SOC senior wins President鈥檚 Medallion
Interview by Genevieve Buthod
This year鈥檚 SOC winner of Loyola鈥檚 President鈥檚 Medallion is Adele Gedig, a senior majoring in Advocacy and Social Change and minoring in Environmental Communication. She sees fighting for environmental justice as an important way she can make the world a better place with her degree from 草莓社区. The President鈥檚 Medallion is one of the most prestigious awards conferred by Loyola, given to students who best exemplify a combination of outstanding scholarship, leadership, and service. Adele sees that listening to those you are serving is one of the most important aspects of service, and incorporates that philosophy into her studies and volunteer work.
How did you feel when you learned you were this year鈥檚 President鈥檚 Medallion winner?
It was a complete surprise, it lifted my whole heart. I鈥檓 applying to grad school right now and it really boosted my confidence. It鈥檚 been really difficult lately. Being back in person has been rough. I鈥檝e been very busy. Everything has been weighing me down and stressing me out. This very good news was a bright and shining star in my life. In fact, 鈥渧ery good news鈥� is a big understatement.
Can you tell me more about your life on campus?
I鈥檓 an RA in Mertz Hall, I鈥檝e been an RA every year except for last year because of COVID-19. That鈥檚 a big part of my life, being an RA. I also have two other jobs on campus. I鈥檓 an office assistant in the mathematics department and I also work as a Gentile Arena game day ticketing staff member.
Something I love about all of my jobs is I鈥檓 able to get to know a lot of people. I鈥檓 meeting math professors and grad students. It鈥檚 really interesting to get to know different parts of Loyola. Of course, with Gentile Arena, being able to go to all the games is really cool. I like being able to see all the different worlds in Loyola.
A big part of the President鈥檚 Medallion Award is related to service. Can you tell me about your service while at Loyola?
I鈥檓 currently volunteering with , which is an organization right near Lakeshore Campus that works with girls who are refugees, as well as their families. At my time at Loyola I鈥檝e done a little bit of everything. I was a member of Loyola for Chicago for a while, I tutored elementary students at Chicago Public Schools (CPS). I also tutored CPS high school juniors for the SAT, right before the pandemic shut everything down.
Can you tell me more about Girl Forward?
With Girl Forward, the communications director actually graduated four years ago from the Advocacy and Social Change program. Her name is
I鈥檓 volunteering there through my Gender and Communication class. It鈥檚 an engaged learning class, but because of the pandemic, it鈥檚 a little different now than it was in the past. This year we鈥檙e only working with one organization, rather than many, but we鈥檙e all working with Girl Forward in different capacities. Some students are doing tutoring. Some are helping with day to day operations at the center, including managing donations. This upcoming Saturday they鈥檙e having a block party which I鈥檓 going to help with. The party is meant to help people learn about the organization and the resources they provide.
Does any of your service give back to the university or the School of Communication?
I鈥檝e done quite a bit of service for the School of Communication. I鈥檝e volunteered for the Admission Open Houses two times already and I鈥檓 doing it a third time. I鈥檓 also on a student advisory board, led by Dr. Elizabeth Lozano, for both the Communications Studies major and the Advocacy and Social Change major. It鈥檚 something that鈥檚 really important to me. I love the School of Communication community. There鈥檚 some wonderful things about this school that I feel so blessed to be a part of, and I just want to give back. I see these roles as an honor and a privilege.
What kind of work do you do while serving on the student advisory board?
On the board, we discuss improvements for the program. All of us are students in one of the two programs. We talk about our experience. Dr. Lozano looks for feedback on things like curriculum revisions. She wants to know our experience in our classes, if we feel equipped to enter the field. It鈥檚 really exciting because it鈥檚 looking at the future of the program. Looking at what we do well, what鈥檚 special about our particular programs. We鈥檙e trying to get the word out not just at Loyola but outside of it as well.
You mentioned how busy you鈥檝e been applying for graduate school. What area of study do you hope to pursue?
I鈥檓 applying for grad school programs in environmental management and environmental justice. I signed up for the minor (at the SOC) right away. I鈥檓 drawn to environmental issues. The core requirement for LUC students who aren鈥檛 science majors is that we have to take a science course, and I took the environmental science course. I was so intrigued by the topics that had to do with human rights. I learned that environmental issues disproportionately affect people who are already oppressed. The immense injustice of that is what got me interested. This minor appealed to me because I鈥檓 not a science person, but I鈥檓 very interested in environmental justice. Communication is super interdisciplinary. I鈥檓 in my third environmental science class through the School of Environmental Sustainability (SES). I took classes on persuasive presentations, and right now I鈥檓 taking a class on environmental journalism. Thinking about the justice issues that have to do with it, and how we communicate about that, is so interesting and I think a lot about how I fit into this puzzle, and how I can help. I just think it鈥檚 an amazing thing that the SOC is connecting with SES.
Where are you applying for environmental justice programs at the graduate level?
I鈥檓 applying at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and Dr. Urooj Raja actually did her PhD there and so I love being able to talk to her about it. I鈥檓 also applying to the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, a school in Monterey California called Middlebury Institute of International Studies, and also Yale School of the Environment. They have a specialization in people, equity, and the environment. There鈥檚 a lot of environmental science programs out there, but the interdisciplinary part is harder to find, so that鈥檚 why I鈥檓 only applying to four schools.
Once you graduate from your future environmental justice program, what do you hope to do with your degree?
I see myself working with some kind of organization that works with people. I like working with communities. I think sometimes organizations overlook the fact that the people are what matter. I want to see what people need and offer help. Communities themselves know the best what they need, better than any advocate who wants to help. That鈥檚 something I learned from my professors, Dr. Lozano, Dr. (George) Villanueva, Dr. (Julia) DeCook. It鈥檚 humbling. It鈥檚 not just about how you do social justice work, but how you go about it in a way that鈥檚 not perpetuating injustice. When you鈥檙e doing social justice work, you have to take the right steps to ask questions. You have to learn how to break that savior complex.