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This school was an obvious sign that God listens to my prayers.
— Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago student Blanca Rodriguez, opposite
their courses over five eight-week sessions throughout the year. Class sizes are small, students have more direct access to professors, and support staff are on hand to assist students. All of these ingredients are designed to pave the road to success for Arrupe students.
Blanca Rodriguez’s eyes widen with excitement when she talks about the opportunities Arrupe has given her. The oldest child of Mexican immigrants, Rodriguez has dreamed of going to college since she was in seventh grade. She knows the kind of sacrifices her parents made in leaving behind their home and family, all in the hope of making a better life for their children. That inspired Rodriguez, pushing her to work hard so that she can give back to her parents and set a good example for her two younger brothers. “It has always been in my head that I have to go to college in order
to be successful,” she says. “It has never really been a choice for me. It has been something I had to do.” Rodriguez was dejected upon realizing that a four-year university
would be financially out of reach. She had hoped to pay her own way through college rather than putting an additional financial burden on her parents. Like Cruz, she considered city colleges but was unim- pressed with the offerings. Then she discovered Arrupe. “I’ve always prayed to go to a good school and to have a good
education,” says Rodriguez. “This school was an obvious sign that God listens to my prayers.” Rodriguez was accepted, and through a package of financial aid
and scholarships she will graduate debt free. She realizes what a unique opportunity that is and says it is an added motivation. Thus far, her hard work is paying off. In the first eight-week session, she was among a select few students to make the Dean’s List. She hopes to attend Loyola to complete her bachelor’s degree, and if she keeps her grades up she knows she can qualify for automatic admission— and more importantly, for a merit-based scholarship. Arrupe also helped Rodriguez find a part-time job at a bank, where she works four days a week. She says the job has boosted her
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confidence and improved her organizational skills. The money she earns helps her contribute to the family’s bills and to buy groceries, which allows her father to reduce his overtime hours at work. For Rodriguez, it is a small way of showing her gratitude. That desire to serve others is something Rodriguez sees reflected
in Arrupe’s Jesuit mission. “Here we talk about how we need to be men and women for others. If I went to a community college, I feel like everybody would just be focusing on themselves,” she says. Rodriguez believes Arrupe is indeed preparing her to be a “wom-
an for others.” She wants to study psychology, with the goal of one day working with children who have mental disabilities. “I am not working for my own success,” she says. “I am working for the success of my parents because they had to struggle to come here. And I am working for the success of people that I want to help in the future to better their lives. I am not focusing on my own goals, I am focusing on how to better the lives of other people.”
When Arrupe’s morning classes let out, Osmar Cruz finds himself a quiet spot to study on campus. It’s a brief respite in an otherwise busy schedule. He still spends his evenings at the martial arts school, but he’s traded in his cleaning duties for teaching, lead- ing classes for children age 12 and ages 4 to 6. Then he tries to fit in a little more schoolwork before getting to bed. Cruz admits it is hard work, but feels those long hours at the res-
taurant and his martial arts training helped to mentally prepare him. “I always tell myself that nothing is ever too much,” he says. “It is not an obstacle. It is a challenge.” Cruz hopes to continue his studies at Loyola, with his sights set on
not only a bachelor’s degree but a PhD as well. He enjoys teaching and wants to someday be a college professor. Yet he knows none of it would be possible without Arrupe allowing him to take the first step. “I am very proud to be an Arrupe student,” he says. “I am thankful for everybody who supported the making of this college, because now there is one more person in this world who has an opportunity.” L
A DAY IN THE LIFE
What’s life like for an Arrupe College student? Follow Edquitta Alexander through her daily routine.
LUC.edu/ arrupe/videos
PHOTOS BY HEATHER EIDSON
WINTER 2016 17
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