View from the porch: Following in the steps of St. Ignatius
President Terrence M. Sawyer, J.D., reflects on his pilgrimage journey this past summer as Loyola begins to implement its new strategic plan, Together We Rise
Photo by Stephanie Coldren
This summer, I traveled to Spain and Italy with a group of our trustees, leaders, and Jesuits. We followed in the steps of St. Ignatius, Loyola’s patron and the founder of the Society of Jesus, learning, reflecting, and praying together. Making the pilgrimage was an extraordinary experience, especially as our community begins to implement our new strategic plan, Together We Rise.
One of the aspects of the strategic plan that has generated the most excitement among alumni and supporters is the addition of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Loyola has a long, proud history of outstanding outcomes for health sciences students, and the nursing program—created in partnership with Mercy Medical Center—builds on that foundation. Adding nursing to our exceptional natural and applied sciences programs will not only create opportunities for generations of students, but also help Loyola address a need for nurses and strengthen our greater Baltimore community.
In this issue of Loyola magazine, we are excited to offer a glimpse into the transformative construction project that is underway at Donnelly Science Center. We are leaning into our strengths in STEM and adding nursing. You’ll also read about just a few of the many alumni who are using their Jesuit education to make an impact on health care. They are bringing expertise and compassion to those they serve, just as future Greyhounds will.
As a Jesuit, liberal arts university, we recognize that we are called to rise to the challenges of our time, meeting them with a commitment to our values—and a desire to innovate in our world. This isn’t a new approach. This is an approach that Ignatius introduced to the world almost 500 years ago. The work that is happening on our campus now sprang from those seeds planted by our founder and patron as he was answering God’s call in Spain and Italy.
Today, as I watch the construction underway around Donnelly and we prepare to welcome our first nursing students to campus, I can’t help but feel that Ignatius would be proud.