Lewis Mission Moment: How A Former Student & Professor is Using Urban Agriculture to Cultivate Healthy Lifestyles and Relationships

On the south side of Chicago sits a quarter acre farm.

That’s right: A quarter acre farm that grew and distributed more than 4,000 pounds of fresh produce to farmers and local residents around Chicago within its first operational year.

Just Roots is a non-profit co-founded by former Lewis student, campus minister, and professor, Sean Ruane ‘12. Sean spent the first nine years of his life in the Midwest before moving to Georgia with his family. It was only when he moved back to the Midwest to attend school at Lewis that he began to see just how hard it was for some communities in Chicago to gain access to locally sourced and reasonably priced produce.

“Over the last 75 years, Americans have progressively become more and more disconnected from their food – where it comes from, how it’s grown, and healthy cooking and diet practices,” says Sean. “Additionally, many people who want to eat better don’t have access to healthy foods due to socioeconomic, educational, and geographic barriers.”

Just Roots is starting from the ground up – literally – to change that. The organization offers on-site educational opportunities for those interested in learning about growing fruits and veggies in an urban setting and leading a healthier lifestyle. The farm is also open to tours, volunteers, and those who want to become community partners.

“It feels very fulfilling to do work that benefits the community and that I’m deeply energized about. It’s one of the greatest blessings of my life.”

Sean says his family history and his enthusiasm to educate others is what partly sparked this initiative.

“My grandfather lived on a farm in Ireland before he immigrated to the United States and my mom was always outside gardening when I was a kid. So I like to think that growing food is in my blood. Early on in my life, I was interested in becoming a teacher. When I moved back to Chicago, I started seeing just how disconnected people were from their food and I realized I wanted to blend my passion for education with my goal to empower people to lead healthier lives.”

Before starting Just Roots, Sean earned his bachelor’s in Secondary Education and History from Lewis and was a Men’s Baseball player for two years. He was multi-year Dean’s List student and recipient of the Brother David Delahanty award for his excellence as a student-athlete. He was also heavily involved in campus ministry programming, an activity that allowed him to cultivate his passion for community. After graduation, Sean returned to Lewis as the coordinator of social justice education in campus ministry and as an adjunct professor for undergraduate theology and sociology, leading immersion experiences and teaching The Search For Faith and Cultural Diversity before jumping on the chance to start Just Roots.

Sean is proud of the organization and the goals he and his team have accomplished, despite Just Roots being in its infancy years.

“It’s always easier to think about things we could be doing better, but if I have to choose one thing that I’m really proud of, I’d say it’s the fact that we’ve built up a really strong network of people (staff, board, volunteers) who believe in the work we’re doing and want to see us continue improving 

the lives of community members.”

Just Roots hopes to reach their goal of growing more than 10,000 pounds of food in 2019 at their south side farm. They hope to open a second farm site in the near future to spread a love of growing food and to empower others to cultivate healthy lifestyles -- and relationships.

To learn more about Sean, his team, and Just Roots visit: https://justrootschicago.org/

Lewis Mission Moment: Erin Reichert '05 - The "Mom" of Bluffton High

Erin Reichert receives the Milken Educator Award at a surprise assembly, surrounded by her students.

When Bluffton High students in South Carolina were asked which teacher they would most likely refer to as “mom,” there was little debate that it would be Mrs. Reichert. It comes as no surprise when you hear about the unique and personal ways in which Erin (Clemmons) Reichert (’05) connects with her students and inspires a passion for learning. In fact, Reichert’s teaching philosophy has not only won the affection of her students, but has also earned her the Milken Educator Award – referred to by many as the “Oscar” of teaching.

Nevertheless, Reichert will be the first to tell you that this was never part of her plan. “You never know what your story is going to be,” Reichert says. “I thought I was going to be a lifer in Chicago. But my journey came from out of the blue.”

Reichert grew up in Illinois and planned to stay there for her entire life. She started her teaching career in Chicago, where she learned from an incredible teaching staff. For her, it was truly a dream job. Right after she finished her bachelor’s degree, she went to Lewis University for her master’s degree in school counseling. But halfway through the program, she started wondering if she even wanted to do school counseling. As God would have it, it is a degree that she uses daily in her teaching and interactions with her students – including her very first day of teaching: September 11, 2001.

“What I learned at Lewis makes me think of my students in a different way, using counseling skills to incorporate ease into their minds,” Reichert explains. “It led to the person I am in the school – not just a content teacher, but someone who can relate to them differently and talk to them about college, goals, and life. They know that I am going to focus on them as a person and that I care more about their character and living up to their potential than their specific grades."

Reichert’s plan also took a turn when she married and moved with her husband to South Carolina. She left her dream job and moved to a new state where she, in the beginning, felt out of place. She really struggled – until she stopped wishing she was in Chicago and realized that her own “transplant” helped her to better relate to her students, many of whom had moved from other states themselves or, in some way, felt out of place in their lives.

Through life’s twists and turns, Reichert ultimately held on to what she learned at Lewis. She takes the time to instill in her students a confidence in themselves. Sometimes they don’t see their own potential, so she helps them to see it. In her history classes, and the Youth and Government program she spearheads, she gets her students genuinely excited to learn and actively engaged – not only in the classroom, but also in the community. Many of her students have gone on to work in government or become active community members and citizens. Many students have come back to her to tell her that she is the reason they are who they are. For Reichert, that’s what teaching is all about. While she boasts an impressive list of learning opportunities and programs for her students, at the end of the day, her approach towards her students as unique individuals is what made her the “mom” of Bluffton High.

And Reichert’s approach was noticed by more than just her students. In 2018, she received the Milken Educator Award during a surprise assembly in her honor. The prestigious award, which includes a gift of $25,000, is given to early-to-mid career education professionals who display excellence in education and promise for the future. Currently, an American Educator Museum is being built which faces the White House and will display Milken Award winners, Reichert included.

Reichert was shocked when she learned she was a recipient of the award. But, in her typical fashion, she acknowledged that the award was about her students, not her. From receiving a student-centered Lewis education to becoming a truly student-centered educator, Reichert daily lives out the Lewis mission to transform the lives of her students through inclusive community, quality education, and a respect for the dignity of each individual. In other words, Reichert truly is the “mom” of Bluffton High.

Click here to watch the video of Reichert receiving the Milken Educator Award.

Lewis Mission Moments: Lauren Grady '16 - "Find Your Passion"

“My greatest piece of advice is to find your passion and go after it,” says Lauren Grady '16. “Don’t let self-doubt get in the way of what you’re meant to do. Believe in yourself and use your God-given talents to positively affect those around you.”

Lauren Grady is the type of person whose passion for helping others is evident in everything she does – and she certainly does a lot. As a Lewis student, Lauren could be seen constantly bouncing from one activity to the other. What made her truly stand out, however, was not the amount of activities she was involved in, but the dedication and compassion behind them.

Even though Lauren was extremely active at Lewis, it still took her time, and a few tries, to find her ultimate passion. When Lauren first stepped foot on campus, she was determined to be a teacher. However, that changed quickly after joining the school newspaper, the Lewis Flyer, where she fell in love with to journalism and switched her major. After spending a year with the school newspaper, Lauren decided to give something else a try. She landed on a major in international business with a minor in marketing and Spanish.

In addition to exploring her newfound major, Lauren made lifelong friends through her love of soccer. She was a star soccer player throughout her four years and was even joined by her younger sister Kelly on the soccer team. Even in the midst of the busyness, Lauren still managed to handle her schedule and help those around her. “I learned to find a balance between having fun and being in school,” Lauren says. It allowed me to focus on what's most important.” 

Because of her passion for helping others, Lauren got involved with peer ministry. As a peer minister, she was able to connect with others and make them feel welcome. 

“The community was incredibly supportive,” she recalls. “They make you feel important, like you’re the right person for the job”. Throughout her years, and her changes, Lewis was there for her and its mission is what led her to be the positive leader she is today.

Last June, Lauren was appointed District Manager of Aldi in Woodridge, IL. For a year prior, Lauren traveled from state to state and district to district, learning about her company and about how to manage her own district. This position at Aldi has allowed Lauren to show her leadership skills – skills that were started on Lewis’ campus.

Reflecting on her journey, Lauren says, “Being thrown lots of responsibility right out of school was really nice. It gave me the opportunity to make hard decisions – and to do what’s right, rather than just what’s easier.”

At the end of the day, Lauren’s goal is to be a positive leader – and to develop the people around her.

Her vast experiences at Lewis got her to where she is now, but it was Lewis’ mission and passion for people that shaped her to be the leader she is. 

Written by Montana Clasby '16, Advancement Communications Graduate Assistant