THRIVING AMONG COMMUNITY

During his time on campus, he made the Dean’s List, was a member of Black Men for Success, and signed up as a freshman leader—helping incoming students to get connected with campus and all its resources. Personally interested in the environment and the earth, he also helped build gardens around campus as a hobby.

He was most surprised by the amount of support he received while at Arrupe.

“The faculty and the staff make the Arrupe experience,” he says. “They do a tremendous job.”

He says all of his professors made an impact, not just one.

“I honestly had a personal relationship with all [Arrupe faculty members]. It was very community-based. Multiple people went above and beyond for me.”

PURSUING HIS PASSION

After receiving his associate's degree, Anderson went directly on to pursue his bachelor’s in environmental science at Loyola University Chicago and will graduate in 2024. The degree allows him to explore his interest in the earth.

“Growing up on the South Side, I didn’t have much experience with the earth. Over time—as I went hiking, fishing, and away to camps—I just had a better understanding that it was my passion.”

On campus, he’s a team leader in the Urban Agriculture Program and led an independent project to determine crop rotation.

In the future, he plans to parlay that love of the earth into a fulfilling career by either becoming an environmental consultant or working for the government in an environmental role that involves going to different states or countries and helping communities grow urban gardens.

For anybody debating whether they should apply for Arrupe, Anderson encourages them to jump right in and not look back.

“Arrupe isn’t always easy, but with a community it makes trying and succeeding a lot easier,” he says. “You’ll have tons of support and acknowledgment. You can do it, too.”