Sarah is the daughter of Joyce (mother) and Ghassan (father) from Highland Heights, Ohio. She is a Psychology major with a concentration in Neuroscience and a Peace, Justice, & Human Rights minor. After graduation, Sarah will be attending medical school at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, PA.
Leadership: Sarah served on the executive board of the Middle Eastern Student Association (MESA) in 2022 and became President in 2023, helping MESA become one of the largest cultural organizations on campus. Additionally, she served as financial officer of the Psychology club in 2022. She has also been a Carroll Faith Communities (CFC) Leader since 2021, leading a dynamic group of individuals as we they closer to our faith and one another. Additionally, She has worked as a MELT mentor through CSDI for the past two years, supporting freshmen transitioning to college life. For her Arrupe senior capstone project, she led the Belonging & Becoming Teach-In, collaborating with two classmate co-leaders to address DEIB issues on campus and ensure that every student could feel a profound sense of belonging on campus. She also co-lead the Footprints for Fatima 5K for the past two years, raising money for families experiencing food insecurity. Finally, she represented JCU at the 2023 National Jesuit Student Leader Conference, developing her leadership skills with students from across the country.
Commitment to Jesuit Values: Sarah's faith is the most important part of who she is, and she is grateful to have attended a Jesuit institution that promotes each student’s spiritual well-being. Through being involved with Campus Ministry, and along with being a CFC leader, she has attended over five retreats during her time at JCU. With these retreats and by taking the classes Christian Spirituality and Ignatian Spirituality, she has grown to love Ignatian spirituality. Beyond JCU, she is involved in her parish, St. Maron’s Catholic Church, as a youth minister for the Maronite Youth Organization, as well as a member of Maronite Young Adults and the MaronKnights dabke dance team. Additionally, inspired by the Jesuit value of promoting justice, she have been passionate about social justice issues through my work as an Arrupe Social Jusitce Scholar, learning how to be an advocate for social justice. Additionally, through working as a PJHR ambassador, she has helped organize workshops and attended guest speakers who have expanded her knowledge about social justice issues on a global scale.
Academic Achievement: She have made the Dean’s list for six consecutive semesters. After graduation, She have been accepted into medical school at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, PA as the D.O Class of 2028. She have also had research experience at JCU, completing the Individual Research in Neuroscience Rat Lab capstone. She and her research partner will be attending the Eastern Colleges Science Conference to present this research in April 2024 to present their project: Effects of high-sodium chloride diet on anxious behavior in rats.
Service to the University and/or Civic Community: She is a weekly college volunteer at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, volunteering with a nonprofit called Smiles with Style since 2021, which aims to help create confidence for kids in the hospital. Through this experience, she spends quality time with hospitalized children, gaining a deeper understanding of the complexities of pediatric healthcare. She also volunteered at MacDonald Women’s Hospital in the summer of 2022, assisting the staff on the postpartum floor. Additionally, she serves as a youth minister for the Maronite Youth Organization, in which she voluntarily organizes and plans biweekly faith-based meetings for up to 40 youth ages 12-18.
Christine “Tina” Besenfelder is the daughter of Christine Besenfelder and is from Hinckley, Ohio. She is an Economics and Spanish double major and will be a full-time employee with KeyBank through their Rotational Risk Management Program after graduation.
Leadership: Tina has held a variety of leadership positions throughout her time at ֱ. She served as a Class Senator in Student Government before serving as Parliamentarian from January 2022 to June 2023, serving on the DEI committee and consulting and adjudicating on matters relating to the organization’s founding documents, respectively. Additionally, she served as the Financial Chair for the Honors Student Association from January 2022 to January 2024, creating the yearly budget and managing the organization’s check requests. For the fall semesters of 2021, 2022, and 2023 she served as a mentor to first-year Honors Program students; where her and a co-mentor would facilitate meetings about the adjustment to college, time management, involvement, and class scheduling as well as provide additional support when needed. Additionally, she was one of the Student Coordinators for the El Salvador Immersion in January 2024, co-leading weekly preparation meetings and the experience in the location.
Commitment to Jesuit Values: Tina’s commitment to Jesuit Values is evidenced in her participation in Campus Ministry activities and her continued advocacy for social justice. She began participating in CFCs during the Spring 2022 and Fall 2022 semesters. Starting in the Spring of 2023 to the present, she has been a co-leader for the LGBTQ+ Allies CFC, which provides a safe space for LGBTQ+ people of faith or no faith to grow in their spirituality. She regularly attends Sunday Mass at St. Francis Chapel and has served as a lector since Fall 2022. Finally, Tina and another member from her Border Immersion had the privilege to discuss their experience on the US/Mexico Border Immersion and immigration policy with a representative from Representative Shontel Brown’s office as a guest of Sister Tracy Horan.
Academic Achievement: Tina has been on the Dean’s List every semester, earning a cumulative GPA of 3.91. During her junior year, she was awarded the Lavelle Award in Economics for meritorious achievement and the Omicron Delta Epsilon Junior Honors Award, awarded to the highest ranking junior majoring in Economics.The Economics Department also sponsored her to be a Peer Learning Facilitator for Economics, which she has done since the Fall of 2021. Through Boler, she earned 3 scholarships for meritorious academic achievement (Particia Relyea Boland/Ernst and Young Scholarship for Women in Business, Fiftieth Anniversary Scholarship, and Jean Sutowski Endowed Fund Scholarship). Additionally, she has had the privilege of being inducted into Alpha Sigma Nu, the Jesuit Honor Society, and Beta Gamma Sigma, the Business Honor Society. Starting in the Fall of 2022, Tina and classmates from her Econometrics Class began researching for NASA the effects of space activity on the environment, resulting in three finished papers (one of which was accepted for publication) and two presentations at the Midwest Economics Association’s annual conferences in March of 2023 and March of 2024.
Service to the University and/or Civic Community: At the beginning of her Junior year, Tina became a liaison with CSSA and has since done service at a multitude of sites, including Cosmic Bobbins, Carroll Reads at St. Thomas Aquinas, Philosophy classes at Cleveland Central Catholic, the LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland, and Esperanza ESL Classes. Additionally, she was a participant on the Spring Break 2023 Immersion trip to the US/Mexico Border in Arizona to learn about the injustices migrants face on the southern border. In January 2024 she was a Student Coordinator for Immersion to El Salvador where the group learned about the Salvadoran Civil War, its lasting ramifications, and the existing political and social challenges. On campus, she has served as a member of the JCU Investment Committee for the Spring 2022, Fall 2022, and Spring 2023 semesters.
Lily is the daughter of James and Amy Free and is from North Olmsted, OH. She is double majoring in Psychology with a Child and Family Studies and Peace, Justice, and Human Rights. Upon graduation this May, Lily will be continuing her education at ֱ to obtain her Masters in School Counseling.
Leadership: At ֱ, Lily has been blessed to serve in various leadership roles. On campus, she served as the president of the Labre Project where she planned Labre each Friday as well as working with members of the core team. Specifically, in reminding them the importance of accompaniment to our friends throughout Cleveland. Lily served as the Vice President of Recruitment and Membership for the Panhellenic Council where she was tasked with planning the entirety of the formal recruitment weekend while working with each of our five nationally recognized chapters. Her time as Member Educator for the Chi Omega Fraternity allowed her to work closely with the newest members of Chi Omega, while planning various events involving ritual and traditions within the chapter. As a SWAT Leader, Lily worked closely with first-year students in their advising class and during streak week. Finally in student government as a senator as well as the class president of the Class of 2024, she was able serve as a liaison between administration and my peers. Finally, Lily worked as a tour guide where she showed prospective students ֱ.
Commitment to Jesuit Values: Throughout her time at JCU, Lily has been fortunate enough to serve as a Retreat Leader where she led four retreats for all students. These experiences have given Lily the opportunity to see her peers and friends grow closer in their faith life. She also led three Carroll Faith Communities (CFCs), which are small faith-based sharing groups that meet weekly. Through CFCs, Lily has found herself learning from the participants that show up each week. She also was given the opportunity to work for Campus Ministry in various ways, specifically as a work study and as the immersion intern. Both on campus jobs allowed her to grow closer to the Campus Ministry staff and have a better understanding of what it means to have a faith that does justice.
Academic Achievement: ֱ as provided Lily with an education that she will always be grateful for. In her time here, Lily has made Dean’s List 5 out of 7 of her semesters on campus. With the help of professors and academic advisors, Lily has grown as a student and taken courses that really focus on the Cura Personalis, “Care for the Whole Person.” Additionally, she has also been fortunate enough to been inducted into two honors societies on campus. One being the Psi Chi chapter, which is the honors society for psychology majors. The other honor society being, the Order of Omega chapter, which is the honor’s society on ֱ’s campus for members of Fraternity and Sorority life.
Service to the University and/or Civic Community: Besides going out on Labre to accompany those who are unhoused, Lily has worked closely with the Center for Service Learning and Social Action office. Through her time with CSSA, she has been involved in weekly service four of her seven semesters on campus, tutoring at various schools throughout the greater Cleveland area, specifically Fatima Family Center. Along with tutoring, Lily has been a Jesuit Day of Service site captain where she has led two different groups throughout the day. Lily has also been a student coordinator (SC) for two immersion trips. The first trip she was able to be a SC for was the Camino Ignaciano where twenty students, including faculty and staff, followed along in the footsteps of Saint Ignatius. We hiked 120 miles following along in his footsteps. It was incredibly influential in her outlook on the Jesuit teachings and ideals. It was a challenging yet rewarding experience that allowed her to grow closer in her faith as well as her relationships with her peers. The second trip Lily was able to lead as a SC was to Washington DC where immersion participants learned the reality of the unhoused. Through this experience, Lily and fellow immersion participants were able to meet with various non-profits. These non-profits shared the work they are doing currently to provide opportunities to the unhoused. One example being teaching those who have formerly been unhoused how to be a chef. It was an experience that Lily grew immensely from and where she learned a lot of valuable lessons.
Kylie is the daughter of Casey and Nancy Gillespie and is from Pittsburgh, PA. She is majoring in Theology and Religious Studies and double minoring in Spanish and Communications with a concentration in Integrated Marketing. Upon graduation, Kylie hopes to live in Cleveland and work for a nonprofit while continuing to serve in Catholic ministry.
Leadership:During her four years at JCU, Kylie has had the opportunity to serve in leadership roles for several groups that have greatly impacted her. For six consecutive semesters, Kylie has been a leader within Campus Ministry, walking with countless JCU students, including her closest friends, on their faith journeys as she leads retreats, weekly CFC meetings, Exalts, and other Campus Ministry events. Kylie has also been a Center for Service and Social Action liaison for four consecutive semesters where she has participated in a variety of service opportunities including tutoring students of all ages and working with high school students learning English as a second language. Kylie’s most recent leadership role was as a Social Mission Executive for the JCU Food Buggy in which she helped coordinate community outreach events to support men, women, and children experiencing homelessness in Cleveland.
Commitment to Jesuit Values:The community of faith at ֱ has inspired Kylie to encounter God’s light in all things and continuously seek new ways to learn and grow in relationship with God and others. The retreats, CFCs, and other Campus Ministry events she has led and attended have transformed the way she lives. Kylie has learned faith is not something meant to be solely contemplative, but also active. A life of faith is exciting, engaging, and abundant, and the faith community at ֱ has encouraged her to continuously grow in this way of life. From lifelong friendships formed on weekend retreats, to conversations on the quad and coffee dates with friends, Kylie has experienced the evidence of God’s presence and faithfulness through her many experiences at JCU.
Academic Achievement: Kylie has received recognition on ֱ’s Dean’s List for all semesters she has attended the university and anticipates graduating Summa Cum Laude. In conjunction with her Summer in the City Internship with CSSA and Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry, Kylie also conducted research regarding youth safety and homelessness and how communities can modify structures and programming to better support youth experiencing housing insecurity. This research informed both a research paper and tangible project which were both presented during CSSA’s Summer in the City Showcase. The paper was given to the staff of LMM to inform the development of their Youth Resiliency Services, specifically their Youth Shelter and future Youth Drop-In Center. The informed project was a renewable Amazon wishlist to meet the needs of the youth at LMM’s youth shelter. This project also inspired much of Kylie’s work with the JCU Food Buggy, including an event she organized and led at the youth shelter.
Service to the University and/or Civic Community: Kylie has devoted much of her time to serving the Cleveland community during her time at ֱ through various CSSA service opportunities, including tutoring elementary and middle school students and working with high school students learning English as a second language at Natividad Pagan International Newcomers Academy. In addition to weekly service with CSSA, Kylie has also spent several Fridays volunteering with Labre where she has been blessed with the opportunity to serve people experiencing homelessness in Cleveland. In the summer of 2022, Kylie traveled to Honduras with the Church of the Gesu to serve children in Nuevo Paraiso and people in the neighboring communities. On this mission trip, Kylie learned the value of loving people from all walks of life as she built friendships with the children of Nuevo Paraiso and communicated with men, women, and children during medical brigades in surrounding communities. In all of her experiences of service, Kylie has learned the importance of not reducing an individual to their life circumstance, but rather valuing people for their whole selves and building genuine, authentic relationships.
Patrick McGraw is the son of Shawn and Tina McGraw. He is from Chardon, Ohio and graduated from Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland. He will graduate in May with a major in biology and minors in chemistry and business. After graduation, Patrick will work for a year as a medical assistant at an orthopedic clinic in Beachwood, Ohio before attending medical school where he will pursue his dream of becoming a physician.
Leadership: Patrick has served on the executive board of the Pre-Medicine Society for four years, including a term as the organization’s president. During his presidency, he helped to design and implement the inaugural “Alumni in Medicine Dinner,” an opportunity for current students to network and share a meal with successful medical alumni. Patrick was also instrumental in transitioning campus blood drives to be sponsored by the Pre-Medicine Society. These recent drives have collected enough blood to save upward of 600 lives. He contributed further to pre-health programming by helping to create and co-author the constitution for the Pre-Health Coordinating Committee (PHCC), an organization designed to improve communication and collaboration among pre-health student groups. He was elected president of this committee in its inaugural year, during which the group produced a unified calendar and monthly newsletter. In addition, he has served twice as a Student Coordinator for the Honduras Immersion, leading his classmates through preparation for and travel to Honduras, where they established a series of medical brigades in rural communities. Finally, Patrick served as a leader on the varsity wrestling team by setting an example to follow. In his final season, he broke the school record for all-time victories.
Commitment to Jesuit Values: A commitment to and demonstration of Jesuit values have been an integral part of Patrick’s time at ֱ. He has been extremely active and involved in Campus Ministry and other faith-based organizations on campus. After attending multiple retreats and being influenced by those who led them, he was inspired to become a leader, too. Since then, he has led five different Campus Ministry retreats, where he has grown in his faith and helped others do the same. Additionally, Patrick is a member of the Knights of Columbus at ֱ, where he helps plan faith and formation events as well as fundraisers that have collected several hundred dollars for charitable organizations, such as Zelie’s Home. More recently, Patrick has joined a men’s Carroll Faith Community, or CFC, dubbed the “Carroll Carpenters.” This group has allowed Patrick to further reflect on where God is working in his life and where he can better serve others.
Academic Achievement: Patrick has prioritized his academics, earning Dean’s List honors in all of his semesters at JCU. In addition, he is a proud member of Alpha Sigma Nu, the only Jesuit Honor Society. On top of that, Patrick is an active member of two research labs, where he finds great fulfillment in contributing to projects that seek solutions to clinical and real-world problems. In Dr. Vanderzalm’s lab at ֱ, Patrick is investigating the mechanism of neuromuscular junction growth control in fruit flies. Identifying this mechanism will help the scientific community better understand neurological conditions like Schizophrenia and Autism. At the Cleveland Clinic, he studies a condition called Intimal Hyperplasia. This project will also positively contribute to the understanding of the scientific community. Recently, he was awarded the Blue Streak Scholar Award for excellence in both athletics and academics, demonstrating an impressive ability to balance several involvements. Moreover, through his involvement in athletics, he has been named a three-time NWCA Scholar All-American and one-time CSC Academic All-American.
Service to the University and/or Civic Community: Service and volunteer work have been important for Patrick as a way to give back to his community. During his junior year, he traveled weekly to volunteer at the University Hospitals Rainbow Ahuja Center for Women & Children. Here, he helped patients get connected with a variety of resources to help acquire baby supplies/formula, rental assistance, aid to combat food insecurity, and much more. He also volunteered as a mentor at a six-week-long wrestling summer camp for inner-city children. He found this to be an excellent opportunity to use his gifts and talents to help others in a meaningful way. Patrick has also served twice as an Honors Mentor leading a cohort of first-year Honors students through their first semester, helping them to navigate the transition to college life. Similarly, he has served four years as SWAT leader, assisting a wider range of students with this transition and being a resource for them.
Leadership: Mallaakspends a lot of time on campus, planning, engaging & executing events as President of Muslim Student Association (MSA), Vice President for Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), faith leader for Carroll Faith Community (CFC), an Immersion Leader for the Honduras Immersion, Melt Mentor for CSDI, and each role is more rewarding than the next. What she has learned over the years, especially at JCU of being a leader, is that she learns way more from the interactions she has and the people she gets to experience than they learn from her. While she may support, guide, and share the little of what she does know and can offer, they all move her in ways that she cannot repay. She may have facilitated the safe space but they have filled it with passion, love, and free spirits. She may have held faith groups and interfaith dialogue dinners, but they are the ones who carry the conversations. She may have hosted events for the exposure of mental health awareness and implemented it into her discussions, but they are the ones brave enough to share their experiences. What she found it means to be a leader, is sometimes being a guide, but a true leader is one who is transformed by those that they lead. A few of her favorite events that she helped facilitate was the student led interfaith panel about Ramadan, Lent, and Passover, a scholarly led interfaith panel with a Sheikh, Rabbi, and a Priest discussing the end of times, the daily reflections on the Honduras Immersion, her weekly spiritual and interfaith circles with her CFC, cultural events with SJP honoring Palestinian heritage and a booth to “try on a hijab” for world hijab day. In all her endeavors, her overarching goal remains the same: to cultivate inclusive spaces where individuals feel heard, seen, and loved, thereby enriching both their lives and her own.
Commitment to Jesuit Values: As a dedicated leader committed to Jesuit values, exposure to the world around us, and using our privilege in order to bring justice, is one of the many ways she served on her campus. She even went on the Camino Ignacio immersion in Spain to immerse herself in Jesuit values by walking the path of Saint Ignatius, while still honoring her own faith tradition. Serving as a student coordinator for the Honduras immersion, She has facilitated transformative experiences where spirituality intersects with service, empowering students to utilize their privilege to advocate for justice. This role dovetails with her positions as a CFC faith leader, MSA president, and SJP VP at ֱ, allowing her to foster inclusive environments where faith and social justice converge. In addition to being in an environment where her own faith is deepened by being surrounded by others who value their faiths deeply. Her commitment to understanding diverse perspectives led her to participate in the Camino Ignacio immersion in Spain, where she engaged with different faith traditions firsthand, enriching her capacity as a leader. My dedication is evident in embodying the Jesuit values of embracing differing points of view in the events she organizes. Especially the interfaith panel through MSA with a Sheikh, Rabbi and Priest who discussed the end of times. In addition to the world hijab day try-on and SJPxBSA open mic, which fostered cultural understanding and a sense of belonging. Where people can let their creative juices flow but have a safe space to express their emotions. Moreover, She has leveraged platforms like the Arrupe scholars' panel to address racial stereotypes and microaggressions, championing dialogue and awareness. Participating in retreats, immersions including Honduras and the Camino Ignacio, has deepened my spiritual journey, reinforcing the importance of faith in my leadership. Being recognized for my commitment to Jesuit values brings her profound joy, as it aligns with my core beliefs and underscores the significance of honoring diverse faith traditions.
Academic Achievement: As a double major in Theology and Religious Studies, and Psychology, with a minor in Women's Studies, she her demonstrated a commitment to academic excellence and interdisciplinary learning. Her achievements include receiving the Outstanding Student Leadership Award and conducting research on memory recall and recognition, focusing on presentation stimulus and note-taking techniques. Additionally, she is pursuing a second bachelor's degree in Islamic Studies, further expanding her academic horizons. Committed to holistic development, she is also obtaining certifications in personal training and nutrition, reflecting her dedication to diverse fields of study and personal growth. Through her academic endeavors, she strives to not only excel in her studies but also contribute meaningfully to her fields of interest and broader community.
Service to the University and/or Civic Community: As a committed advocate for service, she has dedicated herself to uplifting both the university and wider civic community. Her immersion experiences on the Camino Ignacio and as the student coordinator for the Honduras immersion have shaped her understanding of service and social justice. Beyond campus, she serves as a youth coordinator at the mosque and actively volunteers in various initiatives such as feed the hungry, local mosque food and refugee clothing drives, and vaccination clinics. Additionally, she contributes as a tutor for core subjects and Arabic, ensuring educational support reaches those in need. Her involvement extends to leadership roles in the DEIB committee and student government at ֱ, where she advocates for inclusivity and community engagement. Furthermore, she leads interfaith spirituality and faith groups, providing support for women and young girls to navigate identity, mental health challenges, and sports engagement. Through these endeavors, she is committed to fostering a culture of service and empowerment both on campus and in the broader community.