To Give and Not Count the Cost

Every other month, Ed Nolley, ’68, MBA ’82, gathers with a group of old friends he met through Loyola’s Greyhound Battalion Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program. “We share war stories that somehow get bigger and better every year,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve stayed very close with these guys—we really rejoice in our past backgrounds and experiences.”

Nolley is one of many Loyola alumni who have proudly served in the United States Armed Forces. Their stories, marked by courage and an unwavering commitment to service, exemplify the core values that are trademarks of Loyola’s Jesuit, liberal arts education. Their unparalleled generosity and openness to sacrifice for their country, for freedom, and for all they encounter, offers a poignant example of how Loyola strives to graduate individuals who are prepared to “learn, lead, and serve in a diverse and changing world.”

To honor these individuals, Loyola is undertaking initiatives such as the Veterans Recognition Project, which is gathering the names of alumni veterans to ensure their legacies are remembered and celebrated. Another tribute, the Veterans Plaza, is planned for the Quad as a permanent reminder of the valor and sacrifice of Loyola’s military alumni.

These efforts build upon the University’s long-standing commitment to military preparation through its ROTC program. For Nolley—who graduated with a degree in economics and returned for an MBA—his ROTC experience set him on the path to becoming a brigadier general in the Maryland Army National Guard, where he served for 30 years.

“I was on active duty in the U.S. Army for two years after graduation, and I really became a different person, in a good way,” he remembered. “Without Loyola, I might not have been in the military at all. I’m so grateful.”

Christel (Sacco) Hiltibran, who graduated in 2011 with a degree in political science, also reflects fondly on her ROTC years. “It is such a lively program,” she said. “It is a real brotherhood and sisterhood.”

Hiltibran knew from an early age that she wanted to join the military. In high school, she joined the United States Naval Sea Cadets Corps, the Navy’s youth development program similar to Junior ROTC. After graduating from Loyola, she spent 10 years in the U.S. Army—five as a military intelligence officer and another five as a civil affairs officer.

Strong Truths Well Lived

To Nolley and Hiltibran, though, Loyola prepared them far beyond the ROTC program. “Beyond being my entrée to the military, Loyola taught me the value of a liberal arts education and understanding people who may not have the same advantages I’ve had in my life,” said Nolley, who mentored disadvantaged children in Baltimore throughout his undergraduate years.

Hiltibran was heavily involved in Loyola’s Center for Community, Service, and Justice (CCSJ). “Similar to ROTC, CCSJ taught me about being part of a community and part of a bigger system within which we all depend on each other,” she remembered. “These programs not only taught me about service and selflessness, but also about teamwork and love for your neighbor, regardless of their circumstances, their histories, or their ideals.”

Ernie Bio—who graduated in 1998 with a B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology and a chemistry minor—reflected on his Loyola education often during his 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, which included 10 years as an F-16 fighter pilot and stints with U.S. Cyber Command and the Defense Innovation Unit. He now works as a cybersecurity-focused investor at a venture capital firm.

“Jesuit values definitely played a part in my growth as a person, in the military, and to this day,” he explained, noting that they helped him be comfortable with a career he never would have expected. “What resonated most is the education of the whole person—essentially going beyond academics and developing leadership, character, ethics, and service.”

Another graduate who discovered his passion for service at Loyola is Brandon Heck, who graduated in 2003 with a degree in psychology before returning for his master’s in 2005 and his Psy.D. in 2008. After receiving his degrees, Heck served as an officer in the U.S. Navy for six years, working as a psychologist aboard an aircraft carrier for much of it. He later spent two years with the U.S. Marine Forces Special Operations Command.

Today, in addition to working for a private equity firm, he serves on the board of Loyola College, the University’s school of arts and sciences. “Many of us come to Loyola for that service element, and when you’re asked to serve, it’s just not my style to say ‘no,’” he said of his board work. “I see it as a way to give back to a place that set me up for a great career.”

Lifetimes of Service

For many Loyola grads, the varied career opportunities of military service have allowed them to lean into their passions. Heck, for example, put his psychology degrees to use studying Christel Hiltibran, ’11, holding the 1st place trophy from the 2010 Ranger Challenge during her ROTC days. She still keeps in touch with many of the cadets on that team. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms and testing brain function on soldiers who had been exposed to bombs in Afghanistan and Iraq. He also counseled superior officers on topics like leadership, team effectiveness, and personnel development.

Once Heck left the military in 2014, those experiences translated well into business consulting work. He still finds himself regularly thinking back to the diversity of his liberal arts education. “I’ve had such a varied career, where I’m always dealing with different subject matters, different perspectives, and different personalities, and I credit so much of my adaptability to the broad education I received,” he said. “It helped me grow muscles I’ve been flexing ever since.”

Cecilia Mota, who graduated in 2024 with an interdisciplinary major in biology and speech, language, and hearing sciences, credits her military background and education for shaping her career. She joined the Marines at just 19 years old, doing missions in Kuwait, Iraq, and Syria as an Arabic linguist/SIGINT (signals intelligence) analyst.

When Mota left the Marines after five years, she found herself drawn to Loyola. “I could feel a sense of community as I was walking on campus,” she said. “People just seemed happier there.”

During her time at Loyola, Mota also served as an aerospace medical technician in the U.S. Air Force Reserves. Through it all, she’s remained passionate about helping vulnerable populations. “In all these experiences, I’ve worked with people in all stages of their lives who are coming to you in a vulnerable state,” she said. “It’s not just about treating their disease; it’s asking them what they need and then matching the patient’s goals with your goals.”

Mota—who gave birth to her daughter just two days after graduation—recently started a new role as a medical assistant at an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) office and is currently applying to med school. “I’m so grateful for my military service and for Loyola. It’s exciting to start a new chapter, knowing where I came from.”

Nolley has also dedicated his life to helping vulnerable people. In retirement, he’s been volunteering as an end-of-life doula at Gilchrist Hospice since 2014. His work in this area actually dates back to his first year at Loyola, when he worked as an orderly at the Keswick Multi-care Center.

To Nolley, a lifetime of service has taught him some important lessons. “Get the maximum out of each day and understand how many others aren’t as advantaged as we are,” he said. “Loyola really focused me in that direction.”

Community at the Core

For many veterans, the community aspects of military service have been a major draw. “I’ll always cherish the camaraderie and leadership that my time in the Air Force taught me,” said Bio.

"When you’re in the military, you know you’re part of a family, you’re part of a team, you’re doing something that’s way larger than yourself."

During Hiltibran’s time in the Army, one of her roles was to work with prewar or post-war nations to identify and help address vulnerabilities like healthcare, education, transportation, or women’s rights. She remembers a formative experience in a small fishing village in Indonesia, which had been exposed to countless natural disasters, including tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.

“I saw how reliant so much of the world is on the Earth, on natural resources, and on community,” she explained, noting that the experience led to her current career working in conservation and climate issues.

Through it all, she’s been guided by the Jesuit lesson of cura personalis. “Often times you’ll hear that in the military, you’re just a number. But in my role as a leader, I really did care for individuals in specific ways, according to their needs,” she said. “The way that I’ve cared for fellow soldiers, and the communities I’ve been exposed to, is something I’ve carried with me into my home life, my workplace, and beyond. We all need to have each other’s backs.”