Lewis Mission Moment: Welcome Home Carley

“All that I hope to be, the Lewis community has inspired in me: passion for service, advocacy for justice, love of community, and an undying excitement for learning."

At the age of 17, Carley Maupin (’19) stepped foot onto the Lewis campus for the first time. A compassionate girl with a dream – and an unmistakable competitive edge – she had a number of universities she could have chosen, but the moment she came to Lewis, she felt at home.

Even though Carley knew she was in the right place, she didn’t fully understand what Lewis was all about until she became a student and an active member of the Lewis community.

“Each year I see myself as a LaSallian even more,” Carley explains. “My professors have helped me to see that I can do bigger things at a larger scale if I push myself and face the challenges ahead.”

Doing “bigger things” while living out the LaSallian mission is exactly what Carley has been doing. Carley is working towards identifying treatments that will benefit those who have been victim to sexual violence. Through her current internship as a Student Researcher at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, she is researching the relationship between sexual violence and a person’s wellness over time. Essentially, she is trying to predict how individuals who have experienced sexual violence may react to different interventions. Carly’s unique experience will have a ripple effect on countless lives.

Carley is confident: “We can make the world a better place,” she states. But she knows that she isn’t doing it alone.

“I’m able to have opportunities at Lewis such as this internship because of the generosity of others,” the soon-to-be-college-senior says. “I’m very humbled and grateful for the opportunities donors have made possible.” Because someone believed in her enough to grant her a scholarship, Carley is doing big things, with dreams of continuing on to graduate school, becoming a LaSallian volunteer, or joining the Peace Corps. Her future is bright and open – and she fully intends to pay it back.

“At some point in my life, I’m going to be one of them,” Carley says, referring to the donors who helped her.

No matter where Carley goes to make an impact, she will remember Lewis as “home.”  Students who care, turn into alumni who care. Good Luck in all your research and living out the Lasallian mission, Carley!

Lewis Mission Moments - The Journey to Graduation

At Lewis, we see many faces cross the stage at commencement, each of them with a special story about how they arrived at this day.

In December 2017, we met Suzette Foscett. Suzette’s journey culminated in the center of that brightly lit stage as thousands of faces watched from the floor. To most, she is just another graduate. To her family, she is a role model. To Lewis, she is the inspiration for students of any age who dream of completing their degree – no matter how long it takes.

Suzette’s graduation was a long-time dream. Her daughter and her granddaughter – who were Lewis graduates already – were on hand to celebrate the occasion, along with other members of their family. And celebrate they did! Suzette’s guests said that she has sacrificed throughout her life to make sure her children were taken care of and educated. They were beyond excited to see her achieving her own dreams of an education as well.

Suzette, through smiles and maybe a few tears, noted that even though she’s 64, she’s thrilled to be a college graduate herself.

“I did it, and I’m so glad! I’ve always wanted to do this, but my children’s needs came first, as they should,” said Suzette. “But now it’s my turn, and I just cannot thank everyone enough for their encouragement and support towards this day!”

In the words of St. John Baptist De La Salle: “Preach by example, and practice before the eyes of the young what you wish them to accept.” (Med 99.2 - on the life of St John Chrysostom) 

Congratulations, Suzette, and thank you for being an example for others.

Lewis Mission Moments - A Lifetime of Memories

Sita Patel, student

"I am truly honored and grateful to be the recipient of the Livingston Family Endowment for Study Abroad Scholarship for my semester abroad in Spain this past spring. The generosity of donors in providing this scholarship has given me the amazing opportunity to enhance my educational and cultural experience abroad. On a personal note, I am the last in my family to attend college, and as the youngest of three children, I hope to make my parents proud as their last child walks across the stage in two and a half years. My experience at Lewis so far has been filled with many joyous memories and unique opportunities. I took U.S.-Latino Literature my second semester of freshman year, and the course taught me a lot about the Latinos in the Western Hemisphere. It prompted me to want to study abroad in Spain to learn about the Spanish history in the Eastern Hemisphere. After I graduate from Lewis, I am hoping to teach Spanish in a high school setting in the state of Illinois. The experience was amazing, and I am forever grateful for the opportunity to have experienced another culture and country to enhance my education."

Want to see more photos and read about Sita's educational adventure? Visit sitasabroad.blogspot.com.

 

 

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

Lewis Mission Moments: Women in Aviation - Strengthening the Path

From a sky-high sight-seeing tour of Niagra Falls to dark clouds rolling in, two of Lewis' female aviators took to the skies to put their talents to the test.

Those two pilots are Jane Zieba and Megan Shaffer, who recently competed in the Air Race Classic against many other female pilots. It was a stormy ride for the Lewis University Air Race Classic Team, but 2,659 miles later they made it to the finish line in Fryeburg, Maine!

Out of approximately 609,306 pilots in the United States, only 42,694 are women (according to FAA's Aeronautical Center). That's a pretty significant imbalance, but the solution to diversifying aviation continues with the awareness, education, and opportunities available to young women like Jane and Megan. Opportunities that Lewis is proud to provide!

On the Lewis University Air Race Classic Team Facebook page, the women shared snippets of their adventure, including the incredible opportunity to meet a pioneer of females in aviation.

“Today was a very busy day for Team 50! Our official race briefings began and we got to meet a member of the group called Mercury 13. Her name is Gene Nora Jessen. The Mercury 13 were the first group of American women pilots to undergo tests to show that women are fit to be astronauts. A true trailblazer. She also authored the book Sky Girls which is about the very first all-female air race known as the Women's Air Derby that took place in 1929 that featured racers such as Amelia Earhart. This race transformed over time into the Air Race Classic that we are competing in. She signed and gifted a book to each racer. (We are very excited to read them). After that, we attended the Race Start Banquet where we heard from, Nell, a Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) veteran. WASP was a group that flew military aircraft around the country for many purposes such as ferrying and training to help the WWII effort. The WASP training took place at Avenger field. The same airfield where we will be starting our race! At that point in time women flying those planes were unheard of, but they helped prove women were more than capable. Meeting and hearing these real life heroes and their stories reminded us just how lucky we are to be doing the thing we all love so deeply: FLY!”

In an industry dominated by men, these women are continuing the trend of a steady increase in females in aviation over the last two decades. It isn’t just the flight experience that makes an impact for these pilots, however – it’s the transformative experience of the opportunity to compete against, network with, and meet other extraordinary female aviators while beginning a career they truly love.

 

Great job representing #LewisU, Team Lewis Flyers, and we look forward to seeing what you accomplish in your careers!

Written by Allie Rios, Director of Advancement Communications

International Women's Day: The First Women at Lewis

Editor's Note: In honor of International Women's Day, we bring you this story of our first women students at Lewis University. A version of this article originally appeared in the Summer 2013 issue of the Lewis University Magazine. Do you have a campus memory to share? Email us at alumni@lewisu.edu and share your story.

After World War II, Lewis College of Science and Technology began to admit women as students and high school classes were discontinued. The college granted its first baccalaureate degrees in 1952.

Some of the earliest female attendees included Jane Stiker '56 (English), Arlene Olson, and Pat Klug. Living in the barracks still situated on campus from World War II during the 1950s, the women adhered to different rules than today’s generation of college students. Wearing dresses instead of pants to class was required, and a curfew on both weeknights and weekends was enforced.