Loyola University Chicago

Division of Student Development

Student: Claire Bailey

Higher Education Master's Student
Started LUC: 2014

I am joining the Loyola team from the University of Dayton in southern Ohio. I was working at the University of Dayton in Advancement. I had a great experience there and was ready to take my career to the next level. From a more long term perspective I grew up in a small town in Northwest Ohio (Deshler, OH). My town has about 1000 people in it so moving to Chicago was a big change! I knew that pursuing my masters would be great for my long term goals and worth the location move. Loyola is a school I have always been interested in and even during my time working professionally for my national sorority, AmeriCorps, and Dayton was I still thinking about Chicago. I have had a great path to get here and I am looking forward to where I go next!

I am at the start of such an exciting time, I truly feel like my opportunities are limitless. I am looking forward for the next few years at Loyola to work with the staff and help decide my direction. There is so much to learn about Student Affairs and because of that I am trying to keep an open mind about the future. I have a very strong interest in programming for young women and that will surely guide where I go in the future. Overall I think this will be an important time for me to develop and grow so I can gain a better idea of where my future will take me.

One of my favorite things about Loyola is my assistantship in the Student Activities and Greek Affairs office. This position allows me to work with our Sorority and Fraternity students but also interact other student activities too. This is just the first of many things I want to get involved in while at Loyola. I am looking forward to learning more about HESA (Higher Education Student Association) and other graduate development groups. I also know there are many committees in the division I can help support. These will be great ways to get involved.

The people! (Is that what everyone says?!) Loyola is without a doubt one of the most friendly places I have been to. One of my favorite parts too is how many connections I have made on campus. When I came to Loyola I hardly knew anyone in the city. After I got more settled though I found out there are 3 women from my high school who were either working at Loyola or currently in my program. It has been great to reconnect with people and meet many more. I appreciate all the connections I have made and it will be great to grow my network on campus.

I try to contribute to Loyola in many ways. I can already feel the University giving so much to me and I hope to positively impact this institution in the same way. I think that my main contributions revolve around supporting students and also being an active learner on campus. I work hard to help our students to have the best resources and support their success. Our Sorority and Fraternity life community has already seen the benefits of some of our changes and I look forward to continuing that. I feel I am also contributing to Loyola by being an active learner in class in an effort to become a better professional. I think that by wanting to learn more in class and at work I am contributing to furthering the success of both Loyola and higher education in general.

Chicago is all new to me. I had visited the city before but it has been fun to explore more of the city over the past three months. One of the main ways I interact with the city it through trying new restaurants. I love to eat at new places and try different types of food. There are so many great places in by campus and in my neighborhood I am not sure I’ll be able to make it to everything. My other way of interacting with the city is by exploring new places on foot. While I have learned a lot about the train I like to walk as much as possible. I try to take walks to new places, especially on the weekends, and see what I can find!

When I think of justice in the context of Loyola I relate it to supporting our students success in whatever means they need. We all come from different backgrounds and so do our students but it is our role as professionals to ensure they have the tools to be successful. I think the University as a whole does a great job of providing resources for our students so they can have the best experience possible here. I am excited to explore this concept more both as a professional and student on campus.

The high school I attended was run by the Sisters of Notre Dame and University of Dayton is a Marianist institution so Loyola is my first Jesuit school. Regardless of my past experience I still find Jesuit education is such a good fit for me because I believe in the importance of the whole person in both the academic and professional setting. When I work with students I am intentional to try to build a relationship with them first as a person and then move to the work at hand. I feel that when you care a person it helps to make the technical work details easier to manage. I am excited to be at a place that values this model as well. It was a natural fit for me and I look forward to building on the foundation I already had.

My favorite spot on campus is one of the benches near the library by the water. I find myself eating lunch there anytime I have a chance to get out of the office. I like this spot for the water but also because you and see the planes coming and going from the city. Aviation is a passion of mine and I like thinking about who is visiting/leaving our city that day. I also have many friends in the aviation field and I like to feel connected to them while they are gone. My favorite spot in Chicago has the same qualities. I find myself visiting Belmont Harbor a lot because it is a short run from my apartment and I can watch the sailboats and planes. I really enjoy places where I can view the city but still find my own sense of peace and quiet.

I would tell future Ramblers to get involved on campus! My particular area of involvement  is Sorority and Fraternity life but there are so many wonderful activities on campus. It would be a shame to go without interacting with our many clubs and organizations. I am always learning about more wants to interact with the University and I hope that students and staff both get involved. Student organizations are always looking for more members and also advisors. I appreciate the diversity of activities that are offered for our students so I hope they take advantage!