SOC Celebrates Students at Dean’s List Ceremony

Loyola’s School of Communication (SOC) hosted its first Dean’s List celebration of the academic year Sept. 25, recognizing students for their academic achievements and creating an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to connect.

The two-hour event, held in the SOC second-floor lobby, honored students who earned a place on the Dean’s List. To qualify, full-time students must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours and obtain a minimum 3.5 GPA, according to the SOC’s academic policies. 

Fourth-year multimedia journalism student Cecilia Urbanski said the recognition provided an opportunity to be recognized for their academic achievements and connect with other students in the program. 

“As a first-year, I struggled to meet other people,” Urbanski said. “These events are always good to meet other people.”

SOC Events Coordinator and event organizer Genevieve Buthod said academic work can often go unnoticed because students complete much of it independently.

“I feel like when you’re studying and working hard, it’s something you do by yourself and it’s invisible,” Buthod said. “So, this is a moment to shine light on it and make it visible.”

SOC Dean Virginia McDermott said she started the event in Fall 2025 after being appointed the previous year. She said recognizing students is an important part of building relationships within the school.

“Our students deserve to be celebrated,” McDermott said. “They have impressive academic achievements, and we want them to know that we value that and their achievements.”

Buthod said the SOC hopes to create more opportunities throughout the semester for students to celebrate their accomplishments.

“Ideally, we want to try to have more events in the semester that feels like a celebration,” Buthod said. “We want students to feel recognized. It’s not an everyday experience.”

The celebration also reflects the school’s broader efforts to support students beyond the classroom. McDermott said she’s focusing on providing opportunities that can help them succeed and encourages students to bring forward their own ideas.

“I have so many plans,” McDermott said. “What supports everything we do is how we provide students the opportunities to be successful.”

One of those opportunities is the Student Research and Creative Works Grant, which provides up to $1,500 to support student projects. McDermott also pointed to the school’s symposium and student showcase — an end-of-the-year award event crediting students’ work in film, multimedia and communication. 

For Urbanski, academic success is less about grades and more about developing career skills through continued practice. 

“I picked a field I’m passionate about. I don’t look at my grades as an indicator of my success,” Urbanski said. “My professors give me a challenge that I take advantage of.”

Buthod and McDermott said students’ self-motivation plays a role in their success.

“I think students at Loyola are inherently and intrinsically motivated,” Buthod said. 

The Dean’s List celebration offers one way for the SOC to reward students for their achievements while strengthening connections among students and faculty, according to McDermott.

“Feeling proud of yourself is motivating — it’s a reward,” McDermott said. “Setting those standards and meeting them is a gratifying feeling.”

Buthod said the goal is for students to understand that their work is noticed and valued.

“We want students to know we see them as special and unique, and we care about their success as much as they and their families do,” Buthod said.