Lolan Adan
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Major: Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling
Expected date of graduation: 2020
A native of the Philippines who moved to Brooklyn as a child, Lolan received his BA in ethics, politics, and economics from Yale in 1993 and spent the next 23 years working across the world for a Wall Street firm. Then, he moved from Brooklyn to Chicago to pursue a second career and a degree in pastoral counseling.
Working to serve the community as a counselor who integrates faith and spirituality in a more holistic approach, Lolan has maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA at Loyola, and he is regarded among his classmates as a reliable advisor, friend, and a leader in classroom group contexts. Lolan also was a graduate assistant last year, adeptly serving the IPS community with his organizational skills, aesthetic sensibilities, and acumen for research.
Here, Lolan discusses his work for the National Down Syndrome Society and his plans after graduation.
What was the most meaningful volunteer, service, or student organization activity you’ve been involved in? How has it influenced you or shaped you as a person? I have worked as an advocate for the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS). Over the last 14 years, I have been part of my nephew Samuel’s Team Braveheart, working to increase awareness, acceptance, and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. We’ve raised close to $53,000 for NDSS since 2014. My work with NDSS anchors me in compassion, acceptance, inclusion, and love.
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from your Jesuit education? “Everything counts.” Consistent with cura personalis, your mind, body, heart, and spirit all need care. The self-examination I’ve undergone these past three years have reminded me to not deny my past, or other unfavorable parts of me. Everything—failures, successes, and everything in the middle—has had something to do with who I was, who I am now, and who I will be. Embrace, reintegrate, and reconstitute with intention. Don’t blindly cast away. Who knows? What you may be rejecting now could be exactly what you need the most!’’
What do you hope to achieve after college, and how has Loyola prepared you? I intend to pursue a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) track after graduating. I want to find a mental health counseling position that incorporates my academic learning, clinical training, and extensive professional and life experience with accompanying people in various settings. I am humbled and privileged to share time and space with people as they look to attend to their own holistic selves, with intention, grace, and hope.
