Empowering Sisterhood in Action
By Allyson Hamzey
LUCES, or Loyola University Chicago Empowering Sisterhood, is a space for building community and supporting the intersecting facets of students' identities, according to Astrid Beltrán, assistant vice president for diversity and student engagement. Established in 2008, this mentorship program supports the experience of women of color and is open to all students, regardless of ethnicity, gender, or sex.
LUCES, or Loyola University Chicago Empowering Sisterhood, is “a space to build sisterhood, to support the many facets of a woman of color’s identity,” according to Astrid Beltrán, assistant vice president for diversity and student engagement. Established in 2008, this mentorship program supports the experience of women of color and is open to all students, regardless of ethnicity, gender, or sex.
Beltrán, who has dedicated ten years to the LUCES program, recalls mentoring an introverted first-year student who was referred for support. The first three months of the mentorship were palpably quiet, with few words spoken by the student—until one day, the student opened up about her family's undocumented status.
After revealing her truth, the student blossomed, joining a sorority, and taking on executive leadership roles at Loyola before ultimately graduating.
“I witnessed her transformation over four years, met her family, and saw her graduate. That experience will stay with me forever,” says Beltrán.
This story is not unlike others' at LUCES, where students often discover who they are through the empowerment of the community.
The idea for LUCES emerged from a Black women’s retreat, shares Ericka Garcia, program coordinator of women of color initiatives, as students sought a space to connect over their unique shared experiences.
This sense of community is crucial for student success. Garcia is certain that students who build connections are less likely to leave the University.
“When you find those people who validate who you are and all your different identities, it makes you want to stay,” Garcia says, emphasizing that many mentees say they’re “just trying to find their place.”
“When you find those people who validate who you are and all your different identities, it makes you want to stay,” Garcia says.
“That is what we want for students—not only to graduate, but to develop who they want to be,” she says. “These programs contribute to that by providing a safe community for your holistic development, wellbeing, and your spirituality.”
Mentees choose their mentors based on shared interests, and regular meetings allow for personal and professional growth. During these meetings, mentors assess students’ needs, from academic struggles to navigating professional settings. This holistic approach draws from the Jesuit value of cura personalis, or caring for the whole person.
The annual art gala exemplifies this, providing students with a platform to express their identities. The art show prompted students to “come out of their shell” and feel “integrated into the community,” according to Garcia. The students felt validated by other community members hearing their art, boosting their confidence as a result.
"I got to see students showcasing their art with pride,” Beltrán recalls. “They got to showcase who they are, and it was just beautiful to have a space for them to showcase their growth.”
Fatimah Alawami, a sophomore from Louisville, Kentucky, was searching for community when she joined LUCES as a freshman. Her meetings with her mentor, who she had an immediate connection with, always empowered her with “resources and advice” to help her navigate Loyola.
During a team retreat, she shares a pivotal moment of growth that arose when she decided to embrace the discomfort and to be vulnerable about her growing pains as a freshman from another state.
“People resonated with some of the things that I shared, and that made me feel safer in the community because I really felt seen,” Alawami says.
Fast forward to the end of the academic year, she was soon active in every committee in the program and ultimately earned the “The Heart of LUCES” award, signifying her embodiment of LUCES' mission.
“LUCES helped me grow as a person,” she says. “It helped me become more comfortable being myself and not feeling judged for it.”
“LUCES helped me grow as a person. It helped me become more comfortable being myself and not feeling judged for it.”
If you ask, Keith M. Champagne, PhD, vice president for student development, he’ll tell you that LUCES provides students with transformative experiences rooted in their aspirations and dreams. It prepares them to be “leaders on the global stage” with the skills to address the glass ceiling. He emphasizes that LUCES shows students someone is “with them on their journey and invested in their success while here at Loyola and beyond.”
“You realize you belong when you know people care for you, are invested in you and our success,” Champagne says. “They buy into your aspirations, your dreams, and help you become a better person.”
“What you get here at Loyola will prepare you to go out and really change the world. I fundamentally believe it doesn't happen serendipitously,” he says. “It happens because we pour into you. We give you the tools to go out and make a difference in the world.”
November 2024
By Allyson Hamzey
LUCES, or Loyola University Chicago Empowering Sisterhood, is a space for building community and supporting the intersecting facets of students' identities, according to Astrid Beltrán, assistant vice president for diversity and student engagement. Established in 2008, this mentorship program supports the experience of women of color and is open to all students, regardless of ethnicity, gender, or sex.
LUCES, or Loyola University Chicago Empowering Sisterhood, is “a space to build sisterhood, to support the many facets of a woman of color’s identity,” according to Astrid Beltrán, assistant vice president for diversity and student engagement. Established in 2008, this mentorship program supports the experience of women of color and is open to all students, regardless of ethnicity, gender, or sex.
Beltrán, who has dedicated ten years to the LUCES program, recalls mentoring an introverted first-year student who was referred for support. The first three months of the mentorship were palpably quiet, with few words spoken by the student—until one day, the student opened up about her family's undocumented status.
After revealing her truth, the student blossomed, joining a sorority, and taking on executive leadership roles at Loyola before ultimately graduating.
“I witnessed her transformation over four years, met her family, and saw her graduate. That experience will stay with me forever,” says Beltrán.
This story is not unlike others' at LUCES, where students often discover who they are through the empowerment of the community.
The idea for LUCES emerged from a Black women’s retreat, shares Ericka Garcia, program coordinator of women of color initiatives, as students sought a space to connect over their unique shared experiences.
This sense of community is crucial for student success. Garcia is certain that students who build connections are less likely to leave the University.
“When you find those people who validate who you are and all your different identities, it makes you want to stay,” Garcia says, emphasizing that many mentees say they’re “just trying to find their place.”
“That is what we want for students—not only to graduate, but to develop who they want to be,” she says. “These programs contribute to that by providing a safe community for your holistic development, wellbeing, and your spirituality.”
Mentees choose their mentors based on shared interests, and regular meetings allow for personal and professional growth. During these meetings, mentors assess students’ needs, from academic struggles to navigating professional settings. This holistic approach draws from the Jesuit value of cura personalis, or caring for the whole person.
The annual art gala exemplifies this, providing students with a platform to express their identities. The art show prompted students to “come out of their shell” and feel “integrated into the community,” according to Garcia. The students felt validated by other community members hearing their art, boosting their confidence as a result.
"I got to see students showcasing their art with pride,” Beltrán recalls. “They got to showcase who they are, and it was just beautiful to have a space for them to showcase their growth.”
Fatimah Alawami, a sophomore from Louisville, Kentucky, was searching for community when she joined LUCES as a freshman. Her meetings with her mentor, who she had an immediate connection with, always empowered her with “resources and advice” to help her navigate Loyola.
During a team retreat, she shares a pivotal moment of growth that arose when she decided to embrace the discomfort and to be vulnerable about her growing pains as a freshman from another state.
“People resonated with some of the things that I shared, and that made me feel safer in the community because I really felt seen,” Alawami says.
Fast forward to the end of the academic year, she was soon active in every committee in the program and ultimately earned the “The Heart of LUCES” award, signifying her embodiment of LUCES' mission.
“LUCES helped me grow as a person,” she says. “It helped me become more comfortable being myself and not feeling judged for it.”
If you ask, Keith M. Champagne, PhD, vice president for student development, he’ll tell you that LUCES provides students with transformative experiences rooted in their aspirations and dreams. It prepares them to be “leaders on the global stage” with the skills to address the glass ceiling. He emphasizes that LUCES shows students someone is “with them on their journey and invested in their success while here at Loyola and beyond.”
“You realize you belong when you know people care for you, are invested in you and our success,” Champagne says. “They buy into your aspirations, your dreams, and help you become a better person.”
“What you get here at Loyola will prepare you to go out and really change the world. I fundamentally believe it doesn't happen serendipitously,” he says. “It happens because we pour into you. We give you the tools to go out and make a difference in the world.”
November 2024