Future Plans

Upon graduation from Loras College I will be attending graduate school at

Notre Dame to earn my Masters of Arts in Theology through the Echo program. The
Echo program is a two year service learning program where I will take theology
classes during the summers at Notre Dame and during the school year I will like in
community with other students and work at a parish doing ministry work. My time
at Loras has helped to prepare me to be able to attend such a rigorous program at a
top-rated University. My Loras experiences has shaped the way I think and interact
with the world around me.
As a mathematics major I have developed a mathematical mindset that
allows me to look at problems from a differently than I did before. When I encounter
a problem I look at it for several perspectives before jumping in to solve it, I
consider what prior knowledge I have and how it can be applied, and that you often
learn more from the process of a solving a proof or problem than you do from the
outcome. I also learned that problems cannot often be solved in one go, that we
must look at them several times before the best way to solve it will be found. This
way of thinking and perseverance that my math courses taught me will serve me
well in graduate school. When presented with information I now ask clarifying
questions and look for the most efficient way to do something unlike my peers who
do not have the same problem-solving background.
The liberal arts nature of my education is also of tremendous value as I take
the next step in my journey. Having a liberal arts education has allowed me to have
knowledge of many different fields other than the two that I choose to study which
gives me a broader understanding of the world around me. It has also shown me
the interconnectedness that exists between disciplines and how working together
with others is key to making a difference. The dispositions that come along with this
will also carry me into grad school because I have learned the importance behind
actively participating in classes and life is the best way to get the most out of any
experience. As well as how to be a responsible contributor to the community I am
surrounded with and how I am to be a responsible contributor to greater global
community in the individual choices that I make.
As I transition into graduate classes this summer I have no doubt that my
Loras education will serve me well. My experiences in the mathematics programs,
all of my classes, and involvements during my four years have molded me into a
well-rounded human being who is ready to go out into the world while knowing that
the Loras Community is always there to support them.