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This is a place, a launching pad for a life well lived. A life of service, a life of leadership,
and a life of great civic responsibility. The type of student that does well at Loyola
is someone who is very inquisitive and curious and wants to do well in every area and pursuit
in their lives. I wanted to go to a school that said, you know be educated in the arts,
philosophy, theology, everything so you get that entire well rounded education. The Jesuit
tradition at Loyola is preparing me for life. The Jesuit ideals upon which Loyola University
Maryland was founded include an emphasis on academic excellence, the importance of the
liberal arts, and Cura Personalis or careful attention to the whole person, mind, body,
and spirit. At Loyola this means that curriculum is rigorous and faculty expectations are high.
Much more than intellectual philosophy, the Jesuit approach to education enables students
to see the world as it truly is. It influences the way they engage with people and the responsibilities
they assume as capable, creative, and above all ethical leaders. Guided by Jesuit heritage
from athletics to academics, the faculty, staff, and students who make up the Loyola
family believe that we have built an academically excellent school and a uniquely enriching
community in which all members stand for strong truths well lived.
The Jesuit education is really hallmarked by academic rigor and pursuit of academic
excellence. The intent is to do all of that in an environment that is distinctive, and
in an environment that is supportive, that really cares about the success of each student.
I think it's a calling that students get when they come here. When they become a part of
the fabric of this university. It was important for me to come somewhere where I was not only
engaging my mind in activities but my body and my spirit as well.
We consider education at Loyola to be a 360 degree education. That means you know a lot
about a lot of things. We put you in situations where you can stretch your mind, you can stretch
your spirit, and your body. So the education that we provide is an enduring one, it's a
lifelong one. As a Loyola senior I feel so much more confident than I ever expected I
would coming up to graduation. I'm taking with me not only an amazing education but
values and morals and a philosophy on life.
I
really believe that the best things in life are things that we have to work at. We grow
by challenging ourselves. The mind is like a muscle in that way, it needs to be challenged,
it needs to be stretched. I am a person who just really likes to learn and I would just
feel that if it wasn't challenging, I'd be wasting my time. And I think Loyola does a
great job of making it challenging and interesting so that you're motivated to learn more. I
found that the classes are challenging but the professors are really helpful. And they
are there every step of the way. And I never felt overwhelmed by the challenge.
All of our undergraduate students pass through Loyola College of arts and sciences by virtue
of the core curriculum which we consider the heart and soul of the Jesuit education. And
we believe that through this exposure to all of the major areas of the arts and sciences
that they will come away with the real grounding that will prepare them for entering their
majors with a flexibility and the skills that they need to succeed in whatever choice they
make about their vocations.
One of the great advantages of being at a Jesuit liberal arts university is of course
the small size of the class and the availability of the faculty. Faculty at Loyola are eager
to serve as mentors, as guides, as advisors. And I really think that the small class size
is important because you really get to know your professor on a first name basis which
I think is very important. They want you to succeed in the classroom and outside of the
classroom. Our goal is to educate students that can adapt to changing environments. There's
only so far that we can go in a classroom setting but we want to be able to do is take
classroom learning and apply it. Internships provide our students with a chance to experience
an organization. To see what they're learning in the classroom and how it works. I interned
with a business solutions company in Seattle that was set up through Loyola. So that internship
has now given me the opportunity to have a number of references that I can use for future
employment opportunities and in my employment search after I graduate and to potentially
go back to that company for my career.
We always encourage our students to challenge themselves and discover new environments and
new people. We encourage them to study abroad so they can be in a situation that is challenging
and still within their comfort zone and we want them to learn as much as possible to
take measured risks. Studying abroad was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It
was the experience of a lifetime. I went to Bangkok Thailand for my fall semester and
Accra Ghana in West Africa for my spring semester. One of the most important factors in deciding
to study abroad for me was a place where I could not only experience other cultures and
understand other ways of life better but also places where there would be opportunities
for me to serve others.
Loyola faculty are committed to the students. Our mission is to train undergraduate students
and we do everything that we possibly can to make opportunities available to the students.
Being a student at Loyola has prepared me so well for life after college, to go and
be part of the work force. Being able to do multiple internships, serving in the community,
building great relationships with professors and talking with them about their experiences
working in their fields has allowed me to get a vision of what I'll be doing after my
time here at Loyola. And how to carry on the ideals, and morals that I've built here, into
my career.
Having a physical outlet in life is something that is really important. You know, the mind,
body, spirit and what we're all about. And that the fundamental values that Loyola is
all about and the way the physical fits in is a very integral but special part of that.
I really feel that college students do a tremendous amount of growth from 18-22. Physically and
mentally. I think that Loyola does a great job of transforming young adults into adults.
And a lot of that has to do with physical, the body. To live a lifestyle that's a healthy
one is really important whether or not its intercollegiate athletics, intramural athletics,
getting up to the FAC to take care of yourself. The fitness and aquatic center is a gorgeous
place. It's a fun place to work out with your friends, take classes, climb the rock wall,
go swimming. When I first came to Loyola, the fitness and aquatic center served for
me as a place where I kind of got away from being homesick. It was a nice way to de-stress
and just be outside of my room and classroom.
One of the benefits of athletics is it's a lot like a leadership laboratory. It's an
opportunity for student athletes to learn how to handle success and also handle adversity.
Our student athletes are among the best in the country. Being part of a division one
athletic program really sets a standard and I think our programs here are nationally prominent.
It's one thing talking about being committed to a nationally competitive division one athletic
program, it's another thing when you go out and build a facility like the Ridley athletic
complex. It's awesome, it's such a privilege to be here as a student athlete. It makes
me proud to invite people to come to my games and to show off the new stadium. Just the
whole athletics department is wonderful. The coaching staffs here are amazing and just
all the support we get as student athletes is something that I will remember always.
I think spirit's such an important component for Loyola students because its really about
the heart and soul. We find kids come through campus ministry because they are in need of
some kind of pastoral care. And that's just a sense of how do I fit in, who am I, where
am I going, what's my purpose and how do I get there? And we try though our faith development
programs and projects to help them discover who they are and who God calls them to be.
Spirituality is encouraged as a Jesuit tradition here but by no means is forced on anyone.
It's absolutely a student's choice. Marian Wright Edelman once said that service is the
rent we pay to live on this planet. And it's not an option, it's not an extracurricular
its really part of who we are here. It's a big part of Loyola culture and what service
learning helps our students do in their education is to learn not only with a mind but also
with the heart and with the spirit.
Making friends has never been a challenge for me. But coming from Indiana, I was a little
nervous. And then I started meeting people on my floor and they are probably my closest
friends today. Living with roommates has been a really great experience for me. We find
that our room is home and we always say to each other, what time are you going to be
home? Or, I can't wait to get home or something like that. It doesn't really feel like my
residence hall I would say oh I'm going home now. It becomes that type of place.
I think it's important for students to get involved in clubs and organizations to really
make the college experience. You're here to go to class but not only just that. You're
here to make friends, you're here to involve yourself and you're here to really find what
you love to do. There are so many clubs and organizations they offer on campus that I
probably couldn't even name them all or half of them for that matter. Obviously you can't
be a part of everything but you can definitely be a part of something. I do love to visit
Baltimore a lot. Anything you want, Baltimore's got. The restaurants are great, there's nice
shopping, and it's just a good break from campus. I love the fact that we have such
a vibrant area to go to off campus and being in the Baltimore community, I've really enjoyed
it. Once you come to Loyola, Baltimore is your community.
It's hard to begin to even count all the advantages that a student receives by coming to Loyola
and getting an opportunity to really, truly, develop all the potential that lies within.
And I think our students are grateful that we can give them that possibility and that
opportunity. The unique Loyola experience enables students to develop lifelong habits
of curiosity, integrity, persistence, and a passion for the pursuit of knowledge that
will carry them forward. A degree from Loyola University Maryland means students will be
uniquely poised for responsible leadership, equipped with practical world ready skills,
prepared to make a difference, prepared to embrace strong truths well lived.