September 2020
About
Department/School/Division: Undergraduate Programs, Quinlan School of Business
Campus: WTC
Years at Loyola: 3 years
What is your favorite thing about working at Loyola? My favorite thing about working at Loyola is the incredible group of colleagues I get to collaborate with at Quinlan. Quinlan feels unique in that as a staff member, I have the opportunity to collaborate across departments- from Business Career Services and Quinlan Advancement, to working directly with our Dean and other faculty. The opportunities to create connections have been endless, and I’m grateful for the chance to learn from everyone on our team.
What is your most memorable achievement as a Loyola employee? One of my responsibilities includes planning and facilitating the Quinlan Ramble spring break program. It’s definitely the most daunting project on my task list each year, but arguably my most favorite way to contribute to student learning. I get to meet more students, work with incredible colleagues, and travel to another part of US with all of them. Each year, the best parts are hearing from the students about how much they learned during the week and seeing them form strong friendships with someone they didn’t even know prior to the trip. My most memorable achievements are always those moments when I feel like I’ve made a positive contribution in my students’ lives.
What does Loyola's mission mean to you? As someone who doesn’t consider herself particularly religious, what I love most about Loyola’s mission is that while it’s clear we’re a Catholic institution, at the foundation of who we are is a moral need to do well, do good, and leave the world better than we found it. To me, there’s nothing innately religious about seeking truth and contributing positively to the world, and I think this mission is imperative across our varied and intersecting identities.
What motivates you to succeed each and every day? This idea of doing well and doing good. On the frontlines of the institution, we try to do the best we can with our students, faculty, and staff in mind. We don’t always make the right choices, and I think it’s important that we own the mistakes we make for the sake of our students. What motivates me to succeed is the understanding that our students come to us with their own unique identities and stories and challenges, ones that don’t (and shouldn’t) magically disappear when they log into their classes. I take it as a personal charge to make sure that each student I work with knows they are valued and understood for all of who they are; I try to own the mistakes I make when I don’t, and that’s what motivates me to learn more and do better each day.
Tell us how you show your Rambler pride. I own more maroon clothing than is strictly necessary. Any chance I get to break out my maroon sneakers is a good day to me.
Tell us something most people at Loyola would be surprised to know about you. I’m OBSESSED with the Golden Girls. My own friend group matches all their personalities; for better or for worse, I’m my group’s Dorothy Zbornak.
