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Loyola’s commitment to cura personalis, care for the whole person, means we lead our students with personalized guidance, multiple pathways, an engaged network, and professional opportunities that facilitate their ability to answer their distinct calling.

Pursuing Your Passion and Your Purpose

Joseph Stewart-Sicking, Ed.D., is no stranger to the idea of discovering your calling. As a Loyola Master's in School Counseling professor and episcopal priest by training, Stewart-Sicking believes that those interested in becoming school leaders, counselors, and educators aren’t just looking to become competent, they’re looking to live a calling.

"Becoming an educator or counselor is not usually something that people choose out of a book. People who choose these paths have had their lives touched by people who were helpers and are motivated to give that gift to others," said Stewart-Sicking.

We prepare our students as educators and school leaders, but they are also nurtured as individuals with unique skills, experiences, and perspectives.

"When you feel called to something you’re in a very vulnerable state. That vulnerability informs our approach with students," continued Stewart-Sicking. "We’re very intentional about giving people personalized attention—helping to unlock their individual gifts and stories."

"My professors were always willing to answer questions and step in to help," shared Maria Hagan, ‘19, graduate of Loyola’s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program. "They listened to our struggles, to our frustrations, and celebrated all our successes."

An Individualized Learning Experience

Across all undergraduate and graduate education degrees and credential programs, classes are intentionally kept small. This learning experience allows for individualized guidance and mentorship from a diverse and dedicated group of faculty members, which Melissa Mulieri, director of the MAT program, believes is key to student success.

"Truly getting to know our students and what motivates them is core to how we lead, and it's one of the biggest assets of our school," said Mulieri. "Throughout our programs, we are helping students grow their competency, while encouraging students to delve into their own personal growth and self-awareness. These career paths are so personal, and applying those individual experiences into the work is a clear advantage for our students."

Career Preparation

Loyola alumna Lauren Giglio-Thomas, ‘09, MAT ‘12, M.Ed. ‘18, embodies this mission-driven spirit, one that is diligently guided by personal growth and nurtured in the classroom by dedicated faculty. "Loyola professors prepare you for the real world, both academically and personally, and do so in a way that allows students to find jobs after graduation and then to perform successfully in their careers," said Giglio-Thomas, a middle school counselor in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. "They challenged each of us to dig deeper, explore ourselves, challenge our beliefs, and work to be better people so that we can be effective counselors for others."

Giglio-Thomas’s experience is a product of Loyola’s commitment to fostering professional pathways in Baltimore and beyond. Loyola’s clinical and internship experiences include hands-on guidance and mentorship in and out of the classroom, tailored to students’ professional goals. We partner with eight professional development schools across Maryland that share our dedication and passion for creating life-changing opportunities through education.

"I really appreciate the community of professors, and how much they support us in theory and in practice," said Gillian Chambres, ’21, a Sociology and History major and Urban Education minor who enrolled in Loyola’s accelerated MAT program as a fifth-year student. "I wanted to teach in Baltimore and stay anchored in the city. The teacher education program made sure I was able to do that."

Convenient Program Options

From undergraduate programs and graduate programs offered in-person, to our flexible online programs, we create an experience that is as convenient as it is comprehensive.

Roger Murray, M.Ed. ’09, graduate of the American Kodály Institute at Loyola, an internationally-renowned program that attracts graduate students across the nation and internationally, views the flexibility of Loyola’s programs as a major selling point, and something that speaks directly to meeting the needs of current and aspiring educators. "Personally the most appealing aspect of the Kodály program at Loyola was the summer programming," said Murray. "For educators, it can be a major challenge to take classes while also teaching at the same time during the regular school year. Even with the program being held during the summer, there was an abundance of educational resources that every student could take advantage of."

Meeting students where they are, particularly through flexible course schedules and offerings, is essential to a thriving classroom, particularly when the coursework demands quality effort.

Applicable, Real-Life Experiences

"Our coursework is rigorous, but we’re preparing students to be ready on day one. When they walk into a classroom, they have the skills needed to be successful and to change lives," said Mulieri. "This is the guidance that students can expect at Loyola, and the mentorship that prepares graduates to not only feel excited about their work in the schools, but also to do so alongside established school leaders."

Najib Jammal, principal at Lakeland Elementary-Middle School, one of Loyola’s Baltimore City-based professional development schools, can attest to Loyola’s strong support and preparation.

"We have a number of teachers that come to us from Loyola," said Jammal. "What I’ve always loved about our Loyola students who become teachers here is the willingness to get into the work and gain the experience and continue growing. That’s something that’s key for me when I’m looking for teachers."

Ultimately, Loyola’s combination of mentorship and multiple pathways to an undergraduate or advanced education degree prepare students to become district, community, school, and classroom leaders ready to answer the calls of a diverse and changing world.

"Being a student at Loyola enabled me to widen my perspective. I hear the voices of my classmates, in a sense, reminding me that my viewpoint is not the only one; it reminds me to listen—to my students, to my colleagues, to their questions, and to my own," shared Lauren Harrington, a 2012 graduate of the Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction for Social Justice program.

"In the end, you see your education is not just checking a box but transforming you into the person you’re called to be," said Stewart-Sicking.