2024 Graduates

Degree: BS in environmental science—conservation and restoration ecology

Hometown: Londonderry, New Hampshire

Favorite Loyola memories: I’ve had so many amazing moments at Loyola, from working as an Urban Agriculture intern to celebrating National Banana Bread Day with nine loaves of bread. Most of my favorite memories come from Loyola’s Retreat and Ecology Campus. Attending two summer sessions and spending most weekends there on restoration workdays have shaped my connections to my education, my peers, and my environment. I’m so grateful for the time I’ve spent there and the people I’ve gotten to know.

What I’ll miss most about Loyola and SES: I’m going to miss the community I’ve found in SES. Our school is filled with so many amazing people and I’m lucky enough to call many of them my friends. It’s sad to see people leaving, but I’m endlessly excited to know what they will accomplish.

Plans after graduation: I will be at Loyola for another year, completing a master of science in environmental science and sustainability, focused on GIS. I plan to stay in Chicago for a few years afterward and work in animal husbandry or restoration.

How SES prepared me for my future career: My time at SES has introduced me to the depth and interdisciplinarity of environmental science and sustainability. SES faculty have played a huge role in getting me excited about things I never thought I would enjoy, like statistics and coding, eco-spirituality, and soil health. I still don’t know exactly what my career will be, but I’m more comfortable knowing there are so many facets of this field that I love.

Advice to the incoming class: Say yes to opportunities whenever you can. You never know which class will change the way you see the world or introduce you to a new career path. You never know who you’ll meet and how they’ll become a part of your life. I tend to have a hard time leaving my comfort zone, but it’s always been worth it to develop the person I am today.

Degree: BA in environmental studies

Hometown: Aurora, Illinois

Favorite Loyola memories: My time at Loyola has been filled with countless meaningful experiences and connections, from mentoring first-generation students of color at the Center for Diversity and Inclusion to facilitating a classroom and peer advising first-year students and leading sustainability initiatives with the Office of Sustainability. Each moment has left its mark. However, my most cherished memories stem from my involvement in the Community Air Research Experience (CARE). Under the mentorship of Tania Schusler and Ping Jing, I learned that I could fill the role of a researcher by analyzing air pollution and setting up air sensors. Through CARE, I built strong connections with project leaders, fellow cohort members, and our community partners, Southeast Environmental Taskforce and Edgewater Environmental Coalition. This experience reaffirmed my place within the environmental movement, instilling a profound sense of belonging.

What I’ll miss most about Loyola and SES: I will miss the remarkable individuals I encountered during my college journey, especially within the SES community. It’s a place brimming with inspiring people engaged in incredible endeavors. The supportive atmosphere fosters a sense of unity, where everyone is rooting for each other. I’ll forever treasure the memories of spending time at LUREC with the Restoration Club, engaging in meaningful conversations at Eco-Warriors, and planning exciting events with my Student Environmental Alliance e-board. I am grateful for these experiences and the wonderful people who make these spaces so enriching to be a part of.

Plans after graduation: I’m currently enrolled in the accelerated master’s program at Loyola and am on track to earn my master’s in public policy by 2025. With this degree, I aspire to become a policy advocate who fosters collaborative and efficient solutions for addressing environmental injustice.

How SES prepared me for my future career: Through the outstanding expertise of professors, SES prepared me with an interdisciplinary framework that blends social justice, STEM, and sustainability. This framework ignited my enthusiasm to implement my knowledge into tangible, sustainable initiatives. Furthermore, access to professional development opportunities empowered me to evolve into a leader and build meaningful connections. With my support system, I look forward to pursuing a fulfilling career that intertwines principles of justice and sustainability. I aspire to contribute to a cause bigger than myself, catalyzing essential change.

Advice to the incoming class: To the incoming class, I extend my warmest wishes as you embark on this exciting journey into the next phase of your lives. Entering freshman year opens the door to shaping the path you desire for the next four years, so seize each opportunity. Don’t allow fear or uncertainty to control you because you never know what you will miss out on. It’s in moments of discomfort that our greatest growth occurs, leading to profound experiences. Therefore, live these next four years to the fullest, be proud of every little success, and be graceful with yourself through every challenge.

Degrees: BA in environmental policy, BA in political science

Hometown: Bolingbrook, Illinois

Favorite Loyola memories: My favorite Loyola memories are all the ways I have made friends and found community. I am so grateful for the people I have crossed paths with and the beautiful memories, love, and laughter shared. Also, I cherish all the weekends and opportunities I had to spend time at our beautiful Restoration and Ecology Campus (LUREC). It was always a lovely way to take a step back from the commotion of the city and pause for a bit.

What I’ll miss most about Loyola and SES: As I continue my studies at Loyola, I am grateful for another year immersed in all Loyola offers. However, I will miss the incredible sense of community created by the SES students, faculty, and staff. I sincerely appreciate SES’s supportive and uplifting atmosphere, with such caring and kind people I have had the privilege to connect with. I will miss my friends and all the lovely faces I am used to seeing around campus and in the SES building.

Plans after graduation: I am excited to continue at Loyola with the accelerated dual-degree program for my master’s in public policy. This summer, I will continue conducting research with a great team of faculty and staff within SES’s Food Systems and Sustainable Agriculture focus area. I am eager to further my journey in the policy field, where I aspire to make meaningful and positive impacts.

How SES prepared me for my future career: I am grateful for the diverse classes I have taken, the amazing faculty and staff I have learned from, and the skills I have developed throughout my time in SES. Also, with the emphasis on student involvement, I have felt encouraged, supported, and empowered by many individuals and mentors in my passion for making a difference. I am thankful for SES and its numerous opportunities, such as internships and leadership positions, which have significantly encouraged and furthered my passion for contributing to policy change.

Advice to the incoming class: Remember that you are a person first. Taking care of yourself is essential, especially in our field. Our deep passions and care for the world around us can lead to difficult and overwhelming emotions as we confront the many problems our world faces. However, it is important not to neglect your well-being as you embark on your journey! Regularly plan and set aside time during your days and weeks for activities that will nourish you and your soul, whether that is spending time with friends, taking a walk outside (perhaps by the lake), engaging in moments of quiet reflection, or whatever fills up your cup. Remember, rest and downtime are productive and necessary, and it looks different for everyone!

Degree: BA in Environmental Studies

Hometown: Lexington, Kentucky

Favorite Loyola memories: My favorite memories from Loyola are the moments I spent at the Loyola Retreat and Ecology Campus (LUREC). I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to take classes, do restoration work, and go on retreats at LUREC. That campus has seen me through so much, just as I’ve seen it through various seasons and changes. The friendships and memories made there are very dear to me.

What I’ll miss most about Loyola and SES: I’m going to deeply miss the little moments of running into people in the SES building. There were so many points when my pals realized that we all had five minutes overlapping between classes, so we’d all sit in Engrained and turn that café into our version of “Central Perk” for as long as we could. It’s amazing to think how many deep conversations and true laughter would come from those brief daily check-ins and understand the sense of community that fills every corner of that building.

Plans after graduation: I will be moving to Denver for the summer to do restoration work, then back to Loyola in the fall to continue my master’s degree in sustainable assessment and planning!

How SES prepared me for my future career: The professors and people of SES have taught me so much. It’s hard to put into words how much growth has come over these past four years. It’s unclear what my future career will be, but SES armed me with the conviction that so long as I stay true to the people and things that brought about growth in my life, good things will come.

Advice to the incoming class: However you relate to the environment, lean into that feeling. It’s a very powerful thing to know how you connect to the world around you. That feeling can never be taken away, and it will take you everywhere.

Degree: BS in environmental science

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois 

Favorite Loyola memories: One of my favorite Loyola memories is playing for the Band of Wolves during my first year. While we were only able to practice virtually because of the pandemic, I made a lot of long-lasting friendships during this time.  

What I’ll miss most about Loyola and SES: I will miss the research community within SES the most! From my peers to mentors, everyone I have worked with during my time researching crayfish at Loyola has been more than phenomenal.  

Plans after graduation: I am applying for jobs within the environmental science sector, and I am looking for environmental master’s programs as well.  

How SES prepared me for my future career:My research journey within SES has prepared me the most for my post-undergraduate career through teaching me technical and professional skills.  

Advice to the incoming class: I would advise engaging with your professors, especially if they work in a field you are interested in.  Even if you are not interested in joining their lab, for example, a lot of professors appreciate sharing resources and advice on other ways you can get involved.

Degrees: BS in environmental science, BA in film and digital media

Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio

Favorite Loyola memories: One of my favorite memories includes meeting my professors in person for the first time after remote classes. I was incredibly grateful to be on campus with the SES faculty after spending a year online.

What I’ll miss most about Loyola and SES: The SES is a welcoming, tight-knit community where everyone has a common goal: to protect the Earth. Spending time around people who have this goal and hearing about how they hope to contribute to ecological restoration and protection is incredibly inspiring and gives me hope for the future.

Plans after graduation: Most immediately, my current goal is to continue the video production work I do for various non-profit and environmental organizations such as The Nature Conservancy. As an aspiring film director as well, I will be exploring script ideas and the path forward for my next film venture.

How SES prepared me for my future career: SES has prepared me for my career in filmmaking and videography because it approaches the environmental science degree from a multidisciplinary perspective. I have a well-rounded understanding of environmental problems and solutions, which I can apply to my work in communications and digital media to help the public and grantmakers understand the problems and how they can be solved. I am also prepared to participate in scientific and policy contexts as needed, representing a comprehensive approach to solving environmental issues.

Advice to the incoming class: Take advantage of all of the resources Loyola has to offer. Go to the library, rent the books, download articles from the database. Join a club, talk with your professor after class. At SES, go to LUREC, learn about the Urban Agriculture Program. There is something for everyone.

Degree: BA in environmental studies

Hometown: Cave Creek, Arizona

Favorite Loyola memories: My favorite memories include restoration days out at LUREC, Restoration Club overnight retreats, doing my capstone with Dr. Sarah Ku, and all the hours spent working at Engrained with my friends.

What I’ll miss most about Loyola and SES: I’ll miss all of the wonderful people I’ve gotten to know here and the opportunities for engaging in restoration and environmental activism.

Plans after graduation: I plan to work within the field of environmental sustainability, ideally in sustainable agriculture or environmental restoration.

How SES prepared me for my future career: I have gained a lot of wonderful knowledge and skills, particularly with respect to sustainable and resilient food systems and regenerative agriculture. I have had the opportunity to learn research skills and gain hands-on experience in the field I would like to go into.

Advice to the incoming class: Take every opportunity you can to get involved in things, go to Student Environmental Alliance, Food Recovery Network, and Restoration Club meetings, do restoration workdays at LUREC, go on the Loyola Eco-spirituality Adventure Fall (LEAF) Retreat! Also, do not worry so much about your grades or doing everything right. Taking care of your mental and physical health is the most important thing, and everyone does things at their own pace and in their own way. There’s no right way to be successful.

Degree: MS in environmental science and sustainability

Hometown: Saint Charles, Illinois

Favorite Loyola Memories: Having been an undergrad and grad student at Loyola, my favorite memories come from the start and end of my time here. When I transferred to Loyola, everyone I met was so kind, and I was instantly welcomed onto our ultimate frisbee team. My other favorite memories come from this spring when I traveled to Seattle and Nebraska to present my research. I could see the real-world implications of my work, which was very rewarding and only possible through the support I received from Loyola.

What I’ll miss most about Loyola and SES: The thing I will miss most about Loyola is our campus, which I believe is the most beautiful in the world. For SES, I’ll miss taking classes with our amazing professors who are passionate about what they teach and learning from fellow students who are knowledgeable about a wide variety of environmental fields.

Plans after graduation: After graduation, I hope to continue performing environmental economic research in my career, helping shine a light on the often-overlooked value of healthy ecosystems.

How SES prepared me for my future career: SES has prepared me to excel in whatever career path I elect to go down. I’ve gained many transferable skills and had the opportunity to make meaningful connections with professionals in the environmental and sustainability fields. Most importantly, I know I’m prepared to create positive, meaningful change in my career.

Advice to the incoming class: My advice is to branch out in your coursework and seek out projects or research that are outside of your comfort zone. Embracing new opportunities can help you realize a new passion, and the faculty at SES is incredibly supportive and will make sure you have the tools you need to succeed.

- Photos by Jorge Haddad