Tracy Iacovelli
Serving the City

            As a Jesuit institution, Loyola College in Maryland’s commitment to serving its community is essential to its core ideals and values.  A city rich in culture and history, Baltimore offers the Loyola College community numerous opportunities to become well-rounded and enlightened.  To remain faithful to the Society of Jesus’ mission to create an educational institution committed to serving others, Loyola College will give back to the Baltimore community by becoming aware of its citizens’ needs and finding ways to improve their quality of living.  I will fulfill my mission to contribute to Loyola’s incentive by continuing my participation in community service and using my membership of the Evergreen Associates to help non-profit organizations in Baltimore.

            Becoming an active member in the Community Service Council has afforded me several opportunities to serve the Baltimore community.  Events such as the Blood Drive, Senior Citizens’ Prom, Trick-or-Treating, Special Olympics, and the Spring Extravaganza reach out to people from every age group.  The beauty of these events lies in each member’s ability to initiate and strengthen personal connections with the participants.  Whether the event entails giving a special needs child a high five at the Special Olympics, painting an Easter egg with a Baltimore City elementary school student, or dancing with a senior citizen at the Senior Citizens’ Prom, every interaction becomes meaningful and rewarding.  Holding these events on campus fulfills Loyola’s objective to share its resources and time with the Baltimore Community.  Inviting individuals from the Baltimore community to campus demonstrates Loyola’s initiative to become one with the community in which it functions.  Therefore, my personal mission is to positively influence the lives of Baltimore citizens by participating in community service events.

            Working with the Evergreen Associates to help nonprofit organizations in Baltimore achieve success is another aspect of my mission.  I will strive to use my interests, talents, and passions for the benefit of others.  The Evergreen Associates, the Public Relations agency affiliated with Loyola College, stands as a strong bridge between Loyola and the Baltimore community.  By offering creative, quality public relations services to its clients, the Evergreen Associates help nonprofit organizations obtain more interaction with and attention from the Baltimore community.  The Evergreen Associates is therefore fulfilling the Jesuit mission because the Evergreen Associates is supporting and helping organizations that want to make a difference in Baltimore and the world.  The Year of the City is designed for students and faculty to become involved in and learn about the city in which they are learning and growing.  By working with nonprofit organizations in Baltimore, I will learn about the population each organization is trying to attract and interact with.  In this way I will achieve an increased understanding of Baltimore’s population and organizations.  The relationship between the Evergreen Associates and Baltimore’s nonprofit organizations is mutually beneficial in that Loyola students receive real-world experience in the public relations field, and the organizations receive public relations help that would otherwise be unaffordable.  Knowing each party helps the other builds a strong, healthy, and positive relationship, therefore strengthening Loyola’s ties with the Baltimore community.

            By serving and improving the Baltimore community, Loyola College in Maryland is able to carry out its Jesuit mission.  I will fulfill my mission to be an active participant in Loyola’s incentive by participating in community service and becoming an active member of the Evergreen Associates.  Working with and serving Baltimore citizens and organizations will enable students and faculty to give back to the community from which they learn, grow, and enrich their lives.