A Tri-Continental Experience of Alpha Sigma Nu

JOSÉ ARANDA ÁLVAREZ (Loyola Andalucia ’16)

It was May 2016 when I first heard of A∑N. I received an e-mail explaining that I had been selected to something called an ‘honor society,’ a concept that I was learning for the first time in my life. As a first-generation student of Universidad Loyola Andalusia (Spain), this organization was totally different than anything I encountered before. Little did I know then how important A∑N would be for my upcoming future.

had any idea of the culture of this country. However, thanks to A∑N, I was able to get involved in the chapter. This changed my whole experience there. It was in Korea where I understood the power of the organization’s online Member Directory. At the same time, it was very beautiful to see that even when the activities held by this chapter were very different from what I saw in the U.S., we all shared the same ideals that A∑N bears.

Just months after, I was honored to be inducted into A∑N at Marquette University, where I was studying abroad. Being so close to the A∑N Central Office, also at Marquette, gave me the chance to get closer to the society and understand its worldwide character and mission. From the start, I quickly fell in love with the Jesuit ideals that A∑N promotes, and I was excited to learn more about it.

Jose at his induction at Marquette University wiht fellow inductees

After the U.S., I got to go to Sogang University (Seoul, Rep. of Korea) for another study abroad experience. In Korea, I got to fully see the beauty of this organization. As a foreigner in such a different culture it was not easy to get along with Korean students; I was only there for a few months, I did not speak their language, and I barely

When the summer arrived, I applied for a Seelos Grant that A∑N offers for attending the National Jesuit Student Leadership Conference which was hosted by Georgetown University. This week at Georgetown, with student leaders from a variety of campus organizations all around the U.S., would later be very helpful as I arrived back at Loyola Andalusia’s campus. Since the A∑N chapter at Loyola Andalusia had only been running for one year, I decided to join the Executive Team to try to give back all I received from A∑N. During that academic year, I was happy to share with the chapter everything I learned during my tri-continental experience with A∑N and to in some way do my bit in laying the foundation of the first European chapter of the Jesuit honor society, inspired by its American and Asian counterparts.

Jose with ASN members from Sogang University