Alpha Sigma Nu Annual Magazine | Issue 5

The Honor Society of Jesuit Colleges and Universities

Dear members of Alpha Sigma Nu,

I started in this role June 2022, and in reflecting upon the year, a moment stands out in my mind. Traveling to the Jesuit Curia in Rome for the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU) board meeting (see feature on page 5), the gathering time closed with Mass in the rooms of St. Ignatius where he lived and worked for nearly 20 years as the first Superior General of the Jesuits.

As I sat with these 15 or so leaders of Jesuit universities and institutions from across the world, I was struck by the global reach of the Jesuit mission and found myself humbled to recognize that I am part of that network and that mission through my membership in Alpha Sigma Nu. As a member of Alpha Sigma Nu, you too are a leader who is part of this lifelong and global effort; you are part of a widespread commitment to creating a more just society. In being people for and with others, you help animate the Jesuit mission every day.

This year, our Board of Directors has also engaged with many of the same questions as the IAJU leaders in Rome – big questions of how we lead the organization as collaborators of mission. What is the best direction for our Jesuit Honor Society? What is the goal for our members? The potential is exciting and complex, and when we operate and respond with love, as the Gospels teach us, we answer both questions. The urgency to do what is right, to console and be compassionate, is the call for both our organization and our members. In this issue, we highlight our chapters that have striven to strengthen community, and the members who have responded to their vocation in serving others and who have lived out the Alpha Sigma Nu tenets of scholarship, loyalty, and service.

Rev. Michael Garanzini, S.J., presider of the closing Mass in Rome read a poem, Without Love, by Earl Jäger, that reminded me of the achievements of our members: the tension to be your best versus the best, and the ease by which love can allow us to find balance and the grace of God. Let us continue to love our neighbors and perhaps we will find ourselves on the Ignatian way of proceeding.

With gratitude,

Clara Dwyer, Marquette ’19 Executive Director, AΣN

PS. To be conscientious stewards of our resources, starting in 2024, we will only be mailing our annual magazine to subscribers. If you would like to continue receiving the AΣN annual magazine in the mail, please scan the QR code or email us at info@alphasigmanu.org. Otherwise, be sure your email is up to date in our directory, and we will notify you when the magazine is available online.

Without Love

Duty – without love –makes you grumpy.

Responsibility – without love –makes you unfeeling.

Justice – without love –makes you hard-hearted.

Truth – without love –makes you critical.

Education – without love –makes you contrarian.

Intelligence – without love –makes you sly.

Friendliness – without love –makes you hypocritical.

Order – without love –makes you petty.

Expertise – without love –makes you dogmatic.

Power – without love –makes you violent.

Honors – without love –makes you proud and haughty. Possessions – without love –make(s) you greedy.

Faith – without love –makes you fanatical.

Dwyer with Rev. Joseph Nguyen, SJ (USF Chapter Adviser ’23) and President of USF, Rev. Paul Fitzgerald, SJ (’79)

Dwyer with Dr. Jason Arthur (Rockhurst Chapter Adviser ’15) and President of Rockhurst, Dr. Sandra Cassady (’23)

FROM THE

MEET THE NEWEST AΣN BOARD MEMBERS

VISITING THE IAJU IN ROME

CHAPTER ADVISER HIGHLIGHTS

CHAPTER OF THE YEAR AWARDS

The Chapter of the Year awards honor student chapters that exemplify exceptional chapter engagement.

MEMBER FEATURE: Janine Geske

Retired Wisconsin Supreme Court Judge Janine Geske (Marquette ’75) shares her vocational journey in restorative justice.

IGNATIAN DISCERNMENT FOR YOUNG ALUMNI

2023 AΣN MAGIS MEDAL RECIPIENTS

MAGIS 2023: CREATING A HOPE-FILLED FUTURE

HEROIC LEADERSHIP FOR ALL AND THE AΣN MENTORING PROGRAM

AΣN LEGACY: THE SHEEHAN FAMILY OF LE MOYNE COLLEGE

IGNATIAN LEGACY FELLOWS

Alpha Sigma Nu Annual Magazine alphasigmanu.org/news/ alpha-sigma-nu-magazine-archive

STAFF

Clara Dwyer

Executive Director

Amy O’Neil

Director of Development and Alumni Relations

Sarah Craine

Director of Operations and Communications

Contributors

Skyler Chun

Intern

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Alpha Sigma Nu (Group)

Please note: In all AΣN publications, induction years, not graduation years, are listed after colleges.

Cover: 2022 Alpha Sigma Nu Triennial Conference attendees on the steps of St. John’s Parish Catholic Church at Creighton University in Omaha, NE.

Credit: Rebecca S. Gratz

All photos provided by Alpha Sigma Nu

Get to know the newest Board Members

At the AΣN Triennial Conference at Creighton University last October, chapter presidents, chapter advisers, alumni club presidents, and board members elected two new student board members, Mashaal Shameem (Seattle ’22) and Brandon DaGrosa (Scranton ’22).

How do you personally live out the AΣN tenets of Loyalty, Service, and Scholarship?

Mashaal: I find joy in being curious. Our world and the community we live in is expansive and learning happens both inside and beyond the classroom. As for loyalty and service, I find they go hand in hand. I am fiercely loyal to my identity and values rooted in love, empathy, and patience. Each day, I try and find something to smile about, be kind, and practice being patient and receptive to whatever comes my way.

Brandon: I try to keep these three in mind with everything I do, even the little things. I spent my four years in Scranton volunteering with the Center for Service and Social Justice, with combatting food insecurity as my primary focus. I have continued to strive for excellence in scholarship and push myself towards growth. I also tie all these things back to my commitment to God and the greater mission of the Jesuits.

What is an interesting fun fact about you that helps you stay grounded or fills your cup?

Mashaal: What helps me to stay grounded is the idea that everyone has their own unique perspective on life. It is important to listen and honor what someone says or thinks because that is what the human connection is. We get to listen, take in, and teach each other new ideas and in doing so, hold space for each other as people.

Brandon: One fun fact about me is that I love spending time in nature. I’ve grown up in a house right next to the woods and have been taught to love the outdoors. As I get older, I try to get outside as much as I can, whether that be hiking, fishing, swimming, or disc golf.

In addition to the two new student board members, Rev. Ryan Duns, SJ, (Canisius ’01) joined the AΣN Board in August. Currently, he is an assistant professor of theology at Marquette University and recently completed writing a book entitled Horror: Metaphysical and Theological Fragments. In addition to his scholarly pursuits and teaching, Fr. Ryan continues to perform and teach traditional Irish

music throughout the world. His YouTube tin whistle lessons have over 16,000 subscribers and have been viewed over six million times.

Below he describes how the Universal Apostolic Preference, Journeying with Youth, orients his service to the board and as an AΣN faculty adviser at Marquette University.

Fr. Ryan: The spiritual struggle I find many young people facing can be expressed in two questions: Does anybody know me? Does anybody love me? There is no argument that offers a satisfying answer. The only “proof” I know of comes by being present to, and journeying with, those who raise these questions.

By drawing on the talents of its members, Alpha Sigma Nu is in a privileged position to cultivate campus cultures and networks that help young people to feel known and valued. Journeying with youth requires no GPS coordinate, no itinerary. It involves, instead, a trust that God’s Spirit is working within the lives of every individual. As AΣN members, we should embrace this Apostolic Priority by encouraging young adults to risk becoming who God calls them to be. This journey is not a race but a grace, one asking us to invest our time now to create a hope-filled future.

L: Mashaal with Seattle University Provost Shane Martin, Ph.D. (Loyola New Orleans ’85)

R: Brandon with Rev. Daniel Sweeney, SJ (‘19), Assistant Professor at University of Scranton

Bottom: Rev. Ryan Duns, SJ with Marquette alumni leaders at the 2022 AΣN Triennial Conference

Alpha Sigma Nu

A Visit to the Jesuit Curia in Rome

In March 2023, board members of the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU) met to discuss the evolution of Jesuit higher education in a diversifying global environment. With AΣN Board President Rev. Seán Michaelson, SJ (USF ’09) of the Jesuit Conference in Canada and the United States, Executive Director, Clara Dwyer, presented to the board members about adapting the Alpha Sigma Nu model outside of the United States.

With Alpha Sigma Nu chapters opening at the Universidad Loyola Andalucía (Spain) and Universidad del Pacífico (Peru) in the last five years, the organization recognizes that the AΣN model and framework has great gifts to offer worldwide. It can:

• encourage long-term loyalty between graduates of Jesuit institutions and the Jesuit mission

• honor exceptional individuals

• promote service for the greater glory of God

Alpha Sigma Nu takes a deliberate approach in proceeding with intention considering the cultural, economic, environmental, political, and ideological factors. Words from Father General Sosa, SJ’s speech at the University of Antonio Ruiz de Montoya in Lima, Peru, 23 March 2017, helps us to reflect upon our way of proceeding.

“During his visit to the 36th General Congregation in October 2016, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, invited [partners in the Jesuit mission] to continue to work from the spiritual depth, with the intellectual depth and

vision of the processes involved in the people and in the relationships of these people with each other and with nature. It is not a question of occupying spaces, he said, but rather of engendering and accompanying processes of growth and transformation, according to what corresponds to each circumstance, according to people, times, and places, as Ignatius of Loyola liked to say.”

The Ignatian worldview inspires us to think about the outcome, but equally important is the process in relation to the complexities of global interconnectedness.

The IAJU is an association of six regional associations including Asia Pacific (AJCU-AP), North America (AJCU), Africa and Madagascar (AJCU-AM), Kircher Network - Jesuit Higher Education in Europe and Near East, South Asia (JHEASA), and the Asociación de Universidades Confiadas a la Compañia de Jesús (AUSJAL). To learn more about the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU), visit their website at www.iaju.org.

Dwyer and Michaelson with Father General Arturo Sosa, SJ

Having recently finished a term as chair of the theology department at Loyola Marymount University, Amir Hussain will continue his role as the Daum Professor in the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts in 2023-2024. In addition to being the Alpha Sigma Nu chapter adviser at LMU, he is also the adviser for LMU’s Office of Muslim Student Life. Hussain serves as the principal investigator behind a grant for over $1 million to help a team train the next generation of Catholic leaders in Southern California. Finally, he has the honor of serving as the president of The American Academy of Religion, which is the world’s largest academic association and organization of scholars of religion.

“My work, the Jesuit, and AΣN mission weaves together, both in the magis, the “more” of education, and the service of faith. It was at an international conference on Jesuit education in Barcelona last year, a year after I had done the Spiritual Exercises and 17 years after I began teaching at LMU, that I truly began to understand Jesuit pedagogy. We reach our students where they are, and help them to become their best selves, as well as people for others. It’s an extraordinary privilege to do what we do in accompanying young people.”

Vanessa Rotondo serves as the Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the President at Fordham University. Previously Associate Director of Campus Engagement and Senior Adviser for Ignatian Leadership with Fordham’s Center for Community Engaged Learning, she led on Fordham’s global community engagement strategy and offerings of Ignatian leadership formation programs. Everything from the global immersion to Rome to learn about the Synod on Synodality, to the fun Battle at Pamplona dodgeball game, originates with her. Rotondo is also a doctoral candidate, where she is writing her dissertation on liquid modern Ignatian pedagogical models. She feels lucky to be the adviser for Fordham’s chapter of Alpha Sigma Nu, where she gets to work with students who live the AΣN mission of loyalty, scholarship, and service.

“I believe that being part of any student’s journey and formation while they are in college is a true blessing; being able to live that through Alpha Sigma Nu’s intentional focus on Ignatian leadership development is a joy beyond words. “

Lester Manzano is Assistant Vice President for Student Academic Services and Clinical Assistant Professor of Higher Education at Loyola University Chicago. In his role as Assistant Vice President, he provides leadership and support for student success departments including New Student Programs, First and Second Year Advising, Learning and Academic Success, Scholars Programs and TRIO Student Support Services, Student Accessibility, and Student-Athlete Academic Services. Manzano works with dedicated student affairs educators who provide students with opportunities for learning, growth, and reflection as they pursue their academic goals. Since 2021, he has also served as Loyola Chicago’s Alpha Sigma Nu chapter adviser, committed to supporting chapter officers and members in fostering a lifelong commitment to intellectual development, Ignatian spirituality, and service to others.

“My work in promoting student academic success is rooted in cura personalis and social justice, and I have carried these values into my role supporting Alpha Sigma Nu at Loyola Chicago.”

Amir Hussain Loyola Marymount ’19

Vanessa Rotondo Fordham ’19

Lester Manzano Loyola Chicago ’22

Sarah Greenwood is the new Chapter Coordinator at Campion College, but Alpha Sigma Nu is not new to her. Greenwood was invited to join Alpha Sigma Nu as an undergraduate student which she describes as “a memorable moment in what has become a lifelong journey, exploring what it means to engage with the Jesuits and with Ignatian spirituality, while also living my vocation as a lay person, especially as a woman.” Greenwood later wrote her master’s thesis touching on some of these points from an anthropological perspective and started her career working in student services. Through her journey, Greenwood returns to an insight shared by a Jesuit, “Ignatius said that spirituality was for everyone.”

Now, as the Academic Enrichment Coordinator at Campion College in Saskatchewan, Canada, Greenwood supports students’ growth in many capacities.

“I have the privilege of working with students at various stages of their academic journey: welcoming them to Campion with an orientation event, reflecting with them on their community-based learning experiences, and supporting them as they discern their career paths. I am very inspired by the Jesuits’ Universal Apostolic Preferences, and I really feel the call to accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future. I get to meet so many students who are thoughtful, engaged, and full of life, and it’s a joy to walk with them in hope! “

The Houston Area Alumni Club

Leadership in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambigious (VUCA) world:

TUESDAY, NOV 14TH AT 12:00 P.M. (CT)

Sarah Greenwood Campion ’07

AWARDS

CHAPTER OF THE YEAR

2022-2023

CHAPTER OF THE YEAR (Overall): Fordham University

Chapter President: Nolan Chiles Fordham ’22

The Chapter of the Year awards honor student chapters that exemplify exceptional chapter engagement embodying the Alpha Sigma Nu tenets of scholarship, loyalty, and service. Alpha Sigma Nu is proud of the inspiring work taking place across member institutions and commends our student chapters for their dedication, energy, and devotion in the promotion of the AΣN mission.

Each of the Alpha Sigma Nu chapters demonstrates their commitment by engaging with members, partnering with their campuses, creating original programming, and serving our global communities.

SCHOLARSHIP

Gonzaga University

Chapter President: Jack Pauly ’22

LOYALTY

Universidad Loyola Andalucía

Chapter President: María de los Reyes Barrenengoa Bulnes ’21

SERVICE

Universidad del Pacífico

Chapter President: Claudia Maria Gallo Prado ’22

INNOVATION

Loyola University Maryland

Chapter President: Caroline Farrell ’22

PROMOTION OF DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, AND EQUITY MEASURES

Seattle University

Chapter President: Mashaal Shameem ’22

Marquette University

Chapter President: Megan McGuire ’22

Read the full announcement of the Chapter of the Year award winners at https://www.alphasigmanu.org/news.

Wisconsin Supreme Court

Justice (ret.) Janine Geske, Marquette ’75

Earlier this year, the Jesuits of Canada and the United States highlighted 20 Women Leading Ignatian Ministries which included AΣN member, Honorable Janine Geske (Marquette ’75). Judge Geske shared parts of her vocational journey with AΣN Executive Director, Clara Dwyer, including the impact of mentorship and retreats with professional colleagues and Jesuits, vocational advice she has for younger AΣN members, and guidance she received from former AΣN Executive Director, Peg Fennig.

Guided by Faith, Leading with Spirit

Marquette University Archives

In the Women Leading Ignatian Ministries feature, you identify your vocational call as a restorative justice advocate and that there is a great need for facilitated dialogue in all aspects of our culture. Can you share more about how AΣN members might develop a restorative justice mindset or be part of the effort in their daily lives?

Restorative justice is a term that is commonly misunderstood by a lot of people. One of the reasons is that many use it interchangeably with “rehabilitation.” The whole focus of restorative justice is on the harm and the harmed. It’s a philosophical approach, it’s a process of trying to open dialogue and conversation, and to build understanding.

[Restorative justice] incorporates a different approach to addressing harm; it’s about being kind to each other and respectfully hearing others. It’s about seeing humanity in somebody’s eyes. It’s about being understanding during encounters. If you really listen with your heart, you begin to understand why the person believes what they believe. You may fundamentally disagree with it, and you might even think you’d take a different journey. I’ve had victims of crime listen to an offender’s story and say, “I could’ve been there by accident, or by birth, or by neighborhood, or by not having my mentor. I could’ve been there. I do not know what choices I may have made.” When we facilitate restorative justice dialogues, we ask, “Can you talk about your family? Can you talk about how you came to form your opinion?” It’s not as though you are going to solve the problem, but it is no longer them versus us; it’s “we have different human experiences.” When I approach my work, I talk about it as a sacred experience. Everyone has to have their own experience and their own connection. I just provide the space and the process. You must trust the spirit because it’s at work.

What specific encounters do you recall in arriving at your true vocational call as an attorney and judge?

Highly respected, Attorney Tom Cannon, the director of the Legal Aid Society, took me under his wing and mentored me. I later applied to be appointed as a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge. Governor Lee Dreyfus appointed me to the judgeship. I later was elected two times to that position. Then Governor Tommy Thompson appointed me to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. I later was elected to a ten-year term but left the position five years later.

Second, as a trial court judge, I discovered the importance of restorative justice when I met a former lawyer at a correctional facility. The opportunity to shadow him was one of the most incredible moments of my life. After he moved out of state, I ran the prison program for 15 years, facilitating intensive three-day circles with incarcerated men, survivors, and community members. I have worked with incarcerated men and women, as well as with community and victim groups for over 20 years.

Eventually, I was asked to start a restorative justice program at Marquette University Law School, where I taught restorative justice and supervised students working out in the community with restorative processes.

A third memorable experience was when I organized a spiritual retreat for lawyers and judges in the Dominican Republic. During retreat we visited an orphanage, hospital, and jail, along with spending two days alone with Dominican families in campesinos. As I stayed in an amazingly simple wood structure, I could not verbally communicate with the family members. It was during this time in my humble surroundings that I remember thinking that I was in an important, powerful position at the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and I possessed so much stuff back home, and yet here I am unable to communicate with people who live a simple life. They were incredibly gracious and generous toward me, despite having almost no possessions. It was a multilayered spiritual experience that was extremely moving and changed the course and direction of my life.

How specifically has personal spiritual direction and guidance led you through challenging times in your life?

While I was doing restorative justice in the prisons, I also tried to schedule and maintain retreat and spiritual time.

The time I spent on retreats were also transformational experiences just becoming connected in a way between my faith and my life and my vocation. As a judge, I had a job to do. I had to do it compassionately, empathetically, and responsibly while considering many variables. Then I had to trust God would enter my work. As a Supreme Court justice, I had a number of tough years of discernment, and I kept saying, “Some days I want to quit and some days I want to stay.” A Jesuit, Rev. Pete Etzel, SJ, gave me the best guidance to, first, stop torturing myself with those questions but instead to journal for a year, go on a guided retreat, take my journals with me, and prayerfully read them. I took

that retreat with the Rev. Howard Gray, SJ (John Carroll ’05), who was also a phenomenal spiritual guide.

At the end of that retreat, I decided to leave the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the middle of my ten-year term. The announcement came out in the most beautiful article on the front page of a Sunday Milwaukee Journal describing my whole Dominican Republic retreat experience. As I talked about my decision, it was important to me that the article not reflect negatively on the Court, but instead describe the interaction of my faith and work, through my experiences during the retreat. My retreats afforded me the opportunity to observe things in nature and life that I never had time to observe, all those things that you never think about in the day-to-day. The time to think about my life prayerfully during retreat changed my life.

What could younger AΣN members learn from your journey?

I’ll tell you what I tell my students. [You] are not always going to get the ideal job and that’s okay because maybe [you] were supposed to make a difference in another way - to make a significant impact elsewhere. You must work at it, and eventually, you can have a lot of influence in a place, persuading others in how they approach issues or how to treat their employees. It may be easier to do pro bono work in some cases because you see the immediate connection with God. In some jobs it can be much more

challenging to recognize the holiness of your work. My work is my vocation and my faith, but in some places those connections might be much harder to recognize. Reflect upon what your gifts are and how you can effectuate positive change in whatever position you have.

The first retreat that I was on, I made a list of all the things I was involved with. I was on a lot of boards, and I started asking the question, “Do my skills and abilities enhance this group? Or can someone else or someone better do it?” When I came out of my retreat, I resigned from many boards. I remember Peg Fennig (former AΣN Executive Director) once said to me, “There will be a time later in life when you can do all these things. You don’t have to do it all at once.” That was good advice. I stayed on the boards where I thought my gifts could make a difference.

Most of the people in AΣN will be leaders at some point in their lives. So, the questions are how you can get there and what is your impact? Never forget to listen to your heart and your faith. Reconnect when you can with what you’re doing, how you’re living, how you’re treating your family. Take the time to look at the bigger picture, while rejoicing and being grateful for the smaller moments of grace in your lives.

Scan to learn more about the 20 Women Leading Ignatian Ministries.

Scan to learn more about Jesuit retreat centers nationwide.

Marquette University Archives

MEMBER FEATURE MEMBER FEATURE: JANINE GESKE

Ignatian Discernment for Young Alumni

Last spring, Tom Auffenberg (Saint Louis ’23) piloted a discernment program for young AΣN members who graduated in the past five years. This program helps young AΣN alumni incorporate a spiritual dimension as they navigate major life decisions such as pursuing post-college education, first job, changing jobs, relationships, and family decisions.

Samantha Brandt Fordham ’21

“I signed up for the Ignatian Discernment program to evaluate the endless list of questions I had about my life post-graduation. Does my career fulfill my life’s purpose? Where should I be living? What does the next decade of my life look like? Ignatian Discernment helps answer these questions thoughtfully and prayerfully.

Foley

“I think discernment is everything that life is about: it’s a lifelong process that anyone can participate in, one that takes different shapes depending on who’s doing it, and need not necessarily be tied to the major decisions of life. For me, participating in the program is another opportunity to be alongside like-minded people to help me actively engage in life rather than watch it pass by unexamined. If we can attend to both our daily and longer-lasting decisions, and attempt to get closer to the Good, then we create the opportunity to live a more fulfilling life.”

Ignatian Discernment Program for All

Learning to discern is an important part of our spiritual life. Prayerful discernment can lead to the discovery of what God desires for each of us not only in the big decisions but the small decisions as well.

In 2024, Alpha Sigma Nu will partner with Auffenberg to offer Ignatian Discernment for All. This program will introduce participants to Ignatian prayer and examine the discernment process developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola, two of his greatest contributions to the world of spirituality. Participants will share their insights from reading God’s Voice Within by Rev. Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ (Loyola New Orleans ’93), doing the exercises in the book, and engaging in discernment in their daily lives.

Registration is now open for the Ignatian Discernment for All program from January to April 2024. This program is open to all members regardless of age and will be offered via Zoom on Wednesdays from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (CT). The cost to participate is $100 and space will be limited.

Isabel Fitzsimmons Loyola Chicago ’21

“I wanted to experience and connect with my faith in a new way and I was excited about the ability to be part of a community to discuss Ignatian discernment with others.”

To find out more information or to register, contact AΣN Director of Development and Alumni Relations, Amy O’Neil, at amy.oneil@marquette.edu.

Declan

College of the Holy Cross ’14

2023 Alpha Sigma Nu Magis Medal

The Magis Medal was founded as part of the Centennial celebration of Alpha Sigma Nu in 2015. Now an annual award, Alpha Sigma Nu honors the great work of members living the AΣN pledge in the world.

Congratulations to Sue Cesare (Loyola Maryland ’08), Lieutenant Commander Colleen Scott, DrPH, MPH, NREMT, CHES (Gonzaga ’01), and Melodie Wyttenbach, Ph.D. (Saint Louis ’99). Read full descriptions of this year’s recipients and their service at https://www.alphasigmanu.org/news/announcing-the-2023-magis-medal-winners.

Melodie Wyttenbach, Ph.D. Saint Louis ’99

Dr. Wyttenbach is the Executive Director of the Roche Center for Catholic Education at Boston College and a faculty member in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development. Recognized as a national leader in training superintendents, principals, and teachers for effective and principled leadership of Catholic elementary schools, Dr. Wyttenbach has also supported and expanded a national network of two-way immersion learning at Catholic schools that facilitates the sharing of research and ideas via language immersion programs to help students involved in bilingual, bicultural, and bi-literate educational ventures. She also co-directed a national study and report (“Cultivating Talent”) on the powerful influence of Catholic Hispanic teachers on attracting more Hispanic students to Catholic schools.

Lieutenant Commander Colleen Scott, DrPH, MPH, NREMT, CHES Gonzaga ’01

After many years of formal service after graduation, LCDR Scott remains dedicated to improving the health of communities and protecting the most vulnerable. As a U.S. Public Health Service Officer, and among many other academic and service achievements, she has deployed 16 times, responding to public health emergencies including two deployments responding for the 2022 monkeypox outbreak, eight times for the COVID-19 pandemic, three times for hurricanes Irma, Harvey, and Maria, and twice for Ebola. When not responding to public health emergencies, she works daily to halt the global HIV/AIDS pandemic at The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the Scientific Integrity Protocol Unit Lead for the Division of Global HIV and tuberculosis.

Cesare received a Master of Arts degree in Pastoral Counseling at Loyola University Maryland. While raising her family and helping to manage her family’s business, Sue became deeply involved in her parish and the outreach to Baltimore’s homeless. In 1986, she was inspired to begin the Loaves and Fishes ministry to offer food and fellowship on the streets of Baltimore on weekend evenings.

Cesare has been deeply involved in the practice of spiritual direction through Loyola Maryland‘s Office of Mission Integration and has volunteered countless hours directing Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life program (SEEL). She is a founding co-director of the Loyola Ignatian Formation Experience (LIFE) which trains spiritual directors to accompany others in the Spiritual Exercises.

Sue Cesare Loyola Maryland ’08

Magis 2023: Creating a Hope-Filled Future

From July 22 to July 31, more than 2,000 pilgrims from 79 countries participated in MAGIS 2023. MAGIS, a gathering organized by the Society of Jesus, invites young adults (18-35 years old) from the Ignatian Family to come together in preparation of World Youth Day, a worldwide encounter with the Pope celebrated every three years in a different country. Held this year in Lisbon, Portugal, MAGIS pilgrims participated in five types of experiences including:

• Ecology and the environment

• Faith and spirituality

• Arts and cultures

• Pilgrimage and journey

• Solidarity and service

Although each experience has its own unique aspects, in all of them, the pilgrims are asked to care for their MAGIS community. Each pilgrimage experience accentuates a particular dimension of each person’s unique relationship with God.

This year, with the support of an AΣN member donor who funds the Seelos grant, AΣN sent five pilgrim members from Boston College, University of Scranton, Seattle University, Loyola Maryland, and a member of the Young Alumni Advisory Council to experience MAGIS 2023.

MAGIS is a Latin adverb meaning “more; greater”. It was a term used by St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, to describe the way Christianity provides a deep personal connection with God.

(L to R) AΣN pilgrims: Brandon DaGrosa (Scranton ’22), Mashaal Shameem (Seattle ’22), Elena Pérez Velasco of the ASN Young Alumni Advisory Council (Loyola Andalucia ’19), Kayla Thomsen (Loyola Maryland ’22), Henry Middlebrook (Boston College ’22).

Through providing proximity to a group of 72 refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine, Magis 2023 endowed me with a new appreciation for what service is and what it means to stand in solidarity and service with others.

Henry (Boston College ’22)

Heroic Leadership for All and the AΣN Mentoring Program

Alpha Sigma Nu partnered with Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business to provide a member-exclusive opportunity to participate in the Heroic Leadership for All program. Eight AΣN members participated in the four-week leadership course. The program helps to identify one’s unique leadership role in today’s challenging global environment.

The AΣN cohort included members from industries including healthcare and life sciences, alumni relations, organizational leadership, supply chain, education, software product management, writing, marketing, and information security. Moderated by Rev. Nicholas Santos, SJ (Marquette ’13), the group met virtually three times during the month-long course to reflect and share.

Chris Lowney (Fordham ’04), co-creator of the Heroic Leadership for All course and author of the book Heroic Leadership, joined the group for two calls to share his wisdom and allow members to ask questions.

“I was delighted that AΣN was one of the “pioneering” Jesuit organizations to take advantage of the Heroic Leadership for All online program offered in conjunction with Santa Clara University. But I wasn’t surprised. After all, the program’s goals dovetail beautifully with the spirit and aspirations of AΣN, namely—to help all of us to find ways not only to keep in touch with our Jesuit heritage but also to unlock the riches of our Jesuit tradition and see how those riches can help us to become more self-aware, ingenious, loving and highly effective leaders, in both personal and professional life.”

After completion of the program, all participants committed to mentor a young AΣN member in their profession for the 20232024 academic year. The goal of the mentor program is to connect young professionals with members who can offer career advice and support. AΣN hopes to continue to grow this program as a member benefit.

Nicholas Santos, SJ Marquette ’13

“Facilitating the AΣN Heroic Leadership cohort was such a pleasure. It made me proud to be an AΣN member myself. Reading the reflections from cohort members was humbling, encouraging, and inspiring.”

Members of the AΣN Heroic Leadership for All cohort

Andrea Cuervo Prados

Creighton ’19

“The Heroic Leadership Program for All at Santa Clara University is an excellent opportunity to grow and selfreflect on your role as a values-based leader. The online program gives the right tools to focus on self-awareness, love, ingenuity, and heroism as essential pillars of heroic leadership. Thank you to Alpha Sigma Nu for the opportunity to join a remarkable cohort guided by two exceptional leaders, Chris Lowney and Fr. Nicholas Santos.”

Patrick Aucoin

Spring Hill ’07

“How can you adapt to meet the needs of the changing world, while also knowing and remaining grounded in your core values? By intertwining the wisdom and practices of the Jesuit tradition, lessons and anecdotes from the modern workplace that we can all relate to, and an ongoing dialogue with a cohort of peer learners, this course prepares and encourages you to rise to that challenge.”

Lana Zachlin

John Carroll ’93

“I recommend Heroic Leadership for All to any AΣN member. This unique class helped me reconnect to my Jesuit roots and relate the work I do each day to my spiritual life. The cohort format is a great way to discuss the course topics with others who are going through similar experiences and learnings.”

Autumn Hartley

Gonzaga ’09

“The [Heroic Leadership] program gave me the tools and space I needed to discern a career change with intentionality. It helped me engage my past experiences, along with leadership lessons (both good and not-so-good) from various jobs to craft a vision for how I hope to serve others in my future role.”

Rachel Cole

Creighton ’23

“The intensity of reflection in this program challenged me to dig deep into understanding my motivations. I found a connection to leadership in unexpected parts of my life and discovered new ways to lead myself.”

Susie Faries

Regis ’01

“My deepest gratitude to Santa Clara University, Alpha Sigma Nu, Amy O’Neil, Chris Lowney, and Fr. Nicky Santos for offering this extraordinary program. It embraces the best of conscious, compassionate, empathetic, yet effective leadership techniques. It reaffirmed my hope that those who embrace love, ingenuity, self-awareness, and heroism can be agents for positive leadership change.”

Anthony Giordano Regis ’05

“The Heroic Leadership program was an amazing, intensive experience that truly helped me to self-reflect and evaluate where I have already put Jesuit ideals into practice and where those ideals might be lacking while at work. As someone who is evaluating the next steps to take in their career, the exercises and thought experiments that Chris provided were supremely helpful in understanding the type of leader I want to strive to be. The program also reminded me just how important my Jesuit education has been in allowing me to be my authentic self, whether in my personal life or while at work.”

AΣN Heroic Leadership for All 2024

Join other AΣN members and register for the February 2024 Heroic Leadership for All cohort. Over the course of eight weeks, renowned author Chris Lowney will bring clarity into your everyday life; strengthen your capacity to connect with coworkers, teams, and customers; and make deep connections between your purpose and workplace mission.

Space is limited so register early.

AΣN members receive an exclusive discount on registration. Questions can be directed to Director of Development and Alumni Relations, Amy O’Neil, at amy.oneil@marquette.edu.

Scan to learn more.

AΣN Legacy: The Sheehan Family of Le Moyne College

“Enlightening. Revelational. Wonderful,” were the first words that came to mind for each one of the Sheehan family’s three Alpha Sigma Nu members describing their Jesuit educational experience.

Dr. Richard Sheehan (’53) and his two sons, Michael (’79) and Mark (’81), were all inducted to Alpha Sigma Nu during their time at Le Moyne College. As tenets of Alpha Sigma Nu, scholarship and service have remained Sheehan family values.

After meeting his wife, Antoinette Politi Sheehan, at Le Moyne and being among one of the first graduating classes (both class of 1954), Richard went on to continue his Jesuit education at Georgetown University’s School of Medicine. He then started a pediatric allergy practice in Syracuse in 1962, where he worked for 40 years. His son, Dr. Michael Sheehan, has operated the practice for the past 28 years.

After graduating from Le Moyne , Mark completed his graduate studies at Syracuse University with a Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling and a Master of Public Administration. He then embarked on a career in rehabilitation counseling and administration at several nonprofit organizations throughout New York State’s Capital Region, most notably Schenectady ARC, where he has served individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities for the past 28 years.

“Looking back, Le Moyne was this wonderful place where I was able to enrich my Christian faith as well as discover, practice and refine a whole set of skills that would ultimately prove indispensable in various career and leadership roles that I have held throughout my personal and professional life,” Mark says.

“I was deeply impressed by the Ignatian motto of “Charity and Discernment,” Michael reflects, “which I feel has been deeply influential in my way of thinking throughout my life.”

Do you have an Alpha Sigma Nu legacy story to share? Let us know by contacting info@alphasigmanu.org.

(Top L to R) Dr. Michael Sheehan (Le Moyne ’79) and Mark Sheehan (Le Moyne ’81), Dr. Richard Sheehan (Le Moyne ’53)

Loyalty to Jesuit education and mission, the third Alpha Sigma Nu tenet, has also continued to be part of the Sheehan family legacy.

The Ignatian Legacy Fellows (ILF) program is an invitation to imagine the next stage of your life. Look back on your career. Find your purpose. Discover your passion. Deepen your faith. Examine the challenges facing today’s leaders in order to help them prepare for tomorrow.

Join a community of seekers, made up of accomplished colleagues with diverse backgrounds and experience. Participants will share in enlightening conversations, develop deep relationships, and form an extraordinary network while traveling the world in an immersive, transformational, and unforgettable journey.

Reflections from Ignatian Legacy Fellows participants

“The Ignatian Legacy Fellows (ILF) program provided an opportunity to join with others who were at a similar point in life, to deepen faith and explore options for the future. This pilgrimage program, being grounded in Ignatian spirituality, felt like a perfect fit having attended Georgetown University (where I was inducted into Alpha Sigma Nu) and my own affinity to the Jesuit charism throughout my life.

The ILF year-plus (Covid extended it) was incredibly life giving, stimulating, challenging and fulfilling. It was such a blessing to join with others and build a community of learning, faith sharing and exploration. There are still many wonderings about the future, but I feel grounded in my faith and open to new possibilities to use my gifts and give back. I look forward to the future with a grateful heart.”

- Colleen Scanlon, RN, JD (Georgetown ’76)

“My daughter, an alumnus of Loyola University Chicago, knew I was pondering my future life activities as I turned 70, so when she read about ILF in her alumni magazine, she said “Dad, it’s like you wrote this program…it’s what you have been seeking”.

And indeed, I had been reviewing programs at various universities which consisted of on-campus residencies for a year, during which time, courses in areas of one’s interest could be taken in furtherance of discerning one’s future activities.

But ILF was different, as it involved travel to multiple Jesuit universities both domestic and international. It also involved common curriculum and experiences for the cohort as opposed to each participant following their own path.

Given that Santa Clara is one of the sponsoring supporters of ILF, where I was proud to be chapter president of AΣN my senior year, I was convinced that ILF was for me. And it has been. I highly recommend AΣN alumni consider joining.”

- John Micek III (Santa Clara ’72)

To learn more, visit www.ignatianlegacyfellows.org.