The President’s Medallion has three words etched onto it: leadership, scholarship and service. The award annually recognizes Loyola students who exemplify these words in their everyday lives, both inside and outside of the classroom.
This year, Alicia Crosby was selected as the recipient of the award for IPS. Read our Q&A with Alicia below to find out just a few reasons why she is so deserving of this honor.
How does it feel to be honored with this award?
It’s definitely a privilege, but is also a little surreal. In getting this degree, I’ve been committed to working hard and using my research to press into things that matter to me. It’s an incredible honor when the people who dedicate themselves to helping guide you along in this journey acknowledge that hard work and your passions through nominating you for something like the President’s Medallion. There are so many amazing students in our department who are doing great work so I really do consider it an honor to be chosen to receive this award.
What is your degree program and why did you choose this path?
In May I’ll receive my MA in Social Justice and Certificate in Non-Profit Management and Philanthropy. I’ve chosen this path because after years of praying and seeking, I came to understand that I feel most alive when I give voice to who people are meant to be then work to remove barriers that could potentially stop them. My work in sacred, social service, and educational contexts let me know that I needed to find an institution that could equip me to do the sort of interdisciplinary work that advocacy and activism require while also getting theologically grounded. In seeing IPS program materials some years ago speaking about things like moving people towards God’s “prophetic intent” for them, I knew this was where I was called to be.
Tell us about the work you are doing in your community.
I’m the co-founder of Center for Inclusivity (CFI), an organization that fosters healing community for people at the intersection of faith, gender, and sexuality. We work to provide services like clinical counseling, pastoral care, educational initiatives, and community gatherings to promote healthy exploration, growth, and healing for individuals affected by the perceived divisions surrounding issues of spirituality, sexual orientation and gender identity. Our heart is to connect the individuals behind “issues” and create safe space where people can bring the fullness of who they are to a community that will celebrate and care for them.
What is your motivation behind this work?
In my last few years of work as an educational advocate, I had a number of students come out to me and share they identified as LGBTQ+. I’d worked with many of them for years and in asking why they took so long to tell me, they noted that they understood me to be a person of faith and needed to trust that I wouldn’t sever our relationship because of them sharing their orientation.
That broke my heart. Those youth learned from the theology of others that their sexuality and gender identity makes them undesirable and unworthy of love. Faith is something that should be used to heal and help you lean into who you are, not cause you to hide for fear of abandonment (or worse). The work I do with CFI is about making the world a safer place for them by helping to create space where they can, in youth or in adulthood, express the fullness of who they are and know that they are accepted and have community.
What classes and/or professors have been instrumental to your success? And how?
Anyone who knows me can tell you the answer to this question is Dr. Peter Jones. Peter is absolutely amazing and his presence in my life has been such a blessing. He has pushed me in my thinking about so many things from theology to ethics and justice. Then he allowed me the space to process my thoughts both in and out of the classroom. I know that if I’m struggling with anything, I can count on him to be my ever patient, sagacious mentor who will help me unpack my thoughts and affirm me. I’m so grateful for his guidance and friendship.
What are your future goals?
I’ll continue my work removing barriers where I see them so that people are able to explore the fullness of what God has for them. For the foreseeable future this will be reflected through my work with Center for Inclusivity, but I don’t want to put limits on what I do or what God will do through me. Wherever I find myself, I just want to use my talents and gifts to clear the way for others to walk into who they are called to be.
If you want more information on Center for Inclusivity, please feel free to visit: http://www.centerforinclusivity.org/
Those wanting to see Alicia’s personal musings can check out her blog: http://chasingthepromise.net/
The award ceremony is taking place on Friday, November 6th. After the ceremony, you can celebrate the accomplishments of all the President’s Medallion recipients at the President’s Ball.
**Join the conversation by following @BrianSchmisek on Twitter and @LoyolaIPS on Instagram! Also, network with the Loyola Chicago IPS community on LinkedIn.