Meet Elesha West, she’s a recent grad of Baylor University in Waco,Texas. During her undergraduate career she studied Medical Humanities and Religion. Over the years she has been actively involved in outreach and evangelism ministry in the capacity of running a summer outreach program for the south suburbs of Chicago for six consecutive years. She did Mission Work in Haiti, Croatia, Washington, D.C. , and Detroit and worked as Assistant Director for Chicago Urban Outreach.
Elesha is currently a first semester grad student in the dual Master of Divinity/ Master of Pastoral Counseling Programs.
I am so excited to start this new journey with the Loyola community. While in undergrad I was enrolled Church History and Old Testament. So, I have some knowledge of the history and the Bible, but I am eager to learn more on a greater level.
What do you do outside of class?
I love traveling, going to plays and culture events, and anything to do with water (I love the beach!).
Any spots on campus or in Chicago that you like the most?
If I had to pick a spot in Chicago I like the most is anywhere sitting in front of the lakefront. Often times I will go up north and sit by the water for hours.
A favorite book, or one that impacted you and why?
The Healers Calling- Daniel Sulmasy- focuses on professionals administering healthcare from a holistic perspective . I enjoy topics such as health care from a Christian perspective, end of life care, suffering, and medical ethics.
Any advice you would give students about how to get the most out of their education?
Ask a lot of questions and submit yourself to someone bigger and better to you! Learn from those who are doing what you would like to do.
What do you do outside of school?
I currently work part-time at Arrupe College of Loyola University and Cornerstone Christian Center.
What is your favorite quote?
Proverbs 31: 17-18 – She equips herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] And makes her arms strong.18 She sees that her gain is good; Her lamp does not go out, but it burns continually through the night [she is prepared for whatever lies ahead].
What are your plans for after graduation?
When my program is over, I aspire to open up my own counseling practice focusing on family counseling and adolescents. My desire is to see other young people lay their life down for the church, unashamed, unhindered, and free to do what God has called them to do. Also, to be on pastoral staff at a local church as an evangelism/teaching pastor.
Meet Elesha West, she’s a recent grad of Baylor University in Waco,Texas. During her undergraduate career she studied Medical Humanities and Religion. Over the years she has been actively involved in outreach and evangelism ministry in the capacity of running a summer outreach program for the south suburbs of Chicago for six consecutive years. She did Mission Work in Haiti, Croatia, Washington, D.C. , and Detroit and worked as Assistant Director for Chicago Urban Outreach.
Elesha is currently a first semester grad student in the dual Master of Divinity/ Master of Pastoral Counseling Programs.
I am so excited to start this new journey with the Loyola community. While in undergrad I was enrolled Church History and Old Testament. So, I have some knowledge of the history and the Bible, but I am eager to learn more on a greater level.
What do you do outside of class?
I love traveling, going to plays and culture events, and anything to do with water (I love the beach!).
Any spots on campus or in Chicago that you like the most?
If I had to pick a spot in Chicago I like the most is anywhere sitting in front of the lakefront. Often times I will go up north and sit by the water for hours.
A favorite book, or one that impacted you and why?
The Healers Calling- Daniel Sulmasy- focuses on professionals administering healthcare from a holistic perspective . I enjoy topics such as health care from a Christian perspective, end of life care, suffering, and medical ethics.
Any advice you would give students about how to get the most out of their education?
Ask a lot of questions and submit yourself to someone bigger and better to you! Learn from those who are doing what you would like to do.
What do you do outside of school?
I currently work part-time at Arrupe College of Loyola University and Cornerstone Christian Center.
What is your favorite quote?
Proverbs 31: 17-18 – She equips herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] And makes her arms strong.18 She sees that her gain is good; Her lamp does not go out, but it burns continually through the night [she is prepared for whatever lies ahead].
What are your plans for after graduation?
When my program is over, I aspire to open up my own counseling practice focusing on family counseling and adolescents. My desire is to see other young people lay their life down for the church, unashamed, unhindered, and free to do what God has called them to do. Also, to be on pastoral staff at a local church as an evangelism/teaching pastor.
A university as a straight line from the Jesuits must point to a global formation, not only intellectual, a formation of the whole human person. In fact if the university becomes simply an academy of ideas or a «factory» of professionals or a mentality centered on business prevails in its structure then it is truly off the path. We have the [Spiritual] Exercises in hand. Here’s the challenge: take the university on the path of the Exercises. This means risking on the truth, and not on the «closed truth» that no one discusses. The truth of the encounter with people is open and requires that we let ourselves make enquiries truly from reality. And the Jesuit university must be involved with the real life of the Church and the Nation: also this is reality, in fact. A particular attention must be always be given to the marginalized, to the defense of those have more need of being protected. And this—it is clear—is not being a Communist: it is simply being truly involved with reality. In this case, in particular a Jesuit university must be fully involved with reality expressing the social thought of the Church. The free-market thought that removes man and woman from the center and puts money at the center is not ours. The doctrine of the Church is clear and it must move forward in this sense. – Pope Francis
This was drawn from a recent conversation with Pope Francis. With the Jesuits now gathered in their General Congregation to elect a new superior and to map out the future initiatives and strategies of the Society of Jesus, and the nation involved in an obviously polemical presidential campaign, join the whole community of IPS – students, faculty, staff, and alumni – in praying that the Holy Spirit guide us toward fulfilling this mandate.Let us follow our individual vocation to work for the in-breaking reign of God and to share our particular and collective charisms, thus playing our part in living the witness to which each of us is called.Let us never abandon our role to serve as prophets, ministers, educators, and disciples, or forsake the gospel for comfort, pride, wealth, or power. Let us live lives of justice, peace, solidarity, and holiness, realizing always that “Christ plays in ten thousand places, lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his, to the Father through the features of men’s faces.”
Dr. Michael Canaris
10-12-2016|Comments Off on What is the role of the Jesuit universities?
“I got involved in this project through an undergraduate immersion trip in 2009 when I taught at Marquette. I was invited by Chris Hallberg (who was then an undergraduate) to accompany students for a Spring break reverse-immersion trip to El Salvador. Another professor on that trip was a colleague of mine in engineering, Dr. Lars Olson. He had invented the HPN, but needed a team to help him move it from the lab to the world. That’s where Chris Hallberg and I came in. Once we had a team, the project really began to move forward,” said Therese.
She and the HPN team want to bring a life saving device to cities around the world where there is a high number of respiratory problems, but where the people are poor and often do not have immediate access to electricity.
The solution: an innovative, low-cost nebulizer that does not require electricity. The HPN will get its power from a hand crank on the side of the device. Just like any other nebulizer, the HPN converts liquid medicine into a mist that can be inhaled deep into the lungs.
Human Powered Nebulizer
Respiratory problems are a major cause of death and disability throughout the world. In fact, lower-respiratory infections (LRIs), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and tuberculosis (TB) account for three of the ten most prevalent causes of mortality. In addition, asthma and other respiratory problems account for a substantial and growing number of hospital visits each year. These diseases also differentially affect the poor, killing more than HIV and malaria combined.
This project could not have come at a better time for Therese, as she had recently began researching health issues like the ones above that affect people in countries around the world.
“I jumped at the chance to work on this project because a few years prior to this, I had begun to shift the focus of my work from standard issues in medical ethics (which Paul Farmer refers to as “quandaries of the rich”), to focus on the issues that plague most of the world, namely, lack of access to even the most basic care and more. So by 2009, I had been working on questions of global health and global medical ethics, and I was grateful for an opportunity to work with a team of people with a real world solution,” said Therese.
The HPN team has held focus groups, conducted clinical trials and continues to work closely with community health workers in El Salvador. Immersion into the culture is crucial to the project. For instance, the first design of the HPN was powered using leg muscles and resembled a bicycle. However, once tested, the team learned that this model was too heavy for easy transport through the villages and was not producing enough power. Some women in the community suggested using the arm muscles for power since the people use their arms for manual labor every day in that culture. This recommendation eventually led to the easy-to-carry, hand crank model it is now.
Previous HPN model
Not only does the HPN team want to make it physically compatible and efficient, but also medically. It is important that the HPN works just as effectively as an electric nebulizer. After a clinical trial in El Salvador, the results showed no statistical differences. In addition, the HPN addresses multiple respiratory conditions, unlike most global health interventions that only address one disease or condition.
Throughout the course of working on this project, there has been both challenging and rewarding moments for Therese.
“The most challenging parts of the project have been having to cultivate the virtue of patience and the cross-cultural education that such work necessarily entails. When one works on issues that involve poor people, without an intention to profit off of them, it can be a challenge to get grants and funding. Our project is low-tech, ‘appropriate’ technology that lacks the glitz and glamor that major funders like. So we have had to work much more slowly and patiently than Americans are accustomed to.
It’s also been a great challenge and privilege to work continuously in another country, to learn about that country’s cultural habits (and strengths and weaknesses) because they really teach a person about one’s own strengths and weaknesses (particularly the weaknesses). Also, repeatedly coming face-to-face with the impoverishment of a place like El Salvador—which is like much of the world—is repeatedly sobering.
This latter ‘challenge’ has also been a great reward. Probably the greatest reward, however, has been the deep gratitude of the community health workers and other front-line health care workers who have given us the great gift of working with us on our research. They are SO grateful for the HPN; they thank us over and over; they want more of them so that they can make a real difference in the lives of real people who are eking out a living in really remote areas. But every time they thank us, I know that it’s WE who should be thanking THEM, for the work they do (which is much, much harder than the work we do) and for their assistance with the project.”
In the end, the team’s goal is to produce a device that will last for 10 years and cost less than $50. “The HPN is designed to be used primarily by community health workers. The World Health Organization estimates that there are about 1.5 million community health workers in the world. We would love to put an HPN in the hands of every community health worker,” commented Therese.
As a personal goal, Therese would like “to continue to be challenged by these amazing people we get to work with in these developing countries, to continue to learn from them, to continue to work with them, and hopefully to eventually be fluent in Spanish!”
For more information on the project, device, history and more, visit hpnproject.org and like it on Facebook.
Join the conversation by following @BrianSchmisek on Twitter and @LoyolaIPS on Instagram! Also, network with the Loyola Chicago IPS community on LinkedIn.
6-02-2015|Comments Off on The Human Powered Nebulizer – “Bringing Life and Breath”
Have you found your passion in life yet? I have, with the help of my coursework here at the Institute of Pastoral Studies. I want to thank IPS for the direction and support they have given me as I have journied towards the completion of my MDiv degree.
I am also grateful to the academic programs here at Loyola that have allowed cross registration in other departments. This semester I am taking a course in the Social Work department this semester – SOWK 632 – Social Work Practice with Older Adults with Dr. Marcia Spira. This class has direct bearing on my career choice of working with older adults. Look around, Loyola has the right courses for you wherever your passions take you.
Erin Kane in front of an Elephant Orphanage in Kenya.
Public health, poverty, housing equality and women’s empowerment—the needs of the world are great. That’s why for Erin Kane, it was difficult to decide where to focus her career. But her study abroad experience in Kenya through Loyola’s Institute of Pastoral Studies gave her the vision and clarity she needed.
Erin took advantage of a trip to Kenya, as part of her master’s program in Social Justice and Community Development. Interested in how local groups can serve people in need, she met with Kenyan non-profit organizations and small businesses. Many of the organizations, such as Upendo Village, were aimed at providing affordable health care for HIV-affected families.
“The sheer generosity of everyone I encountered amazed me. So much work still needs to be done. But now I know why I’m doing it.” Through the trip, Erin found the focus and insight she’d been looking for. She now plans to find similar international work, with a focus on women’s health and well-being. “My Loyola trip to Kenya was by far a transformative experience. It brought home for me why I was working for social justice in the first place.”
Click here for more information about study abroad opportunities at IPS.
Click here for more information about the Master of Arts in Social Justice and Community Development program.
10-12-2012|Comments Off on Challenged and Changed: IPS Student Erin Kane Reflects on Kenya Trip
There are a number of events this summer scheduled for faculty and staff to engage in the mission of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and to honor his Feast Day of July 31. Please consider participating.
Ignatian Service Project: Friday, July 20
Loyola staff, faculty, and retirees will volunteer at Misericordia, in Rogers Park, and at St. Procopius Parish, a Jesuit-sponsored institution in Pilsen, on Friday, July 20. Full details on the service projects, departure times, and transportation are available now at the registration page. Registration is open through Friday, July 13.
Collection boxes will be available at all campuses gathering the materials listed below for St. Procopius. Food pantries often run lowest in their supplies during the summer months, so please consider being generous in all of these categories:
July 2–6: School Supplies (copy paper, crayons, pencils, construction paper, arts and crafts materials)
July 9–13: Clothing (especially work wear for men)
July 16–19: Food (especially staples such as rice, beans, and pasta)
Mass and Picnic: Friday, July 27
On Friday, July 27, we will celebrate the Feast Day of Saint Ignatius of Loyola with a Mass in Madonna della Strada Chapel at 11 a.m., and our annual picnic on the East Quad, beginning at 12:15 p.m. All are welcome. For those interested in singing in the choir at Mass, please contact Steven Betancourt at sbetancourt@luc.edu. Rehearsal will begin at 10 a.m. on July 27 in the MDS Chapel.
6-08-2012|Comments Off on Ignatian Service Day Information
The Center for the Human Rights of Children will host the daylong symposium, “Protecting Children’s Rights Through Multidisciplinary Forensics” this Friday, and the Loyola community is invited to attend. The program seeks to build the capacity of professionals across many disciplines to provide forensic evaluations, professional assessments, written affidavits, subject matter expertise, and expert testimony to advance and protect the human rights of children. Presentations and workshops throughout the day will address how experts in various disciplines can contribute their knowledge and skills to protect children’s rights, and provide the tools necessary to do so.
The following types of cases will be emphasized throughout the day: asylum, child abuse/neglect, human trafficking, unaccompanied minor, special education, high conflict custody cases, and juvenile justice.
The program will be held on November 4, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., in the Corboy Law Center. As mentioned above, all professionals, scholars, faculty, staff, and students with an interest in children’s rights issues are welcome to attend. Case studies will incorporate the following disciplines: medicine (including nursing and psychiatry), public health, mental health, education, law, social work, history, social justice, anthropology, political science, criminal justice, and specialized study in developing countries/regions. CLEs, CEUs, CNEs, and CPDUs are offered and limited scholarships are available.
Registration is required, as space is limited. Free admission will be provided to Loyola faculty, staff, and students. For more information, and to register, go to http://www.luc.edu/chrc/Forensics_Workshop.shtml
|Comments Off on Leverage your skills to protect children’s rights
from Susan Rans, MA Social Justice Community Development Graduate Program Director
No matter which direction you turn these days, the issue of housing appears. The struggling economy? Collapse of the housing bubble and its questionable finances. Neighborhood decline? Mortgage foreclosures and their impact. Unemployment? About one fifth of jobs are related to housing. Homelessness? See all of the above—housing.
In addition to historical patterns of housing discrimination, the impact of predatory lending, and the disappearance of affordable and subsidized housing, these new aspects of the housing crisis make it an impossible issue to ignore. And yet, housing is a really difficult subject to wrap your head around, as it is multi-faceted and complex. Just arriving at definitions for all the terms mentioned so far requires some study and research. I’ve often said that housing has a ‘secret language’—a series of acronyms and contributing factors that housing advocates use, inscrutable to most regular folks. Fannie Mae? Freddie Mac? Section 8? Section 221 (d) 3? Leverage? Derivatives?
So how does a person who yearns for a just society enter this world? Here at IPS, we have a great opportunity to learn from a master. This Fall, Erica Pascal, housing attorney and activist, will lead us in an exploration of current housing issues. In fact, that’s the title of the course: Current Housing Issues (IPS 648). A Community Development course open to anyone who wants to explore housing justice. Just thought you’d want to know…
7-26-2011|Comments Off on Housing as a Justice Issue