Four Years, One Empowered Experience

From the moment you’re admitted, Loyola’s Empowered Scholars Program surrounds you with the support, opportunities, and community you need to thrive in STEM. With dedicated faculty mentors, personalized advising, career preparation, and a built-in peer network, you’ll graduate ready to succeed in biochemistry, biology, chemistry, engineering, or forensic science.

Before You Start Classes

Even before your first day on campus, you’ll begin building your foundation as an Empowered Scholar:

• Admissions Coordinator assessment to identify your academic strengths and needs
• Virtual cohort meetups over Zoom before you move in
• Early Move-In activities with peers and families to help you settle in

Your First Year

Your first year is all about support, exploration, and community. You’ll benefit from:

• Two linked interdisciplinary Messina courses designed for Empowered Scholars
• A stipend for technology and course materials (including $600 toward a laptop)
• Peer mentoring through the Evergreen STEM program
• Messina Enrichment Hour for both academic support and social connection

Years 2 through 4

As you move deeper into your STEM major, Empowered Scholars continues to open doors:

• Career Seminar class to prepare you for internships, research, and graduate school
• Ongoing advising and career planning support each semester
• Professional mentorship opportunities through Loyola’s Rizzo Career Center
• Fun Friday activities and field trips to Baltimore and Washington, D.C., science organizations
• Cohort presentations to showcase your research and internship experiences
• Workshops on career development and life after Loyola

A Supportive, Career-Focused Community

From first-year orientation to graduation day, Empowered Scholars benefit from:

• At least two one-on-one advising sessions per semester with the program’s advising team
• Empowered soft skills workshops to strengthen leadership, communication, and resilience
• Designated tutoring sessions for challenging STEM gateway courses
• A cohort of STEM peers and mentors who will support you during college—and beyond

Empowered Scholars is more than a scholarship—it’s a four-year journey of growth, support, and opportunity in the sciences and engineering.