Congratulations to each of you, members of Loyola University Chicago’s 2021 Class!

Dear Loyola Graduate,

As we celebrate Loyola University Chicago’s 150th Anniversary during the 2020-21 academic year, our entire community joins me to extend warm congratulations on your graduation day.

This year, the ways we mark this significant milestone may be different, yet the reason we celebrate has not changed. Today marks the culmination of years of hard work and dedication that likely began long before your Loyola journey.

The challenges you navigated during your time at Loyola and the care you have shown for each other during a year of global pandemic make your successes even more remarkable. I encourage you to be fully present in this moment with appreciation for what you have accomplished and with fondness for the teachers, mentors, family, and friends who have supported you along your path.

Remember that this is a celebration and a dream come true for many of them, too.

Your time at Loyola challenged you to reach deep within yourself and expand out into the world with compassion and openness. You have broadened the frontiers of your knowledge and have become well-equipped to consider perspectives and experiences other than your own. As you go forward, challenge yourself to continue to learn and grow throughout your lifetime.

Our hearts are with you as you go forth embracing your calling and bearing these gifts in service to others. Congratulations and best wishes!

Sincerely,

Jo Ann Rooney, JD, LLM, EdD

President

A letter from Alumni Relations

Dear Graduate,

Congratulations on your graduation, and welcome to Loyola’s alumni community! It’s a great time to be a Rambler and an alum. We celebrate the students, staff, faculty, alumni, and friends of Loyola who continue to make this University the special place it is.

While graduation signals your change from student to alum, it also signals a new beginning. Commencement is the first step in your new relationship with Loyola. You join over 150,000 other proud alumni who have found a number of ways to stay connected to their alma mater.

Here are a few ways you can stay engaged:

Attend Alumni Weekend. Join us on October 1-3, 2021, and experience Loyola as an alum. Alumni Weekend is a great time to reconnect and celebrate all the memories you’ve made the past few years. We look forward to celebrating the Class of 2021 this fall. Visit LUC.edu/alumni for more details.

Come to events. Join your fellow alumni in Chicago and nationwide for networking, career development, happy hours, volunteer opportunities, and sporting events. To register for and learn about future alumni events, visit LUC.edu/alumni/events.

Stay connected. As a graduate of Loyola University Chicago, you are a member of a global network of alumni. Become an active member of this network by joining the Loyola alumni group on LinkedIn, “liking” the Loyola alumni page on Facebook, following us on Instagram and Twitter, and creating your online alumni profile to connect with alumni all over the world. To create your profile, visit LUC.edu/alumni/directory. Make sure to keep us posted if you move or change jobs.

Volunteer. Alumni help plan reunions, participate in service opportunities, serve on a volunteer board, organize regional events, provide career advice for students and other alumni, and much more. E-mail LUC-alum@LUC.edu to let us know about your volunteering interests.

Support Loyola. Help enhance Loyola’s reputation by promoting the University and keeping in touch. Recommend Loyola to a high school student. Let other alumni know about the good work you are doing in your community by submitting a class note. Hire a Loyolan or host a Loyola student to intern. Share the news about Loyola with your family, friends, and neighbors. Wear Loyola gear, and show your Rambler pride! When you are able, please consider supporting student scholarships and university initiatives financially.

We hope your Jesuit education serves you well and that you continue to be successful, caring people for and with others.

Congratulations!

Alumni Relations

Prayer For Our Graduates

May God bless you and sustain you on this your graduation day.

May the Creator of this vast universe keep you safe as you go forth from this place that has nourished your mind and your soul.

May the Almighty look down upon you and give you success in all your endeavors, courage in all your struggles and challenges, understanding in all that is new to you, wisdom to choose what is right and do what is good, perseverance in all you undertake, serenity and peace in the knowledge that you are not alone, that you are loved.

May the Lord of All look kindly upon you this day and forever.

Amen