jesuit Honor Society. Furthermore, as I prepare to lead an Altenrative Break Immersion to Nazareth Farm in West Virginia I am greatly looking forward to finding a space to appreciate and relish my last months at Loyola!