The Initiative allows students to reflect on meaningful events during their time at Loyola.
The Initiative allows students to reflect on meaningful events during their time at Loyola.
Every fall, a new class of first-year students walk through the green doors of Cudahy Library during convocation to begin their journey at Loyola. At the end of each spring semester, Loyola graduates walk through these same doors at senior toast for a full-circle moment celebrating students’ academic careers and the next chapters in their lives.
Although every student exits through the same green doors, according to Director for Assessment and Assistant to Vice President of Student Development Shannon Howes, each student deserves a place to document their unique choices made along the way.
Starting in the Fall semester of 2025, Loyola’s Division of Student Development implemented the Rambler Journey Initiative, a guiding roadmap for students throughout their time at Loyola, which encourages students to reflect on their experiences and create new ones with different organizations on campus.
The Rambler Journey Initiative is based on the five Jesuit principles of Loyola: Care for the whole person, service, faith, knowledge and global community, and encourages students to reflect on experiences relating to each one, by answering the guided prompt questions listed on the university website.
Students can earn a pin for each value they exemplified during their time at Loyola by submitting written reflections to LUCommunity. Each reflection should range from 150 to 250 words and will undergo a review by members from different partners on campus, including Campus Ministry and Student Development.
Reflections are due at midnight April 1 for undergraduates and at noon April 6 for graduating seniors.
Howes said some of her favorite reflections have included stories on everything from undergraduate research to study abroad. She said she encourages students to reflect on any experience which meets the ideals listed on the website.
If a student earns all five pins, they receive a stole to wear at graduation.
Along with the reflections, Rambler Journey serves to facilitate connections between students and organizations on campus, according to Howes.
Howes said there are three equally important pieces to the Rambler Journey, including education and connection to the Jesuit values, involvement and connection to other campus resources.
“We’re trying to embrace and help students understand there are certain things we hope they get out of this experience, like those key moments of sense of belonging and community, and those traditions we feel are important,” Howes said.
Howes also said one of the goals of the Rambler Journey is to recognize that not every student has the same route from their first year to graduation, and supporting the individual paths taken along the way.
“This is a celebration at the end, or throughout the experiences, as students reflect and make meaning about what they’ve learned, how they’ve grown, and we want to celebrate them,” she said.
While Howes is one of the main organizers of the Rambler Journey Initiative, she said one of the most important parts of creating the program was input from students.
Fourth-year advertising and public relations major Maggie Kristan is responsible for the social media aspects of the Rambler Journey Initiative. She said working within the program connected her to Loyola and the Jesuit values.
“I wouldn’t say I’m the most involved with Loyola, like the activities,” Kristan said. “But now I know there’s a lot of avenues to get involved and feel more a part of the Loyola community.”
Kristian said she also felt working with the Rambler Journey was a way she could give back to the Loyola community. She said the program helped her express her passion for marketing through a brand with values she supported.
Kristan also collaborated with fourth-year marketing major Erin Judd on the initiative. Judd said she helped develop the initiative as a way to give back to the community, and she hopes students recognize the opportunities available to them.
“I really hope it just gives people an awareness of how lucky we are to have this opportunity to be able to study, learn and grow as humans at Loyola,” Judd said.
Although the program is only in its first year, Howes said she hopes students will walk away with a sense of pride in being a Loyola student and a sense of accomplishment for what they’ve completed.
Howes said one of her favorite parts of the program is the reference to the journey each student will take. No matter what steps each student takes, they should embrace the process, and know they have somewhere to document the moments along the way, Howes said.
“If there’s a misstep or a change of plan, that’s okay,” Howes said. “Sometimes that’s where some of the most rewarding growth can happen.”
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to include the Rambler Journey reflection deadline.
Get the Loyola Phoenix newsletter straight to your inbox!
