The mission statement of Loyola carries a lot of weight, not only within myself, but they serve as words to live by in any capacity. Since I have felt out of touch with my relationship with God as of late, the "seeking God in all things" portion looses me a bit. However, I have always made an effort to serve others. I enjoy learning the most through experience and I feel very strongly that, in order to diminish our ignorance of the plights of others, we must get proximate to understand their suffering. It has never been enough for me to merely donate money to a cause. Rather, I must go out and work with the people they serve. That, to me, is the most valuable knowledge one can acquire.
The Jesuit movement that resonates with me the most is "be reflective." I always find myself quit preoccupied by my thoughts. I will replay a situation over and over again in my head and constantly reflect on my actions and the actions of others. After all, behavioral observations of the world around us are a central tool in determining how we, ourselves, will choose to behave. Additionally, though cliche, there is always room for improvement in how we act, how we speak, and how we live our lives. Thus, we must reflect on where we've been to help shape where we will go.
As I mentioned in one of my previous responses, the Jesuit value of service is one that I hold dear and attempt live out on a day to day basis. I came to Loyola Chicago specifically to get proximate to the people I hope to one day impact and aid. I want to become a lawyer and, much like Bryan Stevenson, I thoroughly aspire to serve justice to those who have been denied this basic human right. I want to serve, much like the Jesuits did and continue to do.
One of the personal identities I most profoundly expressed was that of independence. However, with independence comes freedom which can be a dangerous privilege. Therefore, the key movement of "be attentive" relates closely to my personal identity. One aspect of college that I'v developed a love/hate relationship is time. It's so easy to stray from academics and choose social opportunities. Thus, I can certainly relate to and work towards being more attentive to the time I now have.
The Jesuit movement that resonates with me the most is "be reflective." I always find myself quit preoccupied by my thoughts. I will replay a situation over and over again in my head and constantly reflect on my actions and the actions of others. After all, behavioral observations of the world around us are a central tool in determining how we, ourselves, will choose to behave. Additionally, though cliche, there is always room for improvement in how we act, how we speak, and how we live our lives. Thus, we must reflect on where we've been to help shape where we will go.
As I mentioned in one of my previous responses, the Jesuit value of service is one that I hold dear and attempt live out on a day to day basis. I came to Loyola Chicago specifically to get proximate to the people I hope to one day impact and aid. I want to become a lawyer and, much like Bryan Stevenson, I thoroughly aspire to serve justice to those who have been denied this basic human right. I want to serve, much like the Jesuits did and continue to do.
One of the personal identities I most profoundly expressed was that of independence. However, with independence comes freedom which can be a dangerous privilege. Therefore, the key movement of "be attentive" relates closely to my personal identity. One aspect of college that I'v developed a love/hate relationship is time. It's so easy to stray from academics and choose social opportunities. Thus, I can certainly relate to and work towards being more attentive to the time I now have.