The spirituality, passion and commitment of Loyola students define the school’s atmosphere, communit

When I first toured Loyola, the information session played a video highlighting the important aspects and values of Loyola's campus community. Everything I was looking for in a college was highlighted in this video, and I knew that this was the school I belonged at. Even though I had gone to Catholic school all my life, going to a Catholic college was not a requirement in my search. However, in that video, the religious life was described in such a way that showed me how important faith and spirituality had been in my life and how much I wanted to continue to incorporate these values into my college experience. "Religion is not enforced, but spirituality is encouraged," were the wise words a student said in the promotional video. Now, as a sophomore, I can see how comprehensively this mantra encompasses the campus lifestyle at Loyola. 

"Religion is not enforced, but spirituality is encouraged." After coming to Loyola, I could clearly see this value played out on campus in many ways. About three or four nights into my first semester of college, a senior passed away on campus. I did not know Evan Girardi, nor did most of the other freshmen who attended the memorial service that was put together hours after his death. It was inspiring to see the chapel filled beyond capacity as students gathered to remember a fellow student. It was terribly emotional and sad, yet I could not help but be amazed by the sense of community I felt with these people I had only known for a handful of days.

A couple of weeks later, the Activities and Service Fairs were held on the Quad. I walked amongst the seemingly endless table displays, all manned by students enthusiastic and passionate about their causes. I saw activities and service opportunities that covered everything from the environment to hunger and homelessness to Campus Ministry to tutoring or immersion service projects abroad. I again felt the palpable spirituality of Loyola students that is ever present throughout campus. Students were serving God and others in so many ways outside of the chapel, and I realized how important being involved and giving back were to our college community; I realized this was where I belonged.

I believe Loyola University is a spiritual place; we live, we study, we interact with others, and we thrive here. I believe the students here are spiritual and practice faith in their own ways. It may not be the Catholic faith or any other specified religion, but that does not make it any less important and valuable in students' lives. College is a time to sort out our priorities and find out what it is that we want to put at the top of our list; by being spiritual, we understand that we can't always put ourselves first in life.

When I give campus tours and people ask why I came to Loyola, I say it is because of the community feeling I get on campus. It is truly a home to so many of us, and in many ways we are a family. This family comes from the spirituality seen in our students and faculty on campus. On tours, I use the "Religion is not enforced, but spirituality is encouraged" line to describe the religious life to prospective students, but this idea extends far past the realm of religious beliefs; it is our way of life.  And it is because of that I am proud and honored to be a part of the Loyola University community.